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Living Through Another Cuba Lyrics

Living through another Cuba
it's 1961 again and we are piggy in the middle
while war is polishing his drum and peace plays second fiddle

Russia and America are at each other's throats
but don't you cry
just on your knees and pray, and while you're
down there, kiss your arse goodbye

We're the bulldog on the fence
while others play their tennis overhead
it's hardly love all and somebody might
wind up red or dead
pour some oil on the water quick
it doesn't really matter where from
he love me, he loves me not
he's pulling fins from an atom bomb

This phenomenon happens every 20 years or so
if they're not careful your watch won't be the
only thing with a radioactive glow
I'll stick my fingers in my ears
and hope they make it up before too late
if we get through this lot alright
they're due for replay, 1998
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Cover art for Living Through Another Cuba lyrics by XTC

I have a fantastic live version of this. Andy does a three-minute long exposition at the beginning when he describes the position of Britain between Russia and America - I just love it and the way he says it, he has so much wit. You can download from somewhere on xtc4u.org

@whapcapn While it's a great song, I've always been baffled by the way the British always saw themselves as in the middle during the Cold War.

Geographically, everyone knew a limited war would be fought in East and West Germany. Sure, a total war would mean Britain was toast, but only because the entire northern hemisphere would be toast.

And politically… I remember in the 80s watching the old Doctor Who episode "Day of the Daleks" with a mixed group of Brits and (West) Germans. When it got to the plot about the superpowers giving their nuclear codes to the...

Cover art for Living Through Another Cuba lyrics by XTC

"They're due for replay, 1998"

As it turned out, it was not 1998, but 1995 (the Black Brant Scare incident).

Cover art for Living Through Another Cuba lyrics by XTC

clearly a song about the Cold War. You never really knew what could happen, or when one of us would drop "THE BIG ONE". Apparently Britain was thrust into the role of middleman between us and them.