Crystal Frontier
Calexico Lyrics
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To the seven lost cities of gold
Finds a raven's head and a rattlesnake's tail
Dead in his tracks, this godforsaken soul's
Unwanted here and his curse lingers for years
Amalia's face hides behind the mask
Sweating on the TV factory line
That smile on her face is starting to crack
While welding back the pieces of shattered heart
That's scattered out here, with the ghosts of her peers
Searches for her lost child along the river of tears
The river of tears
At the end of the working week
When drunken worlds meet
Both sides keeping a close eye
For a break in the line here
On the crystal frontier
The crystal frontier
The ground is shaking and starting to crack
Can't find the pieces of the shattered heart
That's scattered out here
With the ghosts that never disappear
Searches for the lost child along the river of tears
The river of tears
Blood spills out on the streets
And bodies are missing for weeks
Both sides keeping a close eye
Watching the bullets fly here
On the crystal frontier
The crystal frontier
Ramon tightens up his leather belt
And slips through a hole in the fence
He can get you anything you want
Might cost you a life, might cost you
The whole price of freedom here
On the crystal frontier
The lyrics to Calexico's "Crystal Frontier" paint a gritty, vivid picture of life and struggle along the US-Mexico border. The first verse refers to Marco, who seems to be a cursed outcast, unwanted in the desert landscape where he finds himself. The imagery of the raven and the rattlesnake suggest death and danger, and Marco is blocked from the seven lost cities of gold, an allusion to the mythical riches long sought after by explorers in the region. The second verse introduces Amalia, who works on a TV factory line in what is likely a maquiladora, a type of factory built near the border where Mexican workers are employed under often-difficult conditions to assemble goods for American companies. Amalia's smile is wearing thin, and Calexico suggests that her heart has been shattered, perhaps by the loss of her child or the constant struggle to make a living. The river of tears is a potent symbol of the pain and hardship experienced by these characters, and the song implies that many more are in the same boat.
Line by Line Meaning
Marco's shadow falls on the door
The presence of Marco can be felt strongly and ominously.
To the seven lost cities of gold
This journey will lead to a mysterious, uncharted place where treasure may be found.
Finds a raven's head and a rattlesnake's tail
Signs of death and doom are present in this cursed place being explored.
Dead in his tracks, this godforsaken soul's
This cursed traveler has come to a stop, unable to continue due to the negative energy of this place.
Unwanted here and his curse lingers for years
The negative energy of this cursed place will have long-lasting and devastating effects on anyone who journeys here.
Amalia's face hides behind the mask
Amalia must put on a façade to get through difficult circumstances.
Sweating on the TV factory line
Amalia works in a monotonous and exhausting job on a factory assembly line.
That smile on her face is starting to crack
Amalia is struggling to maintain her optimistic façade.
While welding back the pieces of shattered heart
Amalia must repair her broken heart while continuing to work and put on a happy face.
That's scattered out here, with the ghosts of her peers
Amalia is surrounded by the memories of her past struggles and the ghosts of the people who have gone through similar hardships.
Searches for her lost child along the river of tears
Amalia is on a journey to find her lost child, facing many obstacles and difficulties along the way.
The river of tears
The journey to find Amalia's lost child will be difficult and emotional.
At the end of the working week
After a long work week filled with stress and hardship.
When drunken worlds meet
When people who have been numbing their pain with alcohol come together in this place.
Both sides keeping a close eye
Everyone is wary and on guard in this dangerous place.
For a break in the line here
Waiting for an opening in the negative atmosphere of this cursed place.
On the crystal frontier
In this dangerous and mysterious place full of negative energy.
The ground is shaking and starting to crack
The situation in this cursed place is getting worse and more dangerous.
Can't find the pieces of the shattered heart
The journey to repair a broken heart is proving to be quite difficult and maybe impossible.
That's scattered out here
The pieces of the broken heart have been scattered throughout this place and may not be recoverable.
With the ghosts that never disappear
The negative energy of this cursed place will always linger, never truly disappearing.
Blood spills out on the streets
This cursed place is full of violence and danger.
And bodies are missing for weeks
The violence in this cursed place is so extreme that bodies go missing for extended periods of time.
Watching the bullets fly here
Throughout this cursed place, violence is an ongoing issue.
On the crystal frontier
In this dangerous and mysterious place full of negative energy.
Ramon tightens up his leather belt
Ramon is preparing to do something dangerous.
And slips through a hole in the fence
Ramon is sneaking into a place he shouldn't be.
He can get you anything you want
Ramon is skilled at providing whatever is needed in this dark place.
Might cost you a life, might cost you
Ramon's services come at a steep price, sometimes even costing lives.
The whole price of freedom here
To be free in this cursed place may require great sacrifice and risk.
On the crystal frontier
In this dangerous and mysterious place full of negative energy.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Joseph Burns
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joehafiz1532
Marco's shadow falls on the door
To the seven lost cities of gold
Finds a raven's head and a rattlesnake's tail
Dead in his tracks, this godforsaken soul's
Unwanted here and his curse lingers for years
Amalia's face hides behind the mask
Sweating on the TV factory line
That smile on her face is starting to crack
While welding back the pieces of shattered heart
That's scattered out here, with the ghosts of her peers
Searches for her lost child along the river of tears
The river of tears
At the end of the working week
When drunken worlds meet
Both sides keeping a close eye
For a break in the line here
On the crystal frontier
The crystal frontier
The ground is shaking and starting to crack
Can't find the pieces of the shattered heart
That's scattered out here
With the ghosts that never disappear
Searches for the lost child along the river of tears
The river of tears
Blood spills out on the streets
And bodies are missing for weeks
Both sides keeping a close eye
Watching the bullets fly here
On the crystal frontier
The crystal frontier
Ramon tightens up his leather belt
And slips through a hole in the fence
He can get you anything you want
Might cost you a life, might cost you
The whole price of freedom here
On the crystal frontier
@tommybohman7818
Hell, what? Hell is not a particular nice place to end up.
Joking apart! What does "great again" aim at? Please tell me your personal opinion.
My dream of the future is equal rights and opportunities to all Americans, regardless of origin, sex, religion, political beliefs, or the color of your skin.
"America, to endure, must change /.../change to preserve America's ideals - life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. Though we march to the music of our time, our mission is timeless."
- President Bill Clinton, 1993.
"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."
- Martin Luther King Jr., 1963.
"We must build a new world, a far better world - one in which the eternal dignity of man is respected."
- President Harry S. Truman, 1945.
"We must be the great arsenal of democracy."
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1941.
"A great democracy will be neither great nor a democracy if it is not progressive."
- Former President Theodore Roosevelt, circa 1910.
"Every man and every body of men on earth, possess the right of self-government."
- Thomas Jefferson, 1790.
Thanks for your attention and good night!
@tommybohman7818
Good morning! I'm glad you made it to the crystal frontier. I hope you're fine.
America is the greatest nation here on earth, so what do you mean by "great again"? I'm eager to hear your personal explanation.
In my opinion, that populist campaign slogan is only a front for a clandestine operation to divide, weaken and ultimately destroy America.
Putin has a hold on your idol. Don't you know? It's Putin who pulls the strings, not your idol.
Idolization can prove fateful, not only to yourself but the entire nation.
Putin has no need to send a lot of secret agents here as long as your idol is active. He is the perfect storm.
"History repeats itself, I didn't learn, I wouldn't listen. I couldn't see the books were on the shelf, for my concern, I never missed them."
- A.O.S., 'History Repeats Itself.'
@tommybohman7818
A magnificent and overwhelming video and song, one of Joey Burns' finest and most powerful compositions so far.
Calexico's irresistible mix of influences captured my heart quite early on, almost twenty-five years ago. They've found their niche and I consider them unique in that musical landscape 🇱🇷
@DorothyOzmaLover
A true masterpiece from an epic sounding band!
@LadyBird791
❤️❤️❤️
@rogervaessen9172
Super....my lifetune record ever.
@christophereolon4249
One of my favorite bande ever! So Lucky to saw them several times in Europe! I love you Calexico 💓
@RocknRolla10100
Woher kommen die?
@StephenClay-gz6pk
American
@geoff2027
A beautiful group of humans, please come back to wellington now that the plague has passed.
@tommybohman7818
Wellington, NSW, Australia; Wellington, Som., UK; or perhaps Wellington, NZ?
You've got to be a little more precise on the location.
@rollingtroll
Oh guys, can we go back to this? You're still an amazing live gig but man am I missing these days :).