Operation Peter Pan, which took place between 1960 and 1962, was an operation 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 but, for various reasons, were themselves unable to leave the island. The Catholic Church and the U.S. State Department assisted in the operation. 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