We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Deportee

from Outsiders by Chris Foster

/

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Chris' 6th solo album contains a mix of old traditional songs and ballads along with a few from the last 60 years. Comes in a beautifully designed 3 fold digipak with a booklet containing all song lyrics and featuring cover art by Chris. The album was a runner up in the 2008 fROOTS magazine, best folk / world music album of 2008.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Outsiders via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      £8 GBP or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £1 GBP  or more

     

  • Buy the Full Digital Album

about

In 1947 the Mexican and U.S.A. governments signed an agreement that illegal Mexican immigrants could be sent back across the border
and then legally return to the U.S. as temporary contract labourers. Employers often reported their own undocumented employees, who were returned to border cities in Mexico where they signed contracts with these same employers, thus providing Californian farmers with a deportation-proof source of cheap seasonal labour, a process known as drying out wetbacks.

In January 1948, a plane carrying 28 illegal Mexican farm workers crashed at Los Gatos Canyon, 75 miles from Fresno, California. Their
guard and the crew of 3 also died. The migrant workers were buried in a mass grave. Only 12 of them were ever identified.

Deportee was written as a poem by Woody Guthrie, who was angered by radio reports of the crash which named the guard and crew but
referred to the passengers simply as deportees. The poem was given a tune sometime later by Martin Hoffman

lyrics

Well the crops are all in and they need us no longer.
The oranges are stored in their creosote dumps.
They’re sending us back to the Mexican border.
It takes all our money to go back again.

So farewell to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria
You won’t have a name when you ride the big aeroplane.
All they will call you will be deportees.

My father’s own father did wade through the Rio.
You took all the money that he made in his life.
My sisters and brothers they worked in your fruit fields.
Rode on your trucks ’till they laid down and died.

Some of us are illegal and all are not wanted.
Our work contract’s out and we must move on.
The six hundred miles to the Mexican border.
You drive us like outlaws, like rustlers, like thieves.

Our sky plane caught fire over Los Gatos canyon.
Like a fire ball of lightening it fell from the sky.
Who are these friends lying there like dead leaves?
The radio say’s “They were just deportees.”

Well we died on your hills and we died in your valleys.
We died on your mountains and we died in your plains.
We still die ’neath your trees and we die ’neath your bushes.
Both sides of your borders, you know we still die just the same.

credits

from Outsiders, track released April 23, 2008
Chris Foster - vocal & guitar
Val Regan - fiddle
Trevor Lines - double bass
Laura Fiddaman - cello

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Chris Foster image

Chris Foster Reykjavik, Iceland

Chris Foster grew up in the south west of England. A master of his trade, he was recently described as “one of the finest singers and most inventive guitar accompanists of English folk songs, meriting legend status.” Over the past 40 years, he has toured throughout the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA. He has recorded six solo albums as well as working on many collaborative projects. ... more

contact / help

Contact Chris Foster

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Report this track or account

Chris Foster recommends:

If you like Chris Foster, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Saxophonist Isaiah Collier chats about his new LP and the influence of Pharoah Sanders.
listen now