Lyrics

From the hunger and war came the weary and the poor
On the ships and over land the rabble came
The common and the destitute were bangin’ on the door
On the list every alien name
Every one of us should pay back what we owe
To the masses before us they would go

They raised their right hand
They raised their right hand
They raised their right hands to pray
The words of a welcoming nation
Forever they waited to say…
On Decoration Day

With photographs and letters from their families
They would come even if they had to crawl
They were knockin’ down the door of opportunity
The promise of America’s call
The ragged souls only beggin’ her to be free
In the home of the brave with you and me

With their broken family trees all in a tangle
Frozen out from all the riches back at home
Not a thought of ever living as illegal
All the widows and the orphans came alone
With a vow they could never come to deny
To swear on the Fourth of July