Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)
Woody Guthrie, The Byrds
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
The crops are all in And the peaches are rotting The oranges piled up In their creosote dumps You're flying 'em back To the Mexican border To spend all their money To wade back again [Chorus] Good bye to my Juan Goodbye Rosalita Adios mis amigos Jesus why 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 up And we have to move on Six hundred miles to that Mexican border They chase us like outlaws Like rustlers, like thieves [Chorus] The skyplane caught fire Over Los Gatos Canyon A fireball of lightning Shook all our hills Who are all these friends Who are scattered like dried leaves The radio said They were just "deportees" [Chorus]
Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!
Written by: MARTIN HOFFMAN, WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics © T.R.O. INC.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
9 facts about this song
Historical Context"Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)" is a song by American folk musician Woody Guthrie, detailing the January 1948 crash of a plane carrying migrant farmworkers from California back to Mexico.
|
InspirationThe song was inspired by the tragic crash of a plane carrying 28 Mexican farmworkers who were being deported from California. The crash killed everyone on board, but the newspaper coverage mainly focused on the American crew while referring to the Mexicans only as "deportees".
|
Songwriting ProcessWoody Guthrie wrote the lyrics as a poem in 1948, troubled by the lack of recognition given to the Mexican victims. The melody was added ten years later, by a schoolteacher named Martin Hoffman.
|
Legacy"Deportee" is considered one of Guthrie's most powerful songs. It has been covered by numerous artists, including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, and Dolly Parton.
|
SignificanceThe song is particularly significant because it acknowledges the human dignity of those who often remain unseen and unremembered in American society. It serves as a reminder of the difficult conditions experienced by migrant workers.
|
LyricsThe song's lyrics are factual, they reflect the names of the plane's pilot and co-pilot, while the "deportees" remain nameless, further highlighting the dehumanization of the migrants.
|
Inclusion in National Recording RegistryIn 2019, "Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)" was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States."
|
impactThe song played a significant role in shedding light on the plight of immigrant workers in the United States and is still relevant today, in the ongoing debates about immigration and human rights issues.
|
Recognition of The VictimsBecause of Guthrie's song, in 2013 a memorial was built to honor those who died in the crash. Its inscription includes the names of the deportees, which were ignored in the original news reports.
|
Citation
Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Sep. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/3095587/Woody+Guthrie/Deportee+%28Plane+Wreck+at+Los+Gatos%29>.
Discuss the Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) Lyrics with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In