Lyrics

[Verse 1] Well, Miguel came from a small town In northern Mexico He came north with his brother Luis To California three years ago They crossed at the river levee When Luis was just sixteen And found work together In the fields of the San Joaquin [Verse 2] They left their homes and family Their father said, "My sons, one thing you will learn For everything the north gives It exacts a price in return" They worked side by side in the orchards From morning until the day was through Doing the work The gueros wouldn't do [Verse 3] Word was out some men in from Sinaloa Were looking for some hands Well, deep in Fresno county There was a deserted chicken ranch Well there, in a small tin shack On the edge of a ravine Miguel and Luis stood Cooking methamphetamine [Bridge] You could spend a year in the orchards Or make half as much in one ten-hour shift Working for the men from Sinaloa Ah, but if you slipped The hydriodic acid Could burn right through your skin Leave you spitting up blood in the desert If you breathed those fumes in [Verse 4] It was early one winter evening As Miguel stood watch outside When the shack exploded Lighting up the valley night Miguel carried Luis's body Over his shoulder down a swale to the creek side And there in the tall grass Luis Rosales died [Verse 5] Miguel lifted Luis' body Into his truck and then he drove To where the morning sunlight fell On a eucalyptus grove In the dirt, he dug up ten thousand dollars All that they'd saved Kissed his brother's lips And placed him in his grave