gr and m&d (- also vv): playlist addition/: "the great nations of europe"

[Lorentzen / Nicklaus]

 on randy newman's latest work "bad love" [1999] there's this song, which comes, 
 imo, close to pynchon's perspective on european history in the mirror of its 
 new world adventure: 


               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 sixteenth century

               hide your wives and daughters
               hide the groceries too
               great nations of europe coming through

               the grand canary islands
               first land to which they came
               they slaughtered all of the canaries 
               which gave the land its name  
               there were natives there called guanches
               guanches by the score
               bullets, disease, the portugese, and they weren't there anymore
               now they're gone, they're gone, they're really gone
               you've never seen anyone so gone 
               they're a picture in the 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
               great nations of europe coming through                           
                           
               columbus sailed for india
               found 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
               excuse me --- great nations coming 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've never seen anyone so gone
               some bones hidden in the canyon
               some paintings in a cave
               there's no use trying to save them
               there's nothing left to save                                     
   
               hide your wives and daughters
               hide your sons as well
               with the great nations of europe you can never tell

               from 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 as a 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 sixteenth century