Send The Marines

When someone makes a move               We'll send them all we've got,
Of which we don't approve,              John Wayne and Randolph Scott,
Who is it that always intervenes?       Remember those exciting fighting scenes?
U.N. and O.A.S.,                        To the shores of Tripoli,
They have their place, I guess,         But not to Mississippoli,
But first, send the Marines!            What do we do?  We send the Marines!

For might makes right,                  Members of the corps
And till they've seen the light,        All hate the thought of war:
They've got to be protected,            They'd rather kill them off by
                                                peaceful means.
All their rights respected,             Stop calling it aggression--
Till somebody we like can be elected.   We hate that expression!
                                        We only want the world to know
                                        That we support the status quo;
                                        They love us everywhere we go,
                                        So when in doubt, send the Marines!
                -- Tom Lehrer, "Send The Marines"