Home was by the water, childhood days were easy
Until they came and dammed the river about three miles down the valley
The foreign men arrived with all their diggers and their trucks
And they cut down all the skyline trees that stretched across our hills
And they came and saw my father with the soldiers standing guard
And put the piece of paper in his hand
 
We watched the waters rising as we packed up our belongings
My father sat and broke down as we loaded up the wagon
My brother went and saw the building men for one last time
Don’t lie to us, don’t lie to us but all they did was lie
And not a word was spoken as we left our valley home
Through the dusty roads I lay and watched the sky
 
Home is by the railway now on the outskirts of the city
The rains they come in torrents now, come beating on the shanty
At night we watch the rocket flares lighting up the sky
There’s talk they closed the border up just ten miles to the North
And the young men head out westward as the curfew siren calls
And the Army trucks come move in with their guns
 
(Sullivan 1984)

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