The Immigrant
Written by Merle Haggard & Dave Kirby
Recorded by Merle Haggard
(No Capo)
[Intro] X4
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[Verse]
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A- merican ranching consists of a mansion
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Where illegal immigrants do much of the labor by hand
They sneak 'em through customs till time comes to bust 'em
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Then haul 'em back over the border to their own native land
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With a ragged sombrero and not much dinero
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They'll be back again when the ole Rio Grande's way down low
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Border patroller don't stop the stroller
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'Cause the Mexican immigrant is helping America grow
[Chorus]
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Viva La Mexico, go where they let you go
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Do what you can for the land
Take home dinero and buy new sombrero
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And come back again when you can
[Solo]
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What makes a gringo your smart aleck lingo
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When he stole this land from the Indian man way back when
Don't he remember the big money lender
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That put him a lien parked where his pencil had been
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The almighty peso that gives him the say so
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To dry up the river whenever there's crops to bring in
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This a good neighbor to take all his labor
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Then chase him back over the border till he's needed a- gain