song challenge: deportees/illegal migrants

Subject: songchallenge:deportees/illegal migrants
From: peregrina
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 04:02 AM

In Plane Wreck at Los Gatos, Woody Guthrie has the lines

'Who are all these friends, scattered like dry leaves?/ The Radio says they are just just deportees'
and then chorus with the NAMES 'Good bye to my Juan, good bye Rosalita. Adios mis amigos Jesus y Maria'...--the same point about affirming people's humanity by remembering them by name came up in 'Reuben James' where apparently Woody wanted to name each lost person by name...

Today the presenter on Radio 4's Today Show referred to people who had drowned as 'illegal migrants' (they had set out on an unsafe boat, from Libya, presumably bound for Italy). But they are not illegal migrants until they have migrated somewhere illegally.

A song in there anyone?

Subject: RE: songchallenge:deportees/illegal migrants
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 05:31 AM

Dunno about that, but some years ago, before the present hysteria over illegal immigrants and asylum seekers erupted, Radio 4 reported on a group of east European gypsies who had settled on the fringes of an English east coast town. They had migrated there to escape persecution from mobs of fascists who had emerged following the collapse of communism. The locals were up in arms and Radio 4 went along to see what all the fuss was about.

After listening to the usual diatribe from one of the protesters, the interviewer said "isn't it all a bit like the holocaust?".

The woman replied "Holocaust! That's nothing to what we'll give them".

Subject: RE: songchallenge:deportees/illegal migrants
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 07:25 PM

Back when Australia was shipping the survivors of failed immigration attempts off to various South Pacific locations for processing I added a couple of verses to Deportees. They are at
http://mudcat.org/Detail.CFM?messages__Message_ID=1659757

Subject: ADD: Chasin' the Dream (Reggie Miles)
From: reggie miles
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 10:17 PM

There's a song of mine that makes mention of some of the aspects of this very subject. You can stream this one via my MySpace page or via my EZ Folk site. Enjoy!

Chasin' The American Dream Reggie Miles 2008

Across this great land every day
They awake and arise from their beds
With visions a plenty, ideas, and plans
All dancing around in their heads

If you venture to ask them, they'll tell you,
"We only want what is best
For our family, and friends, and our country
And then, well, to hell with the rest."

Each morning you'll see them rat racing
Across mountain, and field, and stream
Keeping up with the jones is what it's about
When you're chasin' the American dream

A mother of six, she's alone now
Her husband's long since passed away
It's hard to meet ends with a minimum wage
Even working long hours each day

Her children they make do without her
Her eyes have lost their hopeful gleam
Still she slaves away for her family's sake
Just chasin' the American dream

Each evening you'll see her street walkin'
A life void of all self-esteem
Keepin' the wolf from the door is what it's about
When you're chasin' the American Dream

Each night they smuggle in by the hundreds
Refugees from impoverished lands
All hungry for a piece of the American pie
And they'll get it anyway that they can

Corruption's rampant in every encampment
Things are not all as sweet as they seem
And it isn't so nice to have to fight for your slice
When you're chasin' the American dream

Each harvest season you'll see them
In every orchard, and field they teem
Buildin' a third world economy is what it's about
When you're chasin' the American dream

The gap between the rich and the poor guy
Grows wider with each passing day
It's not the rich guy who's whining, it's the poor guy who's pinin'
For something more to be comin' his way

Each plays the hand they've been dealt with in life
Some rise to the top just like cream
Others spend all their lives in last place, what a waste
Just chasin' the American dream

And the prize is just an illusion
And the lies make you cry out and scream
Keepin' us blind to the truth is what it's about
When you're chasin' the American dream

Subject: RE: songchallenge:deportees/illegal migrants
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 10:26 PM

Reggie Miles- thanks for posting the lyrics.

On the BBC News last night, an estimate of 200 million migrants worldwide. This is a significant fraction of the world's population.

Subject: RE: songchallenge:deportees/illegal migrants
From: reggie miles
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 10:59 PM

No problem! Yes, I thought it would be a worthy subject to offer in song for just that reason, the enormous number of folks in the position of trying to find a better way life. Of course, we all try to do that in our own way. This same subject, the plight of the poor or less fortunate among us, seems to be present in a lot of the songs that I've written of late. Just the various titles can give you an idea.

Too Little Money, Not Enough Time
It Takes Money To make Money Honey
Sometimes You Get To Bite That Bear, Sometimes That Bear Bites You
Wall Street Bail Out Blues
Blue Collar Blues
Always Lookin' T' Upgrade
I'll Do Anything To Make A Buck
Homeless, Broke and Hungry

You can listen to some the above titles, the ones that I've got recorded and posted, at my EZ Folk site. There are 36 songs there to peruse.

Subject: RE: song challenge: deportees/illegal migrants
From: GUEST,Mrrzy
Date: 19 Mar 25 - 11:46 AM

They're calling them deportees in the news...