Lyrics
Well I must've walked for fourteen days
Embarking on a long journey, possibly on foot, for about two weeks.
All that I could carry and I made my way
Carrying all possessions and managing to reach a new land.
To the new holy land not a grand parade
Arriving at a place of significance, but not greeted with a grand celebration.
Snuck across the border to the USA
Illegally crossing the border to the USA.
Didn't take to long for me to find some work
Finding employment quickly, standing in the Texas dirt.
Just stood there waiting round in the Texas dirt
Working in construction, possibly laying concrete.
And now I lay concrete the way I did back home
Engaging in labor reminiscent of home in a foreign land.
From 6am until the light is gone
Working long hours from 6 am until darkness falls.
Then it's back to the hotel split a case of beer
Returning to a hotel, sharing a case of beer with fellow workers.
One for every person that's living here
Symbolizing the hard life through the gesture of dedicating a beer to each person.
Four dollars an hour but nobody moans
Low wages at $4 per hour, but accepted without complaints.
Cause it's three fifty more than we can get back home
Comparing the wage favorably to what could be earned back home.
Then I send the money back down to my sweet wife
Sending earnings back to support a wife.
So she can tell my children about a better life
Aspiring to provide a better life for the children through sacrifices.
Papa's trying hard just to make it fine
The narrator, a father, striving for a better life.
Fifty miles north of that Illegal line
Currently residing 50 miles north of the illegal border.
Late one night they came in thru the door
Describing a traumatic event where authorities entered forcefully.
With guns and lights screaming get on the floor
Being confronted with aggression, guns, and blinding lights.
They cuffed us up tight and hauled us all away
Arrested and taken away with little comprehension of the situation.
Couldn't hardly understand a single word they say
Difficulty in understanding the language of the arresting authorities.
Early next morning judge drug us in
Appearing before a judge the following morning, treated as guilty.
And stared us all down just like guilty men
Confronted by a judge with a stern gaze, emphasizing guilt.
He said any of you boys got a thing to say
Inviting the accused to speak up, presenting an opportunity for defense.
I asked him what would he do if he were in my place
Seeking understanding by questioning what the judge would do in a similar situation.
He said there's rules boy and this just ain't the way
The judge dismisses empathy, emphasizing the importance of rules.
I said sometimes a starving family just can't wait
Expressing desperation and the urgency of providing for a starving family.
But he slammed down his gavel now I'm doing time
Receiving a harsh judgment, resulting in imprisonment.
Fifty miles north of that Illegal line
Currently serving time 50 miles north of the illegal border.
Comment