United Fruit

And the fruit boats ride on the waves
And the crew will dream of returning
Back to the Florida waters
For the work of unloading onto the trains

And the ships will dance by the shore
With fruit from Venezuela, Brazil and Costa Rica
But the fruit from the island of Cuba
Is carried no more

And on the decks it will lay
Picked by the hands of the peons
At the lowest possible wages
While the profits are made by the strangers
From far away

Now some will pick the fruit of the vine
While others will go to the mountain
And eat the fruit of the hillside
And learn the way of the rifle
Wait for the time

Allianza dollars are spent
To raise the towering buildings
For the weary bones of the workers
So they will be strong in the morning
To go back again

Oh the companies keep a sharp eye
And pay their respects to the army
To watch for the hot-blooded leaders
And be prepared for the junta to
Crush them like flies

So heavy the price that they pay
As daily the fruit it is stolen
Over the blue Caribbean
But the lengthening shadow of Cuba
Will hinder the way

And the fruit boats ride on the waves
And the crew will dream of returning
Back to the Florida waters
For the work of unloading onto the trains