It's of a bold reporter whose story I will tell
He went down to the Cuban land, the nearest place to hell
He'd been there many times before but now the law does say
The only way to Cuba is with the C.I.A.
William Worthy isn't worthy to enter our door
Went down to Cuba, he's not American anymore
But somehow it is strange to hear the state department say
You are living in the free world, in the free world you must stay
Five thousand dollars or a five year sentence may well be
For a man who had the nerve to think that travelin' is free
He should have listened closer when he heard the experts say
This modern world is getting so much smaller every day
[Oh, why'd he waste his time to see a dictator's reign
When he could have seen democracy by travelin' on to Spain?]
William Worthy isn't worthy to enter our door
Went down to Cuba, he's not American anymore
But somehow it is strange to hear the state department say
You are living in the free world, in the free world you must stay
So, come all you good travelers and fellow travelers too
And travel all around the world, see every country through
I'd surely like to come along and see what may be new
But my passport's disappearing as I sing these words to you
William Worthy isn't worthy to enter our door
Went down to Cuba, he's not American anymore
But somehow it is strange to hear the state department say
You are living in the free world, in the free world you must stay
Well, there really is no need to travel to these evil lands
And though the list grows larger you must try to understand
And try hard not to worry if someday you should hear
The whole world is off limits, visit Disneyland this year
William Worthy isn't worthy to enter our door
Went down to Cuba, he's not American anymore
But somehow it is strange to hear the state department say
You are living in the free world, in the free world you must stay
He went down to the Cuban land, the nearest place to hell
He'd been there many times before but now the law does say
The only way to Cuba is with the C.I.A.
William Worthy isn't worthy to enter our door
Went down to Cuba, he's not American anymore
But somehow it is strange to hear the state department say
You are living in the free world, in the free world you must stay
Five thousand dollars or a five year sentence may well be
For a man who had the nerve to think that travelin' is free
He should have listened closer when he heard the experts say
This modern world is getting so much smaller every day
[Oh, why'd he waste his time to see a dictator's reign
When he could have seen democracy by travelin' on to Spain?]
William Worthy isn't worthy to enter our door
Went down to Cuba, he's not American anymore
But somehow it is strange to hear the state department say
You are living in the free world, in the free world you must stay
So, come all you good travelers and fellow travelers too
And travel all around the world, see every country through
I'd surely like to come along and see what may be new
But my passport's disappearing as I sing these words to you
William Worthy isn't worthy to enter our door
Went down to Cuba, he's not American anymore
But somehow it is strange to hear the state department say
You are living in the free world, in the free world you must stay
Well, there really is no need to travel to these evil lands
And though the list grows larger you must try to understand
And try hard not to worry if someday you should hear
The whole world is off limits, visit Disneyland this year
William Worthy isn't worthy to enter our door
Went down to Cuba, he's not American anymore
But somehow it is strange to hear the state department say
You are living in the free world, in the free world you must stay
Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2015/8/3 - 10:36
×
![]()
Note for non-Italian users: Sorry, though the interface of this website is translated into English, most commentaries and biographies are in Italian and/or in other languages like French, German, Spanish, Russian etc.
Parole e musica di Phil Ochs
Testo pubblicato in Broadside # 22, marzo 1963
Nella raccolta “Broadside Ballads Vol. 1”, 1963
Poi nella raccolta “The Best of Broadside 1962-1988: Anthems of the American Underground from the Pages of Broadside Magazine” realizzata dalla Smithsonian Folkways Recordings nel 2000.
William Worthy (1921-2014) è stato un giornalista afro americano, attivista per i diritti civili, obiettore di coscienza alla Seconda Guerra mondiale e una delle prime voci che si levarono, fin dalla metà degli anni 50, contro l’imminente coinvolgimento statunitense in Indocina.
Tra la fine degli anni 50 e l’inizio dei 60, nella fase più calda della Guerra Fredda, William Worthy sfidò più volte il divieto governativo di viaggiare nei paesi nemici (Unione Sovietica, Cina e Cuba). Nel 1961, di ritorno dall’isola caraibica dove aveva realizzato un servizio sugli esordi del regime castrista, William Worthy venne arrestato e condannato per “immigrazione illegale” (il suo passaporto fu ritenuto irregolare) ma una corte federale dischiarò incostituzionale il provvedimento restrittivo.
Fino agli anni 80 William Worthy è stato reporter del Baltimore Afro-American (“The Afro”) ed ha poi insegnato in alcune università e scuole di giornalismo.