Allen Ginsberg - CIA Dope Calypso (live)

CIA Dope Calypso
by Allen Ginsberg
January 1972

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

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Allen
• Ginsberg
• live
• CIA
• Dope
• Calypso
• Poetry
• Beat

[evilmuffingoat]

funky. we really need allen right now.

[TPHBFAN]

Fuckin`great, Allen was a true poet

[TheodorBjork]

@notthebannerboys Strange, I have the double album CD, but it only has the studio version... Are there TWO dobbel discs aswell then?

[notthebannerboys]

@TheodorBjork This is from the double album called "First Blues" - Alan had two different records with that title, one on the Folkways label, and the double LP on the John Hammond label. This song is on the double (later reissued on CD).

[getoffwelfare]

i like how he feels like he has to sing what he writes to the point where is rushing and even messes up on some parts. still funny. still true. still a great song. first time i heard it too

[TheodorBjork]

What album (if) is this version from? Would love to know!

[guylmonty]

Where are those who will speak the truth now. I miss Uncle Allen very much.

[starramus]

Ginsberg one of the first to cut through all of the bullshit. The bullshit not of just the west, but like Emma Goldman of the east as well. A man like him is limited in his audience reach as a necessity or all of humanity would be up to speed, and what would result from that?

[jephboy]

This song is sad, but true. Hmong (Meo) know this too well, and those that don't are in denial or just ignorant. The CIA has a long history of doing this where ever they go, including the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. I think they even do it here in the states.

[rakenrolsaulan]

Ayos! =)

[Jurassicparkz08]

Great song, heard it in a college history class a few years ago, had never heard it before in any history classes for some reason