[Verse 1]
Add some land and a girl that I love
In a valley down in Old Leanter
What heroes sing, guitars echoing
From the Cuban mountains to the bay
Elena her beauty, and dark eyes are shine
A large that brighten Old Leanter
But guitars cease to play, Elena's smile went away
When the bearded ones came that day
[Chorus]
They put up the sugar cane curtain
Where the sugar is bitter as lime
And when we chop down the sugar cane curtain
My light of the valley will shine
[Verse 2]
Once there was joy, and laughter and love
In the valley, down in Old Leanter
Kissed Elena goodbye, her heartbeat aside
But I fled to a land beyond the bay
The barburros came, the valley's a-flame
There's no joy in all of Old Leanter
But what heroes will arise
With the flashing of their knives
And the hated ones will run away
[Chorus]
We put up the sugar cane curtain
Where the sugar is bitter as lime
And when we chop down the sugar cane curtain
My light of the valley will shine
[Outro]
Oh yes they put up the sugar cane curtain, the curtain
The sugar is bitter as lime
We'll chop down the sugar cane curtain
My light of the valley will shine