LUMPENPROLETARIAT—Don’t forget; immigrants built this country…

In North America, like elsewhere, as capital mobility increases, labour mobility is criminalised.

Messina

“Border Patrol” by Eek-A-Mouse

It’s getting harder, harder
To get across the border, ain’t no jive
Trying harder, harder
To get across the border, to hit the I-95

I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile—Jah know!
I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile—hmm

Going to Miami via Vancouver coming from Jamaica
Don-ding, don-ding, ding-ding
I was on the outside; for some reason
They won’t let me enter, hmm
I went to the border
They said my passport was not in order; and, so
Seven of us got back on the bus
Felt like a loser, hmm

We went from rooms; we got some food
Am I a dreamer?  Hmm
I went to some club
They were playing reggae, rock, and blues-a, hmm

I know I a winner
But, this time, they say I’m a loser
But I say-ay; but I say-ay

It’s getting harder, harder
To get across the border, ain’t no jive
Trying harder, harder
To get across the border, to hit the I-95

I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile—Jah know!
I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile

The next day I came back to the embassy
Don-ding, don-ding, ding-ding
I was an early birdie at 8:30, hmm
Set the mouse free, let him enter, hmm
Don’t forget immigrants built this country, hmm

Out of all the people
Me, they decided to pull over, hmm
He said come this way
You look like somebody we-a look for, hmm
Searching my bag, take my shoe
Ran it through the computer
Don, ding-ding, ding-ding-ding

Wump-pem peh-hey
Wump-pem peh-peh peh-ho
Who feels it knows it

Wump-pem peh-hey
Wump-pem peh-peh peh-ho
I’m about to expose it

It’s getting harder, harder
To get across the border, ain’t no jive
Trying harder, harder
To get across the border, to hit the I-95

I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile—Jah know!
I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile, hmm

Cock-a-doodle-doo, doodle-doo-ooh, I am the rooster, hmm
Stop spinning me around, like I’m some roller coaster
Don-ding, don-ding, ding-ding-ding
You make it seems I’m the most wanted, hmm
Take me out of this room, it’s so scary and haunted, hmm
Jamaica! Jamaica! I am a teacher, hmm
I’m a singer, an actor, born entertainer, hmm
You’ve taken away my passport and my visa, hmm
Sending me away, back to Jamaica, hmm

It’s getting harder, harder
To get across the border, ain’t no jive
Trying harder, harder
To get across the border, to hit the I-95

It’s getting harder, harder
To get across the border, ain’t no jive
Trying harder, harder
To get across the border, to hit the I-95

I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile—Jah know!
I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile

I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile—Jah know!
I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile

I was on my way to California
Coming from Tijuana, Mexican border
I was there with a Mexican who was a Pancho Villa, hmm
He said to me, do you want burrito, taco, and salsa, hmm
I said I’ve got to go; I’ve got to go to California, hmm
Immigration officer let me pass the border, hmm
You know what?  I got to do a show in Los Angeles, California, hmm

It’s getting harder, harder
To get across the border, ain’t no jive
Trying harder, harder
To get across the border, to hit the I-95

I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile—Jah know!
I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile

Going to Miami via Vancouver coming from Jamaica
Don-ding, don-ding, ding-ding
I was on the outside, for some reason
They won’t let me enter
Don-ding, don-ding, ding-ding
I went to the border; they said my passport was not in order; and, so
Seven of us got back on the bus, felt like a looser
Don-ding, don-ding, ding-ding

We got some food and we got some rooms in Vancouver
Don-ding, don-ding, ding-ding
We went to some club
They were playing reggae, rock, and blues-a
I can not confuse-a
I guess I was winner
But, this time, they said I was a loser
I not confuse-a, what could I say?

I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile—Jah know!
I’ll walk, I’ll talk, but I’ll not crawl
On my belly like a reptile

It’s getting harder, harder
To get across the border, ain’t no jive
Trying harder, harder
To get across the border, to hit the I-95

***

[EEK-A-MOUSE lyrics are property and copyright of their owners.  “Border Patrol” lyrics are provided here for educational and personal use only.]

[4 JUN 2015]

[Last modified  12:04 PDT  1 JUN 2016]