She received much critical acclaim for her 2005 release, Paradise Hotel, which contains songs that strike a chord with listeners in light of recent events. "Requiem" honors Hurricane Katrina and tsunami victims with hopeful pleas to the Virgin Mary, while "Man of God" is a bitter, unapologetic denouncement of President George W. Bush and his administration.
"The actions of this regime do not follow the teachings of Christ, what I call real Christianity," Gilkyson said in August 2005. "I just don't appreciate the religious right acting like I don't love God and my country just because I'm not in their corner. I'm mad and I want other people to be mad about this too."
In 2008, her album Beautiful World came out, again on Red House Records. The songs vary from pop to folk and points in-between, with songs ranging from intimate ballads to rallying cries against the imperialist machine. She recently collaborated on a new album entitled Red Horse with two of her Red House Records label-mates John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky.
In 2011, she came out with Roses at the End of Time. Recorded at her home with the help of her son and co-producer Cisco Ryder, Gilkyson took a longer time in the studio and came out with a more eclectic and personal album. She continues to tour about 150 dates per year in the United States and overseas.
www.elizagilkyson.com
Vayan Al Norte
Eliza Gilkyson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or more than our fair share of pay
Downtown you all know where we stand
Out looking for work by the day
You don't ask why our farms were abandoned
Or of our choice between vida y muerte
Or why we would take such a gamble
Por las esperanzas del Norte
Vayan al Norte, vayan al Norte...
From Oaxaca to El Paradero
Survival our deepest desire
From the barbed wire de La Frontera
From the frying pan into the fire
Laying low como ladrones
En una tierra de puertas cerradas
Aun podemos escuchar las voces
De nuestros perdidos amados
Vayan al Norte, vayan al Norte
Digan adios y salgan ahora
Atravesan el rio
Queridos no lloran
Vayan con dios y vayan al Norte
Nos despertan en medio del sueno
Las caras de nuestros viejos
Saludan con las manos cansadas
Por ultima vez, adios
Y ahora nunca regresaremos
Y pasamos por su mundo como sombras
Pero una vida nueva hacemos
Aqui en las tierras del Norte
Vayan al Norte...
Atraviesen el rio
Cantan no lloran
Vayan con dios y vayan al Norte
The lyrics to Eliza Gilkyson's song Vayan Al Norte speak of the struggles and hardships faced by migrants from Mexico and Central America who journey north in search of work and a better life. The first verse describes their dignity and resilience, as they do not ask for handouts but are simply looking for fair pay for their labor. The second verse speaks of the difficult decisions they must make to leave their homes and families behind, risking everything to cross the border and face the many obstacles and dangers that await them. The chorus, which repeats the phrase "Vayan al Norte" (Go north), serves as both a call to action and a lament for the loss and separation caused by migration.
The third verse brings a sense of nostalgia and longing, as the migrants recall the loved ones they left behind and the faces of their elders who have passed away. They know they will never return, but they have found a new life in the lands of the North. The final lines, "Atravesen el rio, cantan no lloran, vayan con dios y vayan al Norte" (Cross the river, sing don't cry, go with God and go to the North), convey a mix of hope and resignation, as the migrants continue their journey with faith in a brighter future.
Overall, the song Vayan Al Norte is a powerful and poignant commentary on the human cost of migration and the struggles faced by those who seek a better life across borders.
Line by Line Meaning
We never ask for a handout
We don't want charity or freebies
Or more than our fair share of pay
We aren't asking for more than what is fair compensation for our work
Downtown you all know where we stand
Everyone knows that we are out looking for work in the downtown area
Out looking for work by the day
We have to search for work every day in order to survive
You don't ask why our farms were abandoned
You're not curious about why we had to leave our farms behind
Or of our choice between vida y muerte
You don't consider the fact that we fleeing for our lives
Or why we would take such a gamble
You don't understand why we would risk everything to come to the North
Por las esperanzas del Norte
For the hope that we have for a better life in the North
From Oaxaca to El Paradero
We come from various towns and cities in Mexico
Survival our deepest desire
All we want is to survive and provide for our families
From the barbed wire de La Frontera
We have to cross the border illegally, risking our lives to make it to the other side
From the frying pan into the fire
Although it's difficult here, it's still better than what we left behind
Laying low como ladrones
We have to stay hidden like criminals
En una tierra de puertas cerradas
In a land where doors are closed to us
Aun podemos escuchar las voces
But we can still hear the voices of our lost loved ones
De nuestros perdidos amados
Who we had to leave behind in our homeland
Digan adios y salgan ahora
Say goodbye and leave now
Atravesan el rio
Cross the river
Queridos no lloran
Our loved ones shouldn't cry for us
Vayan con dios y vayan al Norte
Go with God and head to the North
Nos despertan en medio del sueno
We are woken up in the middle of our dreams
Las caras de nuestros viejos
By the faces of our elders
Saludan con las manos cansadas
Waving goodbye with tired hands
Por ultima vez, adios
Saying goodbye for the last time
Y ahora nunca regresaremos
And we will never come back
Y pasamos por su mundo como sombras
We pass through their world like shadows
Pero una vida nueva hacemos
But we are building a new life for ourselves
Aqui en las tierras del Norte
Here in the lands of the North
Atraviesen el rio
Cross the river
Cantan no lloran
We sing instead of crying
Vayan con dios y vayan al Norte
Go with God and head to the North
Contributed by Lily T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.