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When you leave everything behind

from DISPLACED​/​MISPLACED by Norman Nawrocki

/

lyrics

WHEN YOU LEAVE BEHIND EVERYTHING YOU KNEW

When you leave behind
everything and everyone you know
for whatever reason you can’t stay
you need to go somewhere far away
for work, security, freedom, shelter,
You dream of a life that’s better,
but all you find is more of the same,
and….. sometimes much worse


When you end up living somewhere new
crawling with rodents and roaches
walls growing black mildew
crooked windows letting in the cold
heating busted, fridge, too
toilet leaking like the ceiling
The landlord, your boss, won’t fix a damn thing
It’s worse than anything back home
You gotta take a deep breath…..

When you take this dirty dangerous job
and they call you an ‘ignorant immigrant,’
cheat you, make fun of you
No one else will do this low-paying,
back breaking labour
They grind you down, say they own you
charge you for the privilege of working
It’s worse than anything back home
(then you realize
Take a deep breath, call some friends,
raise some hell and together stand tall


When you question the boss
you get labelled a troublemaker & criminalized
When you get sick or injured on the job
they don’t believe you, say it’s all lies
If you try to become a citizen
they demonize you:
“Bogus refugee, a threat to our values and religion”
This is worse than anything back home

When you’re undocumented,
no permanent residence, no citizenship
you’re isolated, easy to abuse and swindle
on a farm, working under the table,
in a factory, the homes of the rich
on call 24/7, cooking, cleaning,
living with your boss, paid little
sexually harassed, worked to exhaustion
Take a deep breath, call some friends,
raise some hell and together stand tall (x2)


If your refugee claim’s refused
your temporary work visa expires
you don’t have permanent status
They can snatch you at work, on the street
cuff you, detain you behind barbed wire
Deport you and your kids
or break up your family
It wasn’t like this back home


It’s one big sweatshop this land of the free
poor immigrants and migrants exploited daily
threatened with deportation if they don’t obey
A giant pool of cheap labour
to keep the economy going
A legalized system of apartheid
denying rights and services
everyone else takes for granted
The only solution: status for all!
Legalize the illegals!
Document the undocumented!
Allow services and rights equally for everyone now
We all gotta take a deep breath,
call some friends,
raise some hell and together stand tall (x4)

credits

from DISPLACED​/​MISPLACED, track released February 14, 2017
Words, vocals, violin: Norman Nawrocki.
Music (piano, organ, drums): Matthew Justin.

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Norman Nawrocki Montreal, Québec

Norman Nawrocki is a Canadian Polish/Ukrainian violinist & composer based in Montreal, Quebec. A veteran of the city’s underground music scene & also tours internationally. Since 1986, he's released 33 albums (solo & with his many bands like Rhythm Activism, DaZoque!, Bakunin’s Bum, SANN, Wild Plains, Crocodile!) & has 35 compilations. He's also an author & a playwright. ... more

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