Up on Palau they watch their TV shows
A golden fortune spin the game show wheel
The village boys stare at the Rambo man
Deep water harbour brings the warships in
And when I look over the village fields
There’s a caterpillar tractor, there’s an aeroplane shed
Poverty is when I’m sitting next to your place
Saying bless O Lord and these American gifts

And in the damp and in the tropical sun
The summer rains will last a long long, long time
They never told this story years ago
And the giant painted turtle never fought like this
Keep passing baskets up the pyramid line

Pass the baskets up the pyramid line
Pass the baskets up the pyramid line
The summer rain will last a long, long time

The tidal river twists and turns itself
It folds around the mangroves swamp
The shots were heard amongst the copra palms
Bikini Atoll with a different sea
You cannot do much when your house is next
Caterpillar tractors by banana trees
In the savannah by the island reefs
They wash their hair with the buckets from the deep sunk well

Up on Palau they watch their TV sets
Right in the middle of the Sulu sea
Little beads of worry, little beads of sweat
Walking though the puddle gutter,
got their shoes all wet
keep passing baskets up the pyramid line

Pass the baskets up the pyramid line
Pass the baskets up the pyramid line
The summer rain will last a long long time