The Border
Border Chronicles: A Glimpse into Struggle, Survival, and Shadows
Lyrics
I work on the border I see what I see
I work on the border, observing what is happening.
I work on the border and it's workin' on me
Working on the border is taking a toll on me emotionally or mentally.
I lie awake at night knowing what I know
I stay awake at night, burdened by the knowledge of the situation.
There's a price on the head of every border patrol
There's a danger for every border patrol agent due to a bounty on their heads.
Where the smugglers do business that's where I make a stand
Taking a stand where smugglers operate.
I know this old desert like the back of my hand
Familiarity with the desert landscape.
I see greed in the bushes I see snakes in the dark.
Observing greed and danger in the environment.
Some are friends of my brother's can't you hear them dogs bark
Reference to potential threats, possibly friends of the narrator's brother.
I come home to Maria at the end of that day in the shape of a shadow
Returning home to Maria in a distressed state.
Holding demons at bay it's just the border they say
The challenges faced are attributed to the nature of border work.
It was Mexican soldiers out of a black Humvee
Encounter with Mexican soldiers, possibly corrupt, with a dark message.
With their guns to their shoulders aimed at my partner and me
Experience of being targeted with guns aimed at the narrator and a partner.
Ah they drove away laughing but the message was clear
The soldiers leave with a sense of indifference and disregard for human life.
We don't care about nothing but the money down here
Highlighting the prevalent focus on money in the border environment.
I come home to Maria in a bulletproof vest
Returning home to Maria with the weight of the world on the narrator's shoulders.
With the weight of the whole wide world bearing down on my chest
Wearing a bulletproof vest symbolizing the constant danger.
It's just the border I guess
Reiterating that the challenges are part of the border reality.
From the shack's and the shanty's come the hungry and poor
Describing the impoverished migrants seeking a better life.
Some to drown at the crossing some to suffer no more
Some migrants face peril, while others hope for relief.
I guess you heard about Campos and Ramien
Reference to friends Campos and Ramien.
Both of them friends of mine both good men
Characterizing them as good men facing consequences.
They did one right thing and look what they got
Despite doing the right thing, they end up in federal prison.
Federal prison where they're both gonna rot
Emphasizing the harsh consequences for those who defy the system.
I come home to Maria where else would I go
Returning home to Maria, the only solace in a difficult situation.
Across the river to die by myself. Down in old Mexico
Contemplating the possibility of death across the river in Mexico.
It's just the border you know
Summarizing the challenges and complexities of life at the border.
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