Operation Peter Pan - Definition and Overview

Operation Peter Pan, which took place between 1960 and 1962, was an operation coordinated by the CIA and Cuban dissidents in which over 14,000 children were sent away from their families in Cuba, some never to reunite again.

In general, the parents of these children were opposed to the Cuban Revolution and for various reasons, were themselves unable to leave the island. Pan Am flights took the children to Miami, Florida, which was referred to as "Never-Never Land," and the children became known as the "Peter Pans."

Singer Tori Amos wrote a song about the incident, by the same name/title, which was available as a B-side to the limited edition release of her single "A Sorta Fairytale." In it she expounds on the tragedy of the situation by using metaphor from the original Peter Pan story. The line "Second to the right, straight on 'til morning" comes directly from J. M. Barrie's novel; these are the directions on how to get to "Never Never Land."

The lyrics are:

hola, rojo, 'morning to you

you always helped me chase demons away

don't know what i'll do without you

so Pan is the name of the plane

second to the right

straight on 'til morning

that's where i'll be waiting

second to the right

straight on 'til morning

hola, tick-tock

my time is up

Pedro says

i will forget him in days

in my new life, no room for a lost boy

boys can be so dumb sometimes

second to the right

straight on 'til morning

that's where i'll be waiting

second to the right

straight on 'til morning

straight on 'til morning

kiss Pedro for me

External link

• [1] (http://cubasocialista.com/peterpan.htm)