Although I support the right of nations to control immigration, the harrowing allure is all on the side of the refugees. Hence this song featuring vocals, a driving bass line, some blazing guitar licks, piano and strings.
alternative
rock
world
poltical
Story behind the song
In 2015 my wife and I flew to Istanbul for a few days before embarking on a luxury cruise all the way back to Florida. Istanbul had been bombed just weeks before, and there were a lot of refugees begging on the streets. Once out at sea, we were almost called upon to rescue a floundering refugee vessel, but another cruise liner that we'd been shadowing was closer. The experience made me ponder just how obscenely different was the plight of the refugees compared to us, even though we were travelling a similar route and ostensibly trying to accomplish a similar thing. I finally got around to recording this song.
I do think the true solution to the refugee crisis can only be attained through peaceful resolution of conflicts in the home lands, but that's not happening and outside of possibly Ukraine, is unlikely to be achieved.
Lyrics
I was born in a troubled land, where the truth has no say,
And she was born into a family that, always had good reason to pray,
We got together and we grew quite close, and then I made her my wife,
Then with a backpack and a little cash, we set out to find a new life,
As refugees,
We made it to old Istanbul, begging at the ancient sites,
Then we bought passage on a leaky boat, and endured some daunting nights,
South of Corsica we hit a storm, and we started to sink,
We were rescued by a Princess cruise, that saved us from the final drink,
As refugees,
They dropped us off at the Port of Nice, where we were nearly fleeced,
But a charity took us in, and gave us a day of peace,
My uncle wired us some needed cash, so one more time we sailed,
This time on to Mexico, where many of us tend to go,
As refugees,
We put in anchor at Veracruz, and headed for the Rio Grande,
We crossed the river on a moonless night, and entered the "promised land",
Now we're headed for the LA coast, but sometimes my wife wants to scream,
But as for me I'm just glad, to be tasting the American Dream,
As refugees...