Last week I was putting together a set of songs for my show (Dog’s Breakfast, Monday mornings, 5-6:30 am, wmpg.org) on the subject of immigration and came upon this gem from Tom Russell:
Others take the opposite view. It turns out the U.S. Border Patrol has been quietly commissioning pop songs for Mexican radio on the theme of illegal immigration — specifically, how trying to slip across the border will be a horrible mistake and probably get you killed. Some of these numbers, like La Bestia Norte (aka Death Train) have gotten really popular on commercial radio:
It’s so catchy the lyrics come as a surprise:
…The threatening snake appears/
Her scales made out of iron/
Her womb as well…
And we haven’t even boarded yet.
If this stuff is selling — and it is — and if we the people are funding it — and we are — where’s our cut of the royalties?
