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Battleship of Maine

New Lost City Ramblers
Language: English


New Lost City Ramblers

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(Dave McCarn)


[1958]
Una versione molto “alternativa” dell’omonima canzone popolare sciovinista risalente alla guerra ispano-americana del 1898, quella scatenata con il pretesto dell’affondamento della nave da guerra USS Maine mentre si trovava ancorata nel porto de L’Avana a Cuba…




Si trattò quasi sicuramente di un incidente, di un’esplosione interna, oppure di un’operazione di “false flag”, in cui gli USA sono sempre stati maestri, diretta proprio ad innescare un conflitto che si concluse con la sconfitta della Spagna e l’estensione del controllo americano su Cuba, Filippine, Porto Rico e Guam…



La parodia è sicuramente di origine popolare e i New Lost City Ramblers la ripresero in un loro disco pubblicato nel 1958 dalla Folkways Records e poi anche in dischi successivi.
McKinley called for volunteers
I went and got my gun
First Spaniard I saw coming
I dropped my gun and run
It was all about that Battleship of Maine.

At war with that great nation Spain
When I get back to Spain I want to honor my name
It was all about that Battleship of Maine.

Why are you running
Are you afraid to die?
The reason that I'm running
Is because I cannot fly
It was all about that Battleship of Maine.

The blood was a-running
And I was running too
I give my feet good exercise
I had nothing else to do
It was all about that Battleship of Maine.

At war with that great nation Spain
When I get back to Spain I want to honor my name
It was all about that Battleship of Maine.

When they were a-chasing me,
I fell down on my knees,
First thing I cast my eyes upon
Was a great big pot of peas
It was all about that Battleship of Maine.

The peas they were greasy
The meat it was fat
The boys was fighting Spaniards
While I was fighting that
It was all about that Battleship of Maine.

At war with that great nation Spain
When I get back to Spain I want to honor my name,
It was all about that Battleship of Maine.

What kind of shoes
Do the rough riders wear?
Buttons on the side
Cost five and a half a pair
It was all about that Battleship of Maine.

What kind of shoes
Do the poor farmers wear?
Old broke in
Cost a dollar a pair
It was all about that Battleship of Maine.

At war with that great nation Spain
When I get back to Spain I want to honor my name,
It was all about that Battleship of Maine.

Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2014/7/31 - 10:27



Language: English

Come sospettavo, ho ora conferma che questa ripresa alla fine dei ’50 dai New Lost City Ramblers è una canzone satirica, da “vaudeville”, risalente ai tempi della guerra ispano-americana (1898), quella che, col pretesto dell’affondamento dell’USS Maine (in realtà un’operazione di “false flag”), fece sì che gli USA si pappassero Cuba, Filippine, Porto Rico e Guam ponendo fine ai residui possedimenti coloniali spagnoli in America.



Ma negli anni 20, quindi ben prima dei New Lost City Ramblers, il brano fu un cavallo di battaglia di Wilmer Watts (1897-1943), cantante e polistrumentista di Gaston County, North Carolina, uno che riusciva a suonare anche cinque strumenti all’unisono e che, all’occorrenza, si accompagnava al gruppo de "The Lonely Eagles”. La loro versione s’intitolava “Fightin' in the War with Spain”. Il testo l’ho trovato sul solito, imprescindibile Mudcat Café come trascritto all’ascolto da tal Malcolm V. Blackard in un articolo su Wilmer Watts pubblicato su di una rivista del 1969.
La canzone si trova incisa in un paio di raccolte, “The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of” (2006) e “The Rise And Fall Of Paramount Records 1928-1932, Volume 2” (2015).


FIGHTIN' IN THE WAR WITH SPAIN

The captain called out for volunteers, I shouldered up my gun;
First Spaniard that I seen I dropped my gun and run,
But I'se fightin' for that battleship of Maine.

I'se fightin' in this great war with Spain
Fightin' for the battleship of Maine;
Oh, get back, Spain, I don't own your name
I'm fightin' for this battleship of Maine.

Marched out on the battlefield, I fell upon my knees,
First thing my eyes fell on was a great big pot of peas,
But I'se fightin' for the battleship of Maine.

I'se fightin' in this great war with Spain
Fightin' for the battleship of Maine;
Oh, get back, Spain, I don't own your name
I'm fightin' for this battleship of Maine.

The peas they was greasy, meat it was fat,
The rest fought the Spaniards, but I was fightin' that,
While I'se fightin' for this battleship of Maine.

I'se fightin' in this great war with Spain
Fightin' for the battleship of Maine;
Oh, get back, Spain, I don't own your name
I'm fightin' for this battleship of Maine.

The blood it was running, I was running too
Give my feet good exercise like nothing else could do,
While I'se fightin' for this battleship of Maine.

The captain asked me why I run, was I 'fraid to die?
Told him the reason that I run, cause I couldn't fly,
But I'm fightin' for this battleship of Maine.

It's all about the […]
All about this battleship of Maine,
Oh, git back Spain, I don't own your name,
I'm fighting for this battleship of Maine.

I marched around to Cuby, all back to Spain
The shot was falling round me, just like a shower of rain,
But I'se fightin' for the battleship of Maine.

I marched around to Cuby, I thought I'd lose my life,
Before I'd go to war again I'd send my darling wife,
To fight for all this battleship of Maine.

I'se fightin' in this great war with Spain
Fightin' for the battleship of Maine;
Oh, get back, Spain, I don't own your name
I'm fightin' for this battleship of Maine.

You ought to seen the boat come around the bend,
It wss loaded down with American men,
Ready for war, honey babe, as sure as you're born.

You can dodge behind the window, hide behind the door
But you can't dodge American long .44s [???]
While I'm fightin' for this battleship of Maine.

Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2015/5/20 - 09:02




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