Why does the song repeat “A new Argentina” so often?

It mimics rally chants—repetition galvanises crowds and lodges the slogan in memory.

What vocal range does Eva need here?

High mezzo through soaring belt—up to a sustained E-flat5 on the final “denied.”

How many key changes are in the finale?

Two rapid upward modulations, each a whole-step, raising emotional temperature before blackout.

Is the ensemble actually advocating socialism?

The lyrics list populist reforms; whether sincere or political theatre is left to Che’s sardonic commentary.

Why place this song at Act I’s end?

It marks Perón’s electoral triumph while foreshadowing Act II’s cost—victory wrapped in drumrolls and doubt.

A New Argentina Lyrics – Evita

A New Argentina Lyrics

[Peron:]
Dice are rolling, the knives are out
Would-be presidents are all around
I don't say they mean harm
But they'd each give an arm
To see us six feet underground

[Eva:]
It doesn't matter what those morons say
Our nation's leaders are a feeble crew
There's only twenty of them anyway
What is twenty next to millions who
Are looking to you?

All you have to do is sit and wait
Keeping out of everybody's way
We'll ... you'll be handed power on a plate
When the ones who matter have their say
And with chaos installed
You can reluctantly agree to be called

[Peron:]
There again we could be foolish not to quit while we're ahead
For distance lends enchantment, and that is why
All exiles are distinguished, more important, they're not dead
I could find job satisfaction in Paraguay

[Eva:]
This is crazy defeatist talk
Why commit political suicide, there's no risk
There's no call for any action at all

When you have unions on your side

[Workers:]
A new Argentina, the chains of the masses untied
A new Argentina, the voice of the people
Cannot be denied

[Eva:]
There is only one man who can lead any workers' regime
He lives for your problems, he shares your ideals and your dream
He supports you, for he loves you
Understands you, is one of you
If not, how could he love me?

[Workers:]
A new Argentina, the workers' battle song
A new Argentina, the voice of the people
Rings out loud and long

[Eva:]
Now I am a worker, I've suffered the way that you do
I've been unemployed, and I've starved and I've hated it too
But I found my salvation in Peron, may the nation
Let him save them as he saved me

[All:]
A new Argentina, a new age about to begin
A new Argentina, we face the world together
And no dissent within

[Peron:]
There again we could be foolish not to quit while we're ahead
I can see us many miles away, inactive
Sipping cocktails on a terrace, taking breakfast in bed
Sleeping easy, doing nothing, it's attractive

[Eva:]
Don't think I don't think like you
I often get those nightmares too
They always take some swallowing
Sometimes it's very difficult to keep momentum
If it's you that you are following
Don't close doors, keep an escape clause
Because we might lose the Big Apple

But would I have done what I did
If I hadn't thought, if I hadn't known
We would take the country

[Eva:]
Peron has resigned from the army and this we avow
The descamisados are those he is marching with now
He supports you, for he loves you
Understands you, is one of you
If not, how could he love me?

[All:]
A new Argentina, the chains of the masses untied
A new Argentina, the voice of the people
Cannot be, and must not be denied

[Che:]
How annoying that they have to fight elections for their cause
The inconvenience, having to get a majority
If normal methods of persuasion fail to win them applause
There are other ways of establishing authority

[All:]
A new Argentina, the chains of the masses untied
A new Argentina, the voice of the people
Cannot be, and will not be, and must not be denied.
Last Update: June, 29th 2025

Song Overview

Original Broadway Cast of Evita is singing the 'A New Argentina' lyrics in the music video.

Song Credits

Composers: Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice
Lyricist: Tim Rice
Featured Vocals: Patti LuPone (Eva Perón), Bob Gunton (Juan Perón), Mandy Patinkin (Che) with ensemble
Producers: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice
Release Date: September 25, 1979 (Original Broadway cast LP)
Genre: Symphonic rock-opera / political show-tune
Instruments: Electric guitars, timpani, marching snare, brass, full orchestra, Latin percussion, chorus
Label: MCA Records
Album: Evita (Original Cast Recording)
Track #: 10
Length: ? 7 min 50 sec
Language: English
Mood: Militant, rousing, swaggering
Copyright © 1979 The Really Useful Group Ltd.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Original Broadway Cast performing song A New Argentina — Performance in the music video.

“A New Argentina” is the battle-cry that slams Act I’s door in Evita. Where the earlier numbers danced around politics, this one stomps straight into the electoral ring, brass blazing and snare drums drilling like campaign banners snapping in the wind. The groove is almost a street-march samba, but poured into an arena-rock mold—boots, glitter, and ballot boxes all sharing the same spotlight.

The dramatic engine is a tug-of-war between caution (Perón’s cool baritone) and fire (Eva’s white-hot mezzo). Webber mirrors that tension by toggling between minor-key menace and sudden major-key lifts whenever Eva rallies the workers. Those key jumps feel like grandstands rising out of asphalt in real time.

“A new Argentina! / The voice of the people cannot be denied!”

The chorus belts that four-note hook over pounding timpani—instantly hummable, instantly mobilising. Tim Rice slips in sly ironies, too: the slogan of liberation arrives wrapped in carefully choreographed theatre.

Verse-Dialogue Crossfire

Perón muses about sipping cocktails in exile—Webber underlines his retreat fantasy with jazzy guitar chords that briefly soften the march. Eva pounces, rebuttal riding a full brass punch. Every chord feels like a headline: PERÓN WAVERS—EVA POUNCES.

Che’s Interjections

Patinkin’s Che slashes through the pomp with rock-tenor snark, adding a cynical counter-melody over the workers’ chant. His line “The chains of the masses untied” hangs on a blues-tinged A natural, souring the major harmony—hope curdled by doubt.

Workers’ Demands

Mid-song, the ensemble rattles off policy bullet points—“shorter hours, higher wages”—to a rapid 6/8 ostinato, like typewriters chattering. It’s rare in a musical for legislation to groove this hard.

Final Refrain

The closing canon stacks voices, modulating upward twice, ending on an unresolved suspended chord that bleeds into intermission lights—audience left buzzing on civic adrenaline.

Similar Songs

Thumbnail from A New Argentina lyric video by Original Broadway Cast of Evita — A screenshot from the 'A New Argentina' music video.

“Do You Hear the People Sing?” – Les Misérables
Both anthems recruit the audience into revolution with fist-pumping choruses and ascending keys. “Do You Hear” leans on martial snare and waltz sway, while “A New Argentina” layers Latin syncopation over rock drums. In each, collective voices eclipse soloists, forging unity out of melody.
“One Day More” – Les Misérables
While “One Day” weaves multiple character lines, its harmonic escalations and rhythmic momentum mirror the finale push of “A New Argentina.” Both close Act I with unresolved stakes, catapulting spectators into interval speculation.
“America” – West Side Story
Bernstein’s Afro-Cuban rhythm and satirical lyrics foreshadow Webber’s fusion of genre and politics. Each song debates national identity on a dance-floor beat, spotlighting friction between hope and cynicism.

Questions and Answers

Scene from A New Argentina track by Original Broadway Cast of Evita — Visual effects scene from 'A New Argentina'.

Why does the song repeat “A new Argentina” so often?: It mimics rally chants—repetition galvanises crowds and lodges the slogan in memory.
What vocal range does Eva need here?: High mezzo through soaring belt—up to a sustained E-flat5 on the final “denied.”
How many key changes are in the finale?: Two rapid upward modulations, each a whole-step, raising emotional temperature before blackout.
Is the ensemble actually advocating socialism?: The lyrics list populist reforms; whether sincere or political theatre is left to Che’s sardonic commentary.
Why place this song at Act I’s end?: It marks Perón’s electoral triumph while foreshadowing Act II’s cost—victory wrapped in drumrolls and doubt.

Awards and Chart Positions

The Evita Broadway album won the 1980 Grammy for Best Cast Show Album and hit No. 19 on the Billboard 200. “A New Argentina,” though never a single, became a staple of Tony Award medleys and political-rally playlists worldwide.

Fan and Media Reactions

“When LuPone belts ‘must not be denied,’ my speakers beg for mercy.” @StageDoorSurfer

“Best cardio track: try jogging to that snare roll—instant coup d’état stamina.” @FitTheatreNerd

“Che’s sarcasm over roaring brass is chef’s-kiss commentary.” @LyricLighthouse

“I played this at a civics class; half the room wanted to vote, the other half to waltz.” @EduDramaProf

“Those modulations! Webber literally lifts the floor under your feet.” @VinylVoyager

Critics hail the track as a masterclass in musical propaganda. Fans blast it before exams, protests, and Monday staff meetings—any situation requiring a rallying cry in under eight minutes.

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