# Songs of Immigration/Emigration. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846 "2010-06-11T21:03:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/1 "2010-06-11T21:03:49Z")
Ireland has a rich tradition of emigrant songs. They tell of the ambivalence of the emigrant as they try for a better life in (primarily) the US, Canada and Britain. Specifically with regard to emigrants groups in the US, do other ethnic or national groups have emigrant songs in such abundance? Is there Czech, Hungarian etc. folk balladry that deals with the same subject matter. Here are some examples: [Irish Descendants - Misty Morning Shore](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEOj3zrVNW0) [The Wolfe Tones - The Shores of Amerikay](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOTB5F0HpYs) [Mary Dillon - The Green Fields of Canada](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcFeTMeP-kw) ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/2 "2010-06-11T21:12:56Z")
Well, there’s [Botany Bay](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botany_Bay_%28song%29), about unwilling English migrants to New South Wales. I’d always assumed it was an Irish folk song, but it was written in England in the 1880s. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/3 "2010-06-11T21:17:18Z")
Lila Downs: When Did You Come To America? Buffy Ste. Marie: Welcome, Immigrante ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/4 "2010-06-11T21:46:52Z")
“Sail Away” by Randy Newman ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/5 "2010-06-11T21:54:30Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Well, there’s [Botany Bay](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botany_Bay_%28song%29), about unwilling English migrants to New South Wales. I’d always assumed it was an Irish folk song, but it was written in England in the 1880s. There is some overlap between Irish, Welsh, Scottish and English songs in this regard methinks. ---
**Author:** ![kirk1168](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@kirk1168](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk1168)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/6 "2010-06-11T22:01:11Z")
“Immigration Man” by Graham Nash ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/7 "2010-06-11T22:27:50Z")
I Pity The Poor Immigrant by Bob Dylan ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/8 "2010-06-11T22:33:12Z")
Led Zeppelin, **Immigrant Song** as illustrated by [Viking Kittens](http://users.wolfcrews.com/toys/vikings/). Also used as entrance music by the tag team of Bruiser Brody & Stan Hansen in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/9 "2010-06-12T01:31:41Z")
Gogol Bordello: [Immigrant Punk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zqb-3CzAso) [Greencard Husband](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_I6h6Sust0) [Suddenly… (I Miss Carpaty)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBzugIESCRE) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/10 "2010-06-12T02:21:13Z")
“[Acadian Driftwood](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZwkxHYM7lI)” by the Band, about the Acadians forced to emigrate from Canada. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/11 "2010-06-12T02:23:54Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Led Zeppelin, **Immigrant Song** as illustrated by [Viking Kittens](http://users.wolfcrews.com/toys/vikings/). > > Also used as entrance music by the tag team of Bruiser Brody & Stan Hansen in Japan. EPIC!!! ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/12 "2010-06-12T02:36:30Z")
I haven’t thought about this song in ages, although it’s indelibly burned into my memory because my mother used to play her Neil Diamond’s Greatest Hits cassette in the car all the time: “[America](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yF3T_1loz8)”, sometimes referred to as “Coming to America”. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/13 "2010-06-12T19:16:44Z")
Not a folk song, but since others have listed pop songs, I will too: **"The Immigrant" – Neil Sedaka.** This is really an excellent song, with affecting lyrics and a great melody. Anyone who dismisses Sedaka as a simple-minded teen pop guy from the early 60s should really hear this song, which charted mildly on the _Billboard_ Top 40 in 1975 and was played on AM radio. ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/14 "2010-06-12T19:55:59Z")
[Genesis - Illegal Alien](http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi795411481/) ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/15 "2010-06-12T19:58:28Z")
Redacted. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/16 "2010-06-12T20:00:35Z")
[Black Velvet Band](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Velvet_Band) ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/17 "2010-06-12T21:01:33Z")
Safam- Mother Russia “We are leaving Mother Russia We have waited far too long. We are leaving Mother Russia When they come for us, We’ll be gone.” I’m sure there are at least a few dozen more songs on the the theme of Jews leaving their old country and coming to Israel. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/18 "2010-06-12T21:05:24Z")
Kate & Anna McGarrigle came from an Anglo/French Canadian background. “[Jacques et Gilles](http://www.mcgarrigles.com/music/matapedia/jacques-et-gilles)” are French Canadians who bring their family down to the New England mills when money is short. Then go back home. Little Helene wonders why they warn her against the “Irish agitator” > [@](#): > > “Why is Paddy such a bad guy? > Why is he so evil? > He wants more pay for his working day > And he says that kids like me > Should be in school” > > “Ah, ferme ta gueule ma p’tite soeur > We’ll start for home tomorrow > But Paddy Boyle and Katy Doyle > They’ve left their soil > They’ve sailed away > They can’t go home and therein > Lies their anger and their sorrow” From our neighbor to the South, there’s [Cancion Mixteca](http://stephensimmonds.blogspot.com/2008/12/cancion-mixteca-beauty-in-mexican-music.html). Which sounds homesick, even if you can’t understand the words. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/19 "2010-06-13T01:07:44Z")
[Clandestino](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TamvrMZl4g) is song by Manu Chao from the point of view of an illegal immigrant. Great video, too, even if you don’t understand Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846/20 "2010-06-13T02:20:51Z")
[Visa para un sueño](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy7ToYsHggA), from the perspective of Dominican Republicans. By Juan Luis Guerra. [Papeles mojados](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad58oDZ4i_0) by Chambao. Perspective of North Africans cruising the Mediterranean towards Europe. [Frijolero](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2USHsCi6uE) by Molotov. Mexican immigrants. [Desaparecido](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2W4wglPW2c) is the companion song to Clandestino, by Manu Chao, IMHO. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-of-immigration-emigration/542846.md?page=2)