Story Behind The Song

Being Hispanic myself from my father's side, I thought about my grandparents and how brave it was for them to come to America in search of a better life for themselves and their families.

Song Description

Being Hispanic myself from my father's side, I thought about my grandparents and how brave it was for them to come to America in search of a better life for themselves and their families. I also thought of all the migrant workers that without their hard work with little pay we would have no food on our tables and wine in our glasses. This song is a story of one of those people. A migrant worker reflects on his life and the cost he has paid for freedom.

Lyrics

Gravel
Words and Music by Amber Snider ©2012, Puddle Siren Music Publishing, ASCAP

He's up before the sun gets out of bed
He's got sleep in his eyes, gravel in his head
He arrives at the gate, moves his body of lead
Sometimes he thinks he's almost be dead
He rakes the gravel that covers the road
He doesn't complain, he knows everyone has their load
He rakes the gravel that make the road nice
But the people who travel, they never look twice.

And the gravel, it falls by the wayside
It crawls through the fence and follows the vines
It rolls down the hills and scatters around
He'll have to move it again before the boss comes back around.

He doesn't think much about what he can't control
If he were born in this country he'd make ten dollars more
As luck would have it, he was born next door but the job is nice, times are tough for everyone he knows.
He rakes the gravel, like he always did
Like his daddy before him when he was a kid
He rakes the gravel though it isn't much fun
He has fingers on blisters but it needs to get done.

And the gravel, it falls by the wayside
It crawls through the fence and swallows the vines
It rolls down the hills and scatters around
He'll have to do it again before the boss comes back around.
Oh if gravel were time he'd have all the time in the world
To be with his young bride and their new baby girl
He's glad he makes enough to put food on the table
While his body and soul are still willing and able.
Oh if gravel were diamonds he'd send them back home
To his poor widow mother down in old Mexico.
He'd escaped to the states when he was only a child
Freedom rang loud in his ears only while
He crossed into a whole new world and
His daddy was gunned down at the border in Calexico.

And the gravel, it falls by the wayside
It crawls through the fence and swallows the vines
It rolls down the hills and scatters around
He'll have to move it again before the boss comes back around.

With dreams of wine that turns into gold
And the promise of a future with fortunes untold
If gravel were wishes he would wish to hold
The hand of his daddy again
He rakes the gravel that covers the road
He doesn't complain he knows everyone has their load