My name is Colonel Lequi,
Of the New York National Guard,
And I’ve come to this island of Cuba,
To fight with my National Guard.
Back home I was a milkman,
But I worked very hard,
And now, thanks to this war in Cuba,
I command New York's National Guard.
I hope that this war is soon over,
And a Spaniard I never shall see,
For he’ll probably be the type of a chap,
To open fire on me.
And what‘s even worse than this matter,
They tell me I should shoot back in return,
But they never taught me to fire,
Drinking is all that I learned.
Citizens be proud of your National Guard,
For we guard you both night and day,
True, we are not the best fighters,
But someone must march in parades.
Of the New York National Guard,
And I’ve come to this island of Cuba,
To fight with my National Guard.
Back home I was a milkman,
But I worked very hard,
And now, thanks to this war in Cuba,
I command New York's National Guard.
I hope that this war is soon over,
And a Spaniard I never shall see,
For he’ll probably be the type of a chap,
To open fire on me.
And what‘s even worse than this matter,
They tell me I should shoot back in return,
But they never taught me to fire,
Drinking is all that I learned.
Citizens be proud of your National Guard,
For we guard you both night and day,
True, we are not the best fighters,
But someone must march in parades.
Contributed by Alessandro - 2010/4/1 - 09:58
La guerra ispano-americana del 1898 per il possesso delle Filippine e di Cuba non fu una guerra combattuta. La vecchia e spelacchiata flotta spagnola fu catturata tutta intera, senza colpo ferire, nel golfo di Manila… A Cuba, l’unica azione militare vera e propria fu quella dei “Rough Riders” di Teddy Roosevelt nell’assalto alla collina di San Juan… E su questo episodio Roosevelt fondò le basi per la sua corsa alla Casa Bianca, anche se molti storici si sono chiesti come diavolo abbia potuto lui, miope come una talpa e con gli occhiali rotti - come si vede nelle foto - condurre un assalto… La maggior parte dei decessi fra i soldati yankee non fu dovuta al fuoco nemico ma alla carne guasta che mangiavano…
“The Spanish-American War was not a war noted for great military strategy nor great military conquests. The Spanish fleet of old, wooden, antiquated ships surrendered to Admiral Dewey in Manila Bay without firing a shot - although Dewey proceeded to sink almost the entire armada. Teddy Roosevelt "charge" up San Juan Hill not only never occurred, but many historians question whether Roosevelt, as myopic as one could be, could have made such a charge anyway, since he had broken his glasses at the bottom of the hill. Most American fatalities in Cuba resulted from the troops eating meat which had gone bad in the tins it was packed in, and not from enemy fire.
It is in this spirit that " Lequi of the National Guard" was written and sung.”
(nota introduttiva al brano dal libretto che accompagna l’album)
“The Spanish-American War was not a war noted for great military strategy nor great military conquests. The Spanish fleet of old, wooden, antiquated ships surrendered to Admiral Dewey in Manila Bay without firing a shot - although Dewey proceeded to sink almost the entire armada. Teddy Roosevelt "charge" up San Juan Hill not only never occurred, but many historians question whether Roosevelt, as myopic as one could be, could have made such a charge anyway, since he had broken his glasses at the bottom of the hill. Most American fatalities in Cuba resulted from the troops eating meat which had gone bad in the tins it was packed in, and not from enemy fire.
It is in this spirit that " Lequi of the National Guard" was written and sung.”
(nota introduttiva al brano dal libretto che accompagna l’album)
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Album “Yankee Go Home: Songs of Protest Against American Imperialism”, Folkways Records.
La guerra ispano-americana del 1898 per il possesso delle Filippine e di Cuba non fu una guerra combattuta. La vecchia e spelacchiata flotta spagnola fu catturata tutta intera, senza colpo ferire, nel golfo di Manila… A Cuba, l’unica azione militare vera e propria fu quella dei “Rough Riders” di Teddy Roosevelt nell’assalto alla collina di San Juan… E su questo episodio Roosevelt fondò le basi per la sua corsa alla Casa Bianca, anche se molti storici si sono chiesti come diavolo abbia potuto lui, miope come una talpa e con gli occhiali rotti - come si vede nelle foto - condurre un assalto… La maggior parte dei decessi fra i soldati yankee non fu dovuta al fuoco nemico ma alla carne guasta che mangiavano…
“The Spanish-American War was not a war noted for great military strategy nor great military conquests. The Spanish fleet of old, wooden, antiquated ships surrendered to Admiral Dewey in Manila Bay without firing a shot - although Dewey proceeded to sink almost the entire armada. Teddy Roosevelt "charge" up San Juan Hill not only never occurred, but many historians question whether Roosevelt, as myopic as one could be, could have made such a charge anyway, since he had broken his glasses at the bottom of the hill. Most American fatalities in Cuba resulted from the troops eating meat which had gone bad in the tins it was packed in, and not from enemy fire.
It is in this spirit that " Lequi of the National Guard" was written and sung.”
(nota introduttiva al brano dal libretto che accompagna l’album)