CHANGE THE LAW, WHY DON’T YOU BABE?1 FAVORITE OLDIES IMMIGRATION LAW & POLICY LYRICS with selections from “All Rights Reserved,” a 1996 songbook sequel to “Immact Verses” (1992), by Lory Diana Rosenberg including new lyrics from 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004,2005 (original lyrics provided in some songs only) 1“You Just Keep Me Hangin’ On” [“Set me free, why don’t cha babe?”], sung by the Supremes, song by Brian Holland/Lamont Dozier/Edward Holland, Jr. 1 WHO’LL CHANGE THE LAW (To “Who’ll Stop the Rain” John Fogarty) WHO’LL STOP THE RAIN Credence Clearwater Revival (by John Fogarty) Long as I remember The law keeps coming down Long as I remember Families deported The rain been coming down. Removal all around Clouds of myst'ry pouring Errors in decisions Confusion on the ground. Thousands that I saw Good men through the ages, And I wonder still I wonder Trying to find the sun; Who’ll change the law? And I wonder, Still I wonder, Lawyers out in Portland, Who'll stop the rain. Boston and Harlingen Represent the poor folk I went down Virginia, Who have no place to run Seeking shelter from the storm. When they seek asylum Caught up in the fable, No one believes their claims I watched the tower grow. And I wonder, still I wonder Five year plans and new deals, Who’ll change this game Wrapped in golden chains. And I wonder, Heard they’re now detaining Still I wonder All those the law denies Who'll stop the rain. Soon they’ll close the borders Nine-eleven (9/11) justifies Heard the singers playing, Still I keep on writing, How we cheered for more. Finish every brief The crowd had rushed together, And I wonder, still I wonder Trying to keep warm. Who’ll grant relief? Still the rain kept pouring, Falling on my ears. Some say we can change things And I wonder, That new law can evolve Still I wonder Though immigration’s broken Who'll stop the rain. It can get fixed with “SOLVE”2 I sure am one to hope so Cause we can’t take much more And I wonder still I wonder Who’ll change the law? © 2004. All rights reserved. The Siren and Lory Diana Rosenberg, IDEA Consultations 2 A 2004 legislative initiative. 2 CRIME OF VIOLENCE 2004 SOUNDS OF SILENCE [To Sounds of Silence, by Simon and Garfunkel by Paul Simon (1966) Hello, darkness my old friend The law has retrogressed again Hello darkness my old friend, I've come to talk with you again. Doesn’t matter when the crime occurred Because a vision softly creeping Aggravated felony will be inferred Left it's seeds while I was sleeping And enforcement over liberty will reign And the vision that was planted in my brain Once again, Still remains Especially, with a crime of violence Within the sounds of silence. They picked my friend up last July In restless dreams I walked alone, Probation said she should come by Narrow streets of cobble stone. Jailed a mom who never would use force 'Neath the halo of a street lamp, Someone told her she should plead, of course I turned my collar to the cold and damp, Then I heard that a crime without mens rea, When my eyes were stabbed, by the flash of a Neon light, That split the night Down Florida way And touched the sounds of silence. Had been called another crime of violence And in the naked light I saw And after researching I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more. The overbreadth that taints this law People talking without speaking, Covers almost every type offense People hearing without listening, Doesn’t make a single bit of sense- People writing songs that voices never shared, Not just elements, but probabilities And no one dared Make de-por-tees Disturb the sounds of silence. Of those convicted of a crime of violence "Fools!" said I, "you do not know, Silence like a cancer grows. “Fools!” said I, “she didn’t know, Hear my words that I might teach you, Removal seems ex post fac-to Take my arms that I might reach you." Back in ‘95 she had a few But my words like silent raindrops fell... Called her ex and made a threat or two And echoed in the wells of silence. Though her words would never harm a hair, (no one cared) And the people bowed and prayed They believed, it was a crime of violence To the neon gods they made. And the sign flashed out its warning, Because Congress bowed and prayed, In the words that it was forming, And by hysteria was swayed. And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls And tenement halls." So the law deports without regard And whispered in the sounds of silence. To whether separation makes life hard, And the law means removal from your family in the States. Yes, that’s your fate Especially, for a crime of violence. © 2004, 1998. All rights reserved. The Siren and Lory Diana Rosenberg, IDEA Consultations 3 ITS GONNA HURT SOMEONE KEEP ME HANGIN’ON (to “You Keep Me Hangin' On,” by the Supremes Brian Holland/Lamont Dozier/EdwardHolland, Jr. Amend the bill why don't you babe Strike out that clause, why don't you babe Set me free, why don’t cha babe We really don't need it Get out my life, why don’t cha babe It's just gonna hurt some-one ’cause you don’t really love me We really don't need it You just keep me hangin’ on It's just gonna hurt some-one You don’t really need me But you keep me hangin’ on You keep sayin' we need these laws To keep our borders wide and free Then you go and build a fence Why do you keep a coming around And jail all the refugees Playing with my heart? Why do you push them outside Why don’t you get out of my life When our country's built on immigrant pride? And let me make a new start? Let me get over you Amend the bill why don't you babe The way you’ve gotten over me Strike out that clause why don't you babe We really don't need it Set me free, why don’t cha babe It's just gonna hurt some-one Let me be, why don’t cha babe Now we really don't need it it's just gonna hurt some-one ’cause you don’t really love me You just keep me hangin’ on You keep on cutting the ways Now you don’t really want me That refugees and fam'lies can stay You just keep me hangin’ on But how can you wipe out relief When ending it only bring their families grief? You say although we broke up (And there's nothin' we can do about it!) You still wanna be just friends But how can we still be friends Wo-oooo-ooo When seeing you only breaks my heart again Amend the bill why don't you babe Strike out that clause why don't you babe And there ain’t nothing I can do about it Amend the bill why don't you babe Strike out that clause why don't you babe Woo, set me free, why don’t cha babe Woo, get out my life, why don’t cha babe You keep claimin’ that those crim’nals abound Set me free, why don’t cha babe And we don't need their type around Get out my life, why don’t cha babe But take a look and you will see Legal residents who have fa-amilies You claim you still care for me Why delete section 212(c)- When it's only discretion-ar-y? Hey! But your heart and soul needs to be free Why don't we be more fair about it Now that you’ve got your freedom A-and let them be? You wanna still hold on to me Why don't you be more even handed You don’t want me for yourself And reta-ain relief? So let me find somebody else hey! Go on - strike out, strike out that clause and retain relief. Why don’t you be a man about it And set me free Now you don’t care a thing about me (c) 1996. All rights reserved. The Siren and Lory You’re just using me Diana Rosenberg, IDEA Consultations. (Note: Its 2005 Go on, get out, get out of my life and we are still fighting same issues) And let me sleep at night 4 9/11 Lament— With Justice Denied (to Bob Dylan’s, “With God On Our Side” Oh, my name it means nothing, SECRET It won’t be released. (to “Do You Want to Know a Secret,” Beatles) Been held incognito, For over 10 weeks They came to my home, and Listen, They took me aside All the evidence is secret Now I sit in this jail cell, Under law its classified, With justice denied Whoa-oh-oh Well, I came as a student, Sorry, But then I was wed, You’re a terrorist my friend, I dropped out of school, and You’ve got nothing to defend, Was working instead Whoa-oh-oh My wife filed the papers, You will be removed! But they said we lied. Whoa–oh-oh-oh-oh So now they detain me, With justice denied (Break) We can’t allow you to review our file; We could redact it but it takes a whi-i-ile, Now they say its because of The terrorist threat Listen, Since I am from Yemen, All the evidence is secret They say I’m suspect Under law its classified, If I had some contact, Whoa-oh-oh Gave someone a ride I’ll be held with no bail, and Sorry, With justice denied You’re a terrorist my friend, You’ve got nothing to defend, Well, they claim they can do this Whoa-oh-oh Because we’re at war You will be removed! They rewrote the statute and Whoa–oh-oh-oh-oh They changed the law I’ll be here forever, (c) 2000 All rights reserved.