Roadrunner
Tom Morello Leikeli47 Lyrics


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I be damned I gave my last
I be damned I gave my last
To a coyote
I be damned I gave my last
To a coyote
To get me across the border
I be damned I gave my last
To a coyote
To get me across the border
Left me to be a sheep
For the slaughter
Somehow I survive
When a lot of my friends died
That's how I learn to run and
Cry at the same time
Spent days in the dark
Looking for a spark for the fire
That would keep me going
At night
In the valley of death
My name changed
Got introduced to
My best friend pain
That's my partner when
I'm dancing the rain
I walk through the
Desert until it became

My lane, my game
I came through the desert
Till it became
My role, my goal, my soul
In the desert
Till it became
My own

One hour out of Guadalajara
No pit stops even though
The engine getting hotter
Surviving off on my sweat
I drink it outta bottles
I see a lotta y'all parched
And that's the fucking problem
See in the valley of death
Your name would change
Let me introduce you
To my friend pain
My partner when we
Dancing in the rain
Walk with me in the desert
See how it does when
It's your own lane
My game

I came through the
Desert till it became
My role, my goals, my soul
In the desert, till it became
My own

My lane, my game
I came through the desert till
It became
My role, my goal, my soul
In the desert, till it became
My lane, my game
I came through the desert till
It became
My role, my goal, my soul




In the desert till it
Became my own

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song “Roadrunner” by Tom Morello and Leikeli47 are a representation of the struggles and hardships that immigrants go through in their quest for better lives. The lyrics paint a picture of someone at the mercy of a coyote, a person who smuggles immigrants across the border, whom they have given their last resources to. The singer is at the edge of death, risking everything for a chance to cross the border into a better life. They experience great pain and loss as they witness friends dying in the harsh conditions of crossing the border. Pain becomes their constant companion, and they walk their own path through the desert.


“Roadrunner” presents a message of resilience and determination in the face of immense suffering. Despite the challenges and struggle, the singer forges their own identity and embraces the desert as their own. The desert becomes a symbol of their personal journey and their fight to survive. They find a sense of belonging, purpose, and meaning. The lyrics drive home the point that many immigrants may endure unimaginable hardships to achieve their dreams, but their perseverance in the face of adversity is what makes them strong.


Line by Line Meaning

I be damned I gave my last
Despite the potential consequences, I exhausted all of my resources


To a coyote
I entrusted a coyote, or human smuggler, with my life and safety


To get me across the border
In order to gain entrance into another country, I turned to dangerous and illegal methods


Left me to be a sheep
The coyote abandoned me to face danger and exploitation alone


For the slaughter
I was left to be victimized and potentially killed


Somehow I survive
Despite the odds, I managed to stay alive


When a lot of my friends died
I witnessed my fellow travelers losing their lives in the journey


That's how I learn to run and
From those tragic experiences, I developed the necessary survival skills to


Cry at the same time
I learned to cope with trauma and grief while still being able to feel emotions


Spent days in the dark
I faced periods of isolation and uncertainty


Looking for a spark for the fire
I searched for inspiration and motivation to keep going


That would keep me going
I needed something to give me the strength to persevere


At night
During the darkest hours, when hope seemed scarce


In the valley of death
In a place where danger, desperation, and death are always present


My name changed
The person I was before no longer existed; I was transformed by my experiences


Got introduced to
I became acquainted with


My best friend pain
I discovered a constant companion in my suffering and struggles


That's my partner when
Pain is always there for me


I'm dancing the rain
Even when everything around me is terrible, I can still find joy and beauty


I walk through the
I journeyed through


Desert until it became my lane, my game
I persevered through the harsh conditions of the desert until I made it my own and succeeded on my own terms


I came through the desert
I endured the challenges and obstacles of the harsh, unforgiving conditions of the desert


Till it became my role, my goal, my soul
I found purpose and meaning in my journey, making it a part of who I am and what I want to achieve


No pit stops even though
I kept going without breaks, no matter how difficult it was


The engine getting hotter
The situation was becoming more dangerous and pressing


Surviving off on my sweat
I relied on my own hard work and perseverance to stay alive


I drink it outta bottles
I had to find a way to sustain myself with whatever I had available


I see a lotta y'all parched
I noticed that many others were also struggling and in need


And that's the fucking problem
The fact that so many people have to suffer and struggle is a serious issue


Walk with me in the desert
I invite others to join me in my journey and my struggles


See how it does when it's your own lane
Experience for yourself what it's like to persevere through challenges and succeed on your own terms




Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HASBEN JONES, TOM MORELLO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@quiqueferozii2596

LOVING THIS. besides the obvious, the idea "surviving the desert" can represent the darkest part or parts of our personal journey to the other side.

My journey through the desert is my battle with PTSD. The coyote that left me hanging is the VA / The US GOVERNMENT. My friends that died are the thousands of vets that have committed suicide. I was lucky and I only had to wait 6 months. Even then the help was half-ass.

I am still crossing my desert. my role my goal my soul is to make it to the other side. not only for myself, but to be able to go back and help others cross.

THE ATLAS UNDERGROUND THANK YOU FOR GIVING THOSE OF US WHO EVERY DAY IS A FIGHT, A SOUND TRACK TO HELP US KEEP SWINGING.

IF YOU ARE DEALING WITH A STRUGGLE, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.



All comments from YouTube:

@sweetdude1298

If you hear this when you're about to start an offroad race then be prepared to set a new record

@323rizzo

Unbelievable solo from 1:40 to 2:14. Tom is such a badass guitarist. Throughout his career he consistently creates riffs composed of sounds that I didn't know a guitar could make.

@angelicagrajales2828

Thanks for NFS this is my personal anthem since July 2018, when I was about to die, again. And when I had accepted that my life was extinguished, in the calmest possible way -no dramas, no cries aside from those produced by the excruciating pain of the sick body-, the miracle happened and I lived, again... 💜

@mckmatic6399

I'm glad you pulled through, to a cool at song at that.

@electrawolf8491

People really need to get over the comparisons to RATM. Tom Morello is his own individual and has plenty of quality work to show for that. Keep it up. Rooting for you man!

@dbeck82

The depths of this man are endless

@MihaiMunteanMicu

And he is also a trekkie, which states so much about a man's character

@PenneySounds

To be fair, Zack would absolutely do this song justice. It would fit right in with a RATM set, except the backing beat would be on the drum kit instead of a track built from samples.

@PenneySounds

"One hour out of Guadalajara"

Masterful lyricism. Pronounced with every vowel sound the same. Wanawaratagwadalahara. That's what rap is supposed to be

@JTG4764

Doesn't hold a candle to Wenamechaindasama.
Calvin Harris moment!

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