Deportee (plane Wreck At Los Gatos)
The Byrds · Complete Album Collection [2011]
And the peaches are rotting
The oranges piled up
In their creosote dumps
You're flying 'em back
To the Mexican border
To spend all their money
To wade back again
{Chorus}:
Good bye to my Juan
Goodbye Rosalita
Adios mis amigos Jesus y Maria
You won't have a name
When you ride the big airplane
All they will call you
Will be "deportees"
Some of us are illegal
And others not wanted
Our work contract's up
And we have to move on
600 miles to that Mexican border
They chase us like outlaws
Like rustlers, like thieves
{Chorus}
The skyplane caught fire
Over Los Gatos Canyon
A fireball of lightning
Shook all our hills
Who are all these friends
Who are scattered like dried leaves
The radio said
They were just "deportees"
{Chorus}
{Repeat}
Deportee (plane Wreck At Los Gatos) - The Byrds
The Byrds' 1967 track 'Deportee (plane Wreck At Los Gatos)' stands as a pivotal moment in the group's evolution from folk-rock to psychedelic rock. Recorded during a period of intense experimentation, the song features the band's signature harmonies layered over a complex, shifting rhythm section that defies conventional song structures. Released on the 'Complete Album Collection [2011]' compilation, this recording captures the band's willingness to embrace avant-garde influences and extended instrumental passages. The piece showcases the group's mastery of studio techniques and their ability to create an immersive sonic landscape that anticipated the sound of 1960s counterculture. It remains a defining example of The Byrds' contribution to the development of progressive rock and their enduring legacy in American music history.