A New Argentina

[PERÓN]
Dice are rolling, the knives are out
I see every bad sign in the book
And as far as they can—overweight to a man!
They have that lean and hungry look

[EVA]
It doesn't matter what those morons say
Our nation's leaders are a feeble crew
There's only twenty of them anyway
What is twenty next to millions who
Are looking to you?
All you have to do is sit and wait
Keeping out of everybody's way
We'll—
You'll be handed power on a plate
When the ones who matter have their say
And with chaos installed
You can reluctantly agree to be called

[PERÓN]
There again we could be foolish
Not to quit while we're ahead
For distance lends enchantment
And that is why
All exiles are distinguished
More important, they're not dead
I could find job satisfaction in Paraguay

[WORKERS]
Perón! Perón! Perón! Perón! Perón!
Perón! Perón! Perón! Perón! Perón! Perón!

[EVA]
This is crazy defeatist talk
Why commit political suicide?
There's no risk, there's no call for any action at all
When you have unions on your side

[DOLAN GETTA]
A new Argentina!
The chains of the masses untied!
A new Argentina!
The voice of the people
Cannot be denied!

[EVA]
There is only one man who can lead any workers' regime
He lives for your problems
He shares your ideals and your dream
He supports you, for he loves you
Understands you, is one of you
If not—how could he love me?

[GETTA & MOB]
A new Argentina!
The old one has gone sadly wrong
A new Argentina!
The voice of the people
Rings out loud and long!

[EVA]
Now I am a worker, I've suffered the way that you do
I've been unemployed, and I've starved and I hated it too
But I found my salvation
In Perón—may the nation
Let him save them as he saved me

[GETTA & MOB]
A new Argentina!

[CHE]
They'll all go along for the ride
The same old clichés
But let them have their freedom—
The free buy insecticide!

[GETTA'S SIDEKICK]
Nationalization of the industries
That the foreigners control
Participation in the profits that we make
Shorter hours, higher wages
Votes for women, larger dole
More public spending, a bigger slice of every cake

[PERÓN]
It's annoying that we have to
Fight elections for our cause
The inconvenience—having to get a majority
If normal methods of persuasion
Fail to win us applause
There are other ways of establishing authority

[SECRET POLICE]
We have ways of making you vote for us
Or at least of making you abstain

[EVA]
Perón has resigned from the army and this we avow
The descamisados are those he is marching with now!
He supports you, for he loves you
Understands you—is one of you
If not—how could he love me?

[ENSEMBLE]
A new Argentina!
The chains of the masses untied!
A new Argentina!
The voice of the people
Cannot be
And will not be
And must not be
Denied!

[PERÓN]
There again I could be foolish
Not to quit while I'm ahead
I can see me many miles away
Inactive
Sipping cocktails on a terrace
Taking breakfast in bed
Sleeping easy, doing crosswords
It's attractive

[EVA]
Don't think I don't think like you
I often get those nightmares too
They always take some swallowing
Sometimes it's very difficult to keep momentum
If it's you that you are following
Don't close doors
Keep an escape clause
Because we might lose
The Big Apple
But—
Would I have done what I did
If I hadn't thought
If I hadn't known
We would take the country?