Here’s to the State of Florida

Sung to the tune of Here’s to the State of Mississippi, by Phil Ochs

Copyright Eric Gordon 2024

Here’s to the State of Florida
For underneath her borders, DeSantis draws no lines
If they didn’t outlaw history, nameless bodies you would find
Oh, the swamps and the wetlands have hid a thousand crimes
The calendar is lyin’ when it reads the present time

Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Florida, find yourself another country to be part of

And here’s to the people of Florida
Who say the folks up north, they just don’t understand
The dangers of the queer folk who are living in their land
Oh, the sweating of their souls can’t wash the blood from off their hands
Oh, they smile and shrug their shoulders at the murder of someone trans

Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Florida, find yourself another country to be part of

And here’s to the schools of Florida
Where they’re teaching all the children that they don’t have to care
All the rudiments of hatred are present everywhere
And every single classroom is a factory of despair
And there’s nobody learning such a foreign word as fair

Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Florida, find yourself another country to be part of

And here’s to the cops of Florida
They’re chewing their tobacco as they lock the prison door
They invite violent and bad cops to join their police corps
No, they don’t like taking prisoners in their private little wars
But if you’re White and stand your ground then no one’s keeping score
And behind their broken badges there are murderers and more

Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Florida, find yourself another country to be part of

And here’s to the heart of Florida
Where immigrants are deported in the middle of the night
Racist gerrymandering has favored the far right
And the doctors and nurses deny treatment they don’t like
And prison guards openly support the third reich

Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Florida, find yourself another country to be part of

And here’s to the government of Florida
They attack Disney Land for letting in the gays
And now they’re teaching children that slavery was OK
And they hope that no one sees the sights
And no one hears the sounds
And the speeches of the governor are the ravings of a clown

Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Florida, find yourself another country to be part of

And here’s to the laws of Florida
They spend their time passing laws against people they call woke
They run their elections like democracy’s a joke
While the Constitution’s drowning in an ocean of decay
They’ve given guns to teachers but control what they can say
Yes, corruption can be classic in the Florida way

Oh, here’s to the land you’ve torn out the heart of
Florida, find yourself another country to be part of