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GUEST,Pete Peterson Songs from Spanish American War (45) RE: Folklore: Songs from Spanish American War 16 Oct 03


I have two more lines:
Damn, damn, damn the Filipinos!
Crosseyed, kakiak Ladrones,
Underneath the starry flag
Civilize 'em with a Krag
And return us to our own beloved homes.

The verse started
In the land of dopey dreams, in the peaceful Philippines. . .

Perhaps some background is needed: President McKinley said just AFTER the Spanish-American war that he had prayed all night on his knees on the question of what to do with the Phil. Islands. . . and "it wouldn't be right to give them back to Spain, and they wren't ready for independence, so the ONLY think left to do was to lift them up and CIVILIZE them so that they could some day assume their place as as nation." (a good history book will have the exact quote)

the Krag-Jorgenson rifle was the standard rifle of US troops

the Ladrones are another names for the Phil. I haven't the slightest idea about the Kakiaks. . . sounds like somewhere in the Aleutians to me and that's 5000 miles away!

I THINK that the song is in one of the early John A Lomax collections but not sure where, sorry!

TOPIC CHANGE:
another song related to the Spanish-American war is "The Cuban Soldier" first recorded by the Carter Family in about 1939; most recently covered by the Well Tempered String Band (coughs modestly) chorus of which starts:
"When Cubie gains her freedom and the Spaniars cease to reign
There's a loved one on this island who will wait for me in vain. . ."

hope this isn't too late-- if I have counted right you still ahve 26 minutes!


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