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phil ochs - ballad of ruben jaramillo [demo-version] lyrics

[intro]
you know, it’s not often i, um
get songs out of the country
but here’s one that i did, it’s, um, about mexico
tells the story of a man named ruben jaramillo
who was the mexican peasant leader
he was fighting for land reform for some twenty years
uh, as a boy, he had written under zapata, and, um
he was, uh, fighting for the land reform that was, uh
guaranteed under the constitution after the mexican revolution
which never really came about
uh, he was k!lled about six, seven months ago by p—
by membеrs of the army who, um
they k!lled him and his wifе and his three sons
after he lead, um
about about two thousand peasants on a march to land that was legally theirs
it’s what’s known as “squatters” now in the newspapers
[verse 1]
the peons of mexico long have known suffering and pain
zapata and villa have died there, fighting in vain
then jaramillo kept up the tradition
he fought for the land once again
but for all his good deeds, the brave jaramillo was slain

[chorus]
.45 bullet has ended the life
of a man who had lived by the gun
but all of the bullets of mexico
cannot undo all the work that he’s done

[verse 2]
the greedy caciques have stolen and plundered the land
with pistoleros, they ruled with a cold iron hand
the poor campesinos could stand it no longer
resistance was starting to grow
jaramillo decided to fight for a new mexico

[chorus]
.45 bullet has ended the life
of a man who had lived by the gun
but all of the bullets of mexico
cannot undo all the work that he’s done
[verse 3]
for twenty long years, he fought and he struggled and tried
epifania, his wife, always there at his side
often surrounded, he always was hounded
they searched for him near, far, and wide
a man of deep sorrow, but also a man of deep pride

[chorus]
.45 bullet has ended the life
of a man who had lived by the gun
but all of the bullets of mexico
cannot undo all the work that he’s done

[verse 4]
two thousand peasants he led to their long+promised land
and the army’s revenge k!lled the wife and the sons and the man
the assassins rejoiced with their whiskey and women
but the laughter will freeze on their face
for each one they k!ll, a dozen will stand in his place

[chorus]
.45 bullet has ended the life
of a man who had lived by the gun
but all of the bullets of mexico
cannot undo all the work that he’s done
[outro]
all of the bullets of mexico
cannot undo all the work that he’s done

- phil ochs lyrics

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