Songs about immigrants

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Songs about immigrants:

1000 Ships are Sailing - Pogues
Sinaloa Cowboys - Bruce Springsteen
Deportee - Woody Guthrie/Billy Bragg

Rene Bedard, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

we come from the land of ice and snow

The Sensational Sulk (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 18:57 (twenty years ago)

"Immigrant Song" - Led Zep
"Fairytale of New York" - Pogues
"The Hands that Built America" (gag) - U2
"41 Shots" - Springsteen

PB, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 18:58 (twenty years ago)

"Immigrant Song" - Led Zep how did this NOT start the thread?

Bryan Moore (Bryan Moore), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

http://sportsmed.starwave.com/i/magazine/new/031208_yakov.jpg

Huk-L, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

"London" - Pet Shop Boys

Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

"America," Neil Diamond.
"Illegal Alien," Genesis.

The Mad Puffin, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:08 (twenty years ago)

(Well "good" wasn't specified, was it?)

The Mad Puffin, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:08 (twenty years ago)

Bob Dylan-I Pity The Poor Immigrant

Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:09 (twenty years ago)

Is "Immigrant Song" really about immigrants though? I thought it was about being molested up the butt by demons or something.

nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:09 (twenty years ago)

"Englishman in New York" - Sting

Huk-L, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:09 (twenty years ago)

That Guns & Roses song.

Huk-L, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:10 (twenty years ago)

I'm sure some songs about Sri Lankan immigrants in London could use more coverage.

Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:10 (twenty years ago)

Morrissey - "Bengali in Platforms" among others

o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:16 (twenty years ago)

Graham Nash & David Crosby, "Immigration Man"

Neil Sedaka, "The Immigrant"

Steely Dan, "The Royal Scam"

> That Guns & Roses song.

You mean "One in a Million"?

Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:23 (twenty years ago)

"straight to hell," the clash

Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:24 (twenty years ago)

I suppose several Skrewdriver songs.... :-/

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:25 (twenty years ago)

> That Guns & Roses song.

You mean "One in a Million"?

yup.

Huk-L, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

"Wog" - Cornershop

Steve Gertz (sgertz), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:36 (twenty years ago)

the pogues, fairytale of new york

Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

oh duh someone got that one already

Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

aren't there some smiths songs sort of about immigrants?

Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:47 (twenty years ago)

Demo version of "Get Back," allegedly.

Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 19:54 (twenty years ago)

MIA - 10 Dollar

The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:12 (twenty years ago)

"dreams of leaving" by the human league. so good, in fact, that i'm gonna post the lyrics.

er, when i can find 'em.

grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

Isn't the "Immigrant Song" ironically titled, since it's actually about invaders that are going to come fuck your shit up?

Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:15 (twenty years ago)

x-post: here we go. perhaps the mk I league's best-ever song. which is really saying something.


Someone stopped the clock when we should have started early
If we miss the morning meeting, our lives will be in danger
Someone's trying to stop us
There is someone in our party
It is someone with a grudge and they won't let us reach the border
Our lives are in his hands
We pay with Krugerands
The currency of pain to help us leaving
While back in our homeland, the ones who make a stand
Are taken from their homes
And no-one hears of them again

I felt I had to come here
I thought things would be better
The situation's changed, but I find I'm still resented
Someone wants my job
It is someone in this building
Someone's spreading rumours and I don't feel I can stay here
I think I'm going north
And now's the time to leave
The people there they say are good to strangers
And if I do my best and try to settle in
I'm sure I can be just like someone's neighbour

I'm sure I can be just like someone's neighbour

grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:16 (twenty years ago)

Art - "Ugly People with Fancy Hairdos" contains the chorus

"we're all boat people!
we're all boat people!
we're all boat people!
we're all boat peopllllllle!"

jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:26 (twenty years ago)

1000 Ships are Sailing - Pogues

This is actually called "Thousands are Sailing"

Vestigial Appendages, Esq. (King Kobra), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:32 (twenty years ago)

Bacilos - Crónica (de una imigración anunciada)
owns this thread.

sibsi (sibsi), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 23:12 (twenty years ago)

the appropriate Pogues tune here is "Thousands Are Sailing", not "Fairytale of New York".

Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 23:18 (twenty years ago)

Um, but they're immigrants in the latter song, too.

Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 01:31 (twenty years ago)

"Refugee" by U2
"Something About England" by the Clash (though only partly)
"Beyond the Pale" by Big Audio Dynamite, the last great Strummer-Jones collaboration

Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 01:32 (twenty years ago)

"St. Brendan's Way" by The Lowest of the Low

shanecavanaugh (shanecavanaugh), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 04:12 (twenty years ago)

Flaming Lips- "Waiting for Superman"

Superman = ultimate American immigrant

Cunga (Cunga), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 04:31 (twenty years ago)

eugene mc daniels - the parasite

nobody's perfect, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 06:45 (twenty years ago)

Here's one I betcha never thought of: Iron Maiden's "Run To The Hills"

And "America" (from "West Side Story")

Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 07:16 (twenty years ago)

The Beatles- Get Back

Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 07:17 (twenty years ago)


Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves - Cher


Sorry

JohnFoxxsJuno, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 10:08 (twenty years ago)

Van Der Graf Generator - Refugees

Probably lots of reggae songs (Blackstar Liner etc).

dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 10:37 (twenty years ago)

That one about Frosty from the BNP election broadcast...

Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 11:43 (twenty years ago)

Disco Zombies - Drums Over London

It would be quite a good post-punk song if it weren't for the racist lyrics... can be heard on Killed By Death British DIY #1 (or on Soulseek quite easily I should think)

Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 11:46 (twenty years ago)

Thousands of Irish and Scottish folk songs

Pradaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 12:00 (twenty years ago)

"Black Korea," Ice Cube.

mike a, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 12:04 (twenty years ago)

"Beyond the Pale" by Big Audio Dynamite
This is a good one.

Ken L (Ken L), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 12:07 (twenty years ago)

"Young Man from Caracas," The Would-Be-Goods.

mike a, Wednesday, 27 April 2005 12:10 (twenty years ago)

Amon Duul II - The Emigrant Song

... surely one of the few songs about the biggest immigrant group in the US, the Germans?

Pradaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 12:17 (twenty years ago)


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