With it’s signature wailing guitars and pounding drumbeats to make you want to stomp your feet, this week’s Revolution Sounds is Carlos Santana’s “Migra” off his Supernatural album. It’s a perfect five-minute primal scream therapy session at the unfairness of immigration.
For those of you who don’t speak Spanish, Migra is short for Inmigración, and is slang within the Spanish-speaking community for general system that is Border Patrol and the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. But generally speaking, they’re talking about the enforcement arms of those bureaus. To pronounce it correctly, you’ve gotta let it roll off your tongue with a little venom. Pronounce it like you’ve got something bitter in your mouth.
Carlos Santana’s anthem is an oldie. Released in 1999, I first heard it over ten years ago when another dark time in our immigration history made me want to rage cry. This week feels like a good time to dig it up.
To really get your primal scream therapy on, it helps to understand the Spanish lyrics. So let’s go:
Migra Migra pinche Migra dejáme en paz
Border Patrol, Border Patrol, oh fucking Border Patrol, leave me alone
Malicia veo en tus ojos desprecio en tu corazon
I see malice in your eyes, contempt in your heartEs hora de reconocer que todos somas una voz
It’s time to recognize that we’re all one voiceAbraza el concepto venimos del mismo Dios
Embrace the concept that we all come from the same GodMe necesitas tú a mi, casi más que yo a ti
You need me almost more than I need youPeople people let’s start together, let’s do it right now
People people let’s love one another
I know we know how
Crank it up, put it on repeat. Listen to the shredding guitars. Set your heart in time with the drum beats. Pound your fists. Stamp your feet. Shout the lyrics. Get your rage out. Let it carry you forward and through.
Love you, revolutionaries. We got this.
(p.s. , if you want more inspiration, how about subscribing to our Revolution Sounds playlist on Youtube?)
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