Sunday Night Springsteen

"We've got an immigrant song for New York City" were the opening words at the Bruce Springsteen/Seeger Sessions show we went to last summer at Madison Square Garden.

Did I mention that we were right in front of the stage for that one? I mean, I told everyone I know ...

Lots of people are bothered by immigration, apparently - at least, immigration of people who are considered less than "desirable". Of course, those are the kind of folks who actually built the country, but why let facts get in the way?

The McNicholas, the Polaski's, the Smiths, Zirillis too
The Blacks, the Irish, the Italians, the Germans and the Jews
The Puerto Ricans, illegals, the Asians, Arabs miles from home
Come across the water with a fire down below

They died building the railroads, worked to bones and skin
They died in the fields and factories, names scattered in the wind
They died to get here a hundred years ago, they're dyin' now
The hands that built the country we're all trying to keep down

By the way, I learned from this guy (the source for all lyrics, setlists, and other important trivia) that the Zirilli family, representing Italian immigrants in the lyric, is Springsteen's mother's family.

In any event, "American Land" -