Birds Fly South
By Blame Sally
About the song:
“I was living in Sausalito and working at the College of Marin. One morning while I was waiting for the bus, a young man who didn't speak English was trying to ask me which bus he should take for San Rafael. When I realized he was from Mexico, I started to speak to him in Spanish. He was so relieved that he told me his whole story. He had recently come up from Mexico with the hopes of getting a good job and earning enough money to help his family. It inspired me to write the song. It's the story of the first time leaving home, the first time in a new country, the first time trying to make it on your own.”
– Monica Pasqual, Blame Sally
Lyrics
The city lights are pretty bright
So he hitched a ride north from the border
With a little luck he’ll make a buck,
Rent a house and buy a four-door
Every day he’ll wake and say a prayer
To God, the father
That it won’t be long ’til he can send for
Mom and Juan, his brother
But the lights don’t shine in the city
For Ramón
He spends a lot of time waiting for a
Chance in the job lines
And he knows that things are rough when
He remembers home as the good times
Every day he’ll wake and say a prayer
To God, the father
Still believes the old man will come through
With one thing or another
But the lights don’t shine in the city
For Ramón
Birds fly south (también en sueños Ramón)
Birds fly south
63 days 63 nights, well that’s a pretty good try
Now he knows this town well enough
To know it’s time to say goodbye
Every day he wakes and says a prayer
To God, the father
Even though he’s pretty damn sure
It ain’t worth the bother
Because the lights won’t shine in the city
For Ramón
No, the lights don’t shine in the city
For Ramón
Birds fly south (también en sueños Ramón)
Birds fly south (y en sus sueños el va)
Birds fly south (y de verdad)
And so does Ramón