Geography in Song, page 3

Here's a song by Allen Ginsberg, greatest American Poet of 20th century (all honour to his memory!)
He actually did put music to his poems and recorded them.

This is a controversial song, a very political one. About CIA dope dealing in Indochina. A lot of names.

China, Thailand, Bangkok, Laos don't need explanation.
Chiang Mai is the capital city of Northern Thailand at the border of the Golden Triangle.
Xieng Quang province on the Plain of Jars, is a central province of Laos.
Saigon, former capital of South Vietnam, now HoChiMien City, Tan Son Nhut, an American base there during the Vietnam War.
Long Cheng was a secret American base in Laos.

CIA Dope Calypso
In nineteen hundred forty-nine
China was won by Mao Tse-tung
Chiang Kai Shek's army ran away
They were waiting there in Thailand yesterday

Supported by the CIA
Pushing junk down Thailand way

First they stole from the Meo Tribes
Up in the hills they started taking bribes
Then they sent their soldiers up to Shan
Collecting opium to send to The Man

Pushing junk in Bangkok yesterday
Supported by the CIA

Brought their jam on mule trains down
To Chiang Mai that's a railroad town
Sold it next to the police chief's brain
He took it to town on the choochoo train

Trafficking dope to Bangkok all day
Supported by the CIA

The policeman's name was Mr. Phao
He peddled dope grand scale and how
Chief of border customs paid
By Central Intelligence's U.S. aid

The whole operation, Newspapers say
Supported by the CIA

He got so sloppy and peddled so loose
He busted himself and cooked his own goose
Took the reward for the opium load
Seizing his own haul which same he resold

Big time pusher for a decade turned grey
Working for the CIA

Touby Lyfong he worked for the French
A big fat man liked to dine & wench
Prince of the Meos he grew black mud
Till opium flowed through the land like a flood

Communists came and chased the French away
So Touby took a job with the CIA

The whole operation fell in to chaos
Till U.S. intelligence came in to Laos
Mary Azarian/Matt Wuerker I'll tell you no lie I'm a true American
Our big pusher there was Phoumi Nosavan

All them Princes in a power play
But Phoumi was the man for the CIA

And his best friend General Vang Pao
Ran the Meo army like a sacred cow
Helicopter smugglers filled Long Cheng's bars
In Xieng Quang province on the Plain of Jars

It started in secret they were fighting yesterday
Clandestine secret army of the CIA

All through the Sixties the dope flew free
Thru Tan Son Nhut Saigon to Marshall Ky
Air America followed through
Transporting comfiture for President Thieu

All these Dealers were decades and yesterday
The Indochinese mob of the U.S. CIA

Operation Haylift Offisir Wm Colby
Saw Marshall Ky fly opium Mr. Mustard told me
Indochina desk he was Chief of Dirty Tricks
"Hitch-hiking" with dope pushers was how he got his fix

Subsidizing the traffickers to drive the Reds away
Till Colby was the head of the CIA

Most interesting about this song is the character gallery.

William Colby was head of the CIA.
Marshall Ky was vice president of South Vietnam.
The only thing I can find out about Mr. Mustard is a figure of a Lennon song, supposely hiding all his cash/stash!?
President Thieu was the last South Vietnamese president.
General Vang Pao is a wellknown figure of the Hmong people, allies of US in the war, now largely exiled in the States and France. Meo are Thai name for Hmong/Mong tribes.
Phoumi Nosavan was a Lao political figure and CIA protege at the time.
Mary Azarian/Matt Wuerker are American illustrators.
Touby Lyfong a Meo aristochrat.
Mr. Phao is a common Thai name. I could give some suggestions as to who, but I don't know enough and those guys are still alive, big generals and the like today. Maybe that's why Ginsberg just calls him "Mr.".

If you wanna know more about CIA dope pedling, please visit my thread War on Terror financed by drugs?

[edit on 25-11-2006 by khunmoon]