Jeff Finlin

Only an Immigrant

Jeff Finlin


Only an immigrant 
He heard his name being called 
From the city 'cross the river his streak of luck would crawl 
Bound in expectation 
Of a promised land 
The streets of gold and dreams of old 
Had slipped his hands 

Only an immigrant 
He made his plans 
A practical solution 
For a desperate man 
He packed his dago pride 
And a six gun head 
The one he'd seen in movies 
Down at the five and ten 
In which they said it'd be different 
If you played your luck 
A little blood sweat and tears 
Is all it took 

Only an immigrant 
It didn't work that way 
So he took that long low ride 
To the pay off place 
Underneath the river 
To the upper side 
The car sped through the heat 
Of a vision tied 
In the tears and dissolution 
Of an immigrant's pride 
Blind in love and sorrow 
For a broken dream 
That died and was reborn 
In this perfect scheme 

Only an immigrant 
The bullets flew 
The women screamed 
And the cops they beamed 
As the guns blazed blue 
And as the smoke it cleared 
A puddle grew 
Red as roses round a man 
That no one knew 
"Where's he from?" someone said 
No one had a clue 
All they knew 
Was he was only an immigrant