Baez, Joan - Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos) Lyrics






The crops are all in and the peaches are rotting
The oranges are packed in the creosote dumps
They're flying you back to the Mexico border
To pay all your money to wade back again

Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria
You won't have a name when you ride the big airplane
All they will call you will be deportees

My father's own father, he waded that river
They took all the money he made in his life
My brothers and sisters come working the fruit trees
They rode the big trucks till they lay down and die

Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria
You won't have a name when you ride the big airplane
All they will call you will be deportees

The skyplane caught fire over Los Gatos Canyon
A fireball of lightning, and it shook all the hills
Who are these comrades that died like the dry leaves
The radio tells me they're just deportees

Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria
You won't have a name when you ride the big airplane
All they will call you will be deportees

We died in your hills and we died in your deserts
We died in your valleys we died on your plains
We died 'neath your trees and we died in your bushes
Both sides of the river we died just the same

Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria
You won't have a name when you ride the big airplane
All they will call you will be deportees

Some of us are illegal, and others not wanted
Our work contract's out and we have to move on
But it's six hundred miles to that Mexican border
They chase us like outlaws, like rustlers, like thieves.

Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria
You won't have a name when you ride the big airplane
All they will call you will be deportees

Is this the best way we can grow our big orchards
Is this the best way we can grow our good fruit
To fall like dry leaves and rot on the top soil
And be called by no name except "deportee"

Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria
You won't have a name when you ride the big airplane
All they will call you will be deportees





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Baez, Joan Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos) Comments
  1. R.... P....

    Now that's what you call a class act

  2. B.... W....

    What praise could be laid at Joan's feet that is not already there?

  3. S.... B....

    I’ve written a new verse:

    The Bible it says, we must love our neighbor
    By refusing the stranger, you’re refusing the Lord
    The big orange idiota says I’m a rapist and murderer
    They claim to be Christian what blind Pharisees

  4. I.... K....

    Great song by a great man Beautifully sung by Joan marvellous just what is needed

  5. P.... H....

    Why don't Americans push for Mexico to create a capitalist society so Mexicans can make decent wages in their own country? Their govt is corrupt so we blame USA? Please think about this misguided notion that America is the enemy. But it does make for a good song of victimization.

  6. R.... W....

    I love Joan Baez. I love Judas Priest. Thank you MUSIC for extending my taste 😊

  7. B.... Y....

    With Bob Dylan 76 https://youtu.be/zqXp1jxmpsw

  8. r.... k....

    A song of great power it will live forever

  9. M.... L....

    I always loved her version from the 70s, but while her voice is not as sweet or as strong as it once was the raw power of her emotion more than makes up for that. Wonderful.

  10. R.... W....

    FUCK all of you who think she shouldn't belong here. She's a rock n roll legend. Peace out.

  11. J.... J....

    Esta canción no es de Plane Wreck at Los Gatos, aunque también la interpretaban, es de Woody Guthrie.

  12. T.... W....

    Social Justice Warriors at work.

  13. L.... L....

    Respect !

  14. T.... T....

    this song is still strong today as it was back then.

  15. G.... S....

    working people have no nation. Smash all borders! Great song! Fight racism--it hurts us all (unless you are a capitalist)

    G.... S....

    I have noticed about trade deals that is always goods and never people who are allowed in. A TV set has more travel and staying rights than a human being.

  16. M.... M....

    The old social justice warriors of socialism , communism , ...they still around , bless their hearts ..

    M.... M....

    As are the fascists,... bless your heart, too.

  17. L.... S....

    Beautiful and very meaningful song--Joan Baez was very generous in sharing the microphone with the other artists, seeing as how it was SHE who made this song famous, way back in 1972-- goes to show that she really doesn't have a "Ham" bone in her body.

    L.... S....

    Larry Smith woody Guthrie made this song famous before Joan was even born.

    L.... S....

    Joan was born in 1941. The event didn’t occur until seven years later, 72 years to the day.

  18. S.... r....

    My great grandfather and his brother where on that plane. ☹ they all finally have a proper tomb stone and have all the names on it in Fresno ca.

    S.... r....

    That’s finally a long awaited honor to these hard workers ....thank heavens for Woody Guthrie for helping to bring this to light

    S.... r....

    Sheyla ramirez God bless you and your family. They are still alive today in our thoughts, I will never forget them and plan to visit them soon when I can go up to Fresno.

    S.... r....

    T Train Pete Seeger was the first to sing and popularize Deportee after Woody.

    S.... r....

    I was born a year after this tragedy. Song is such a beautiful and strong way of connecting people to an event such as this. I heard this song for the first time about twenty years after the accident and it caused me to morn for people who had died before I was born and I continue to listen to it for a lifetime. Now I want to go to Fresno to visit with those who are so much more than a deportee. For the last 2 1/2 years it has become something I listen too on more of a regular basis brought on by my concerns about things happening on the southern border. I live in a border town and I love the people of Mexico. They have hearts filled with forgiveness to this country who has never been as respectful as we should be the people of Mexico who come here and work so hard for us. I like working with Mexicans more than anyone else and they work harder and they have the highest production rate on the job.
    I know your great grandfather and great uncle were both good men and I know America did not treat them as well as they should have been treated and in the end America even took their lives. But there is a reason that 70 years later we have not forgotten about your family and that tells us that there are Americans who do care about those who come here and work in our fields.
    When I go to Fresno I will be look for the brothers Ramirez and assure them that they did not die in vain. They are loved by many of us today 70 years after they left us. That’s something I will never experience. 70 years after I’m gone I doubt there will be anyone on earth who will know of me.
    God bless you and your family Sheyla ramirez.

    S.... r....

    72 years to the day.

  19. F.... A....

    O my god I'm Mexican a macho man but this song make me cry that's the price that we have to pay for try to live a better life

    F.... A....

    By invading my country???

    F.... A....

    @THESATURNSSC1
    "My country" Thesatyrbssc1 Your country? You are full of it, It belongs to me. Noe you and your kind. Go back to where you came from, kiddo! We don't want your kind here.

    F.... A....

    I am not, but still cry at "Both sides of the river, we died just the same."

    F.... A....

    Ignore the despicable posts here. I am so happy they have finally been acknowledged. I welcome you to my country, which we stole from indigenous peoples. These people do not speak for everyone and should be ashamed.

    F.... A....

    @THESATURNSSC1 A country stolen from Mexico moron. When did your ancestors come to the U.S.? You self-righteous MAGAss morons are worse than disgusting.

  20. M.... R....

    It's happening today!!!

  21. S.... W....

    America sure got brainwashed... to think this is the land of God, it's embarrassing to know all i know about hate and pollution and america. i work with GOD now for all life on earth, LOVE is IT!

  22. J.... V....

    For hundreds of years. For thousands of years. For tens of thousands of years. For hundreds of thousands of years. For a couple million years men have stared into the fire and played with their toys while the women did all the work and I see no reason to change things now.

  23. S.... D....

    I'm amazed that a production at this level wouldn't have the vocals up for everyone right out of the gate, since they were all going to be singing lead parts anyway. You sound guys sucked on this.

  24. T.... ....

    Always relevant, always singing out for justice. Love you, Joan!

  25. L.... F....

    The moral compass of a nation. A living legend whose message we need to take to heart.

  26. A.... H....

    Democracias

  27. F.... M....

    Immortal!!

  28. D.... G....

    About bloody time

  29. N.... E....

    As I understand it, in this era of worldwide terrorism and $trillion deficits: US deportation policy is focused exclusively upon illegal immigrants who are convicted VIOLENT CRIMINALS - not the vast majority of illegal aliens who are otherwise innocent. I say "Yes" - this IS the best way to protect our orchards (and families and way of life). Isn't there better poetry or song to empathize with sincere immigrants, without setting up fallacious and scary 'straw dogs'?

    N.... E....

    Do you at all understand the meaning about the song???
    It was written about s real life plane crash where laborers were in a plane crash but largely forgotten

    N.... E....

    N Eric Johnson You are an idiot, first of all. Second of all, an artist has the LIBERTY and the FREEDOM to write about ANYTHING they want... arrogant old fool.

    N.... E....

    "US deportation policy is focused exclusively upon illegal immigrants who are convicted VIOLENT CRIMINALS "

    That is a lie, the only people who spew that ugliness are Trump and the Infowars/Breitbart/Fox News echo chamber.

    N.... E....

    A plane crash that happened in 1948.

  30. G.... ....

    YOUR STILL THE BEST JOAN ~ CARLOS GUITARLOS 90042

  31. M.... G....

    Yes, the 60s & 70s were GREAT

    M.... G....

    This song's a bit older than that