About the song
Willie Nelson’s “The Border” isn’t actually one of his own compositions. It’s the title track from his recent album of the same name (released May 2024), but the song itself was written by Rodney Crowell and Allen Shamblin.
Here’s some information about the song:
- Content: The song takes the perspective of a border guard, conveying the emotional toll of witnessing the struggles of people trying to cross the border. It’s described as “more humanist than political,” focusing on the human cost of the situation.
- Release: “The Border” was released as the lead single for the album in March 2024. You can find it on streaming services and YouTube: youtube.com.
- Reception: The song has been praised for its thoughtful and empathetic approach to a complex topic. Nelson’s signature vocals are said to lend a sense of wisdom and world-weariness to the lyrics.
Video
Lyrics
I work on the borderI see what I seeI work on the borderAnd it’s working on me
I lie awake at nightKnowing what I knowThere’s a price on the headOf every border patrol
Where the smugglers do businessThat’s where I make a standI know this old desertLike the back of my hand
I see greed in the bushesI see snakes in the darkSome are friends of my brothersCan’t you hear them dogs bark?
I come home to MariaAt the end of the dayIn the shape of a shadowHolding demons at bayIt’s just a border, they say
It was Mexican soldiersOut of a black HumveeWith their guns to their shouldersAimed at my partner and me
As they drove away laughingBut the message was clearThat we don’t care about nothingBut the money down here
I come home to MariaIn a bulletproof vestWith the weight of the whole wide worldBearing down on my chestIt’s just a border, I guess
From the shacks and the shantiesCome the hungry and poorSome to drown at the crossingSome to suffer no more
Guess you heard about Campos and RamienBoth of them friends of mineBoth good menThey did one thing rightAnd look what they gotFederal prisonWhere they’re both gotta rot
I come home to MariaWhere else would I go?Cross the river to die by myselfDown In old MexicoIt’s just the border, y’know