Song Description

Several people to whom I?ve played this song had never heard of the word dago and didn?t realise that it was a term of racist abuse. The song deals with the irony of a South American refugee fleeing to the UK for a safer life and failing to find it because of his race

Lyrics

there are things you could see that stood in the way
but you knew you'd have to go without delay
they'd already come for your only brother
and taken your father and your mother
to the building which stood five storeys high
inside of which so many would die

so you ran for your life
for your freedom and your lovely wife
and you knew the bitterness
of a refugee in the wilderness

the days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to months
and in all that time, not even once
did anyone show you the slightest pity
whether from the backwoods or the city
they wanted your money and they wanted your woman
you gave when you had to, to pay the waterman

and you paid with your shame
with fear for every little gain
and they took you to a place
where you'd never thought to find the human race

you finally arrived in the land of the free
they welcomed you in and you could see
that here was a place where you'd be safe
a place in which you could have some faith
you'd give your life for such a people
you were happy and you were grateful

and indeed you gave your life
to a man who then raped your lovely wife
with dago ringing in your ears
this man welcomed you to his ugly english fears