Franco

 

When Franco rigged the vote and Cliff

lost out at Eurovision by a point

to La La La, a song in Catalan
Franco insisted be sung in Castillian,
Cliff was disappointed of course.

The event was held in the Albert Hall,

Cliff's home turf, and while Franco

was busy buying votes on the telephone

Cliff was confident Congratulations

would walk off with the highest trophy.

 

The dictator's ploy was successful,

in 1968 the glittering prize went to Spain

and though Cliff had another shot at it

with Power to all our Friends

in 1973, he was placed only third.

In the Autumn of 1975 Franco died

and on a farm near Angoulême

Virginie, Pepe and Raoul built a fire

and spent the night singing Avanti Popolo

and other evergreen anarchist songs.

 

Cliff's reaction to the Caudilla's death

is unrecorded, but Virginie, Pepe and Raoul

were over the moon: it meant they could go home

and make use of the degrees they'd gained

in law from the University of Barcelona.