The Great Nations of Europe

The Great Nations of Europe had gathered on the shore
They'd conquered what was behind them
And now they wanted more
So they looked to the mighty ocean
And took to the Western sea
The great nations of Europe in the 16th century

Hide your wives and daughters, hide the groceries too
The great nations of Europe comin' through

The Grand Canary Islands first land to which they came
They slaughtered all the canaries there
Which gave the land its name
There were natives there called Guanches
Guanches by the score
But bullets, disease, the Portuguese ...
They weren't there any more

Now they're gone, they're gone, they're really gone
You never seen anyone so gone
There's pictures in a museum, some lines written in a book
But you won't find a live one, no matter where you look

Hide your wives and daughters, hide the groceries too
The great nations of Europe comin' through

Columbus sailed for India found El Salvador instead
He shook hands with some Indians and soon they all were dead
They got TB and typhoid and athlete's foot, diphtheria and the flu
'scuse me great nations comin' through

Balboa found the Pacific and on the trail one day
He met some friendly Indians whom he was told were gay
So ...
He had them torn apart by dogs on religious grounds they say
The great nations of Europe were quite holy in their way

Now they're gone, they're gone, they're really gone
You never seen anyone so gone
Some bones hidden in a canyon some paintings in a cave
They're no use tryin' to save them, there's nothin' left to save

Hide your wives and daughters, hide your sons as well
With the great nations of Europe you never can tell

Where you and I are standing at the end of a century
Europes have sprung up everywhere as even I can see
But there on the horizon is the possibility
Some bug from out of Africa might come for you and me
Destroying everything in its path from sea to shining sea
Like the great nations of Europe in the 16th century