Carlene Thissen
Nine Dead (When will it End?)
Lyrics
NINE DEAD
Words and Music by Carlene Thissen Copyright 2006

VERSE 1:

Cinco de Mayo down in Chamagua
Music and dancing, carnitas and beer
Then the men leave again, to go north for the year
?Cause there?s planting in Quincy and picking in Fresno
Hotels, construction, landscaping and farms
And the women cry, holding their men in their arms.

REFRAIN 1::
And the town goes dark as they all leave again
When will it end? When will it end?

VERSE 2:

SeƱor Presidente, help our own country.
Make us some jobs so we don?t have to go.
Leaving our families, leaving our homes.
Even with good luck, we could be caught
And a voice at the border, hauntingly cries
If you get bad luck, you could die.

REFRAIN 2:
The voices go unheard, again and again
When will it end? When will it end?

VERSE 3:

Two thousand dollars paid at the border
Twenty-one stacked in a van built for ten.
Border patrol dead set on stopping them.
High-speed pursuit into the desert
Spike strip for tires, designed to make holes
The driver makes a U-turn, the van --- rolls.

REFRAIN 3 REPLACED BY MUSIC INTERLUDE ? (ROUGH THEN GRADUALLY SOFTER)

Em Em7 Em Em7
D Bm Em7 D Em D G D G




VERSE 4:
Cinco de Mayo down in Chamagua
Music and dancing, carnitas and beer
But every year more people can?t hide their tears.
Still there?s planting in Quincy and picking in Fresno
Hotels, construction, landscaping and farms
And the women cry, holding their men in their arms.

REFRAIN 3:
And the town goes dark as they all leave again
Except for the nine dead, nine dead men
When will it end? When will it end?


Credits
Lyrics Credits: Carlene A. Thissen
Music Credits: Carlene Thissen
Producer Credits: Barry Kotek
Publisher Credits: Barry Kotek
Performance Credits: Carlene Thissen
Description
Short Song Description:
Nine Dead is a sad recollection of a tragedy that occurred in 2006, in the Arizona desert.
Long Song Description:
The song describes a mythical town in Mexico where the men come home from the U.S. every one or two years and stay with their families through Cinco de May. They go to the U.S. because there is work there. Nine of them were killed in 2006 in a border pa
Story Behind the Song:
Though Chamagua is a mythical town, the events related to the Cinco de Mayo celebration happen, in many places, as described. The desert scene really happened, in 2006 just north of Yuma. Reports said the border patrol had chased the van filled with Me
Metadata
Song Length: 3:54
Primary Genre: Folk-Rock
Secondary Genre: Rock-Hard Rock
Tempo: Non 4/4
Lead Vocal: Female Vocal
Subject Matter 1: Protest
Subject Matter 2: Town, Village
Mood 1: Outraged
Mood 2: Nonviolent
Similar Artist 1: Indigo Girls
Similar Artist 2: Linda Ronstadt
Language: English
Era: 2000 and later