The clouds gather in your forests
And drift to my desert town
And I think of far-off places
As the rain is coming down
You're bent down in the fields
Picking fruit there from the vine
And it ends up on my table
As it moves down the line
The moon shines brightly in the night sky
The river flows from south to north
With the changing of the seasons
The birds migrate back and forth
But they say that you can't come here
Not in the light of day
Somebody has got plans for you
Starve at home or hide away
Will we open up the borders
Tear down the prison walls
Declare that no one is illegal
Watch the giant as it falls
So much travel across these borders
So much is bought and sold
One way goes the gunships
The other comes the gold
Free trade is like a needle
Drawing blood straight from your heart
And the border's like a prison
Keeping friends apart
Will we open up the borders
Tear down the prison walls
Declare that no one is illegal
Watch the giant as it falls
Hear the stockholders cheering
The world's growing smaller
Hear the drowning child crying
"Why are the fences growing taller?"
Some whisper in the shadows
While others count the dollars
Some have suits and ties
Others, chains and collars
Will we open up the borders
Tear down the prison walls
Declare that no one is illegal
Watch the giant as it falls
May the fortress walls come down
May we meet our sisters and our brothers
Stand arm in arm there in the daylight
No longer fighting one another
Will we stand together
For therein lies our might
Will we understand these words:
"People of the world unite"
Will we open up the borders
Tear down the prison walls
Declare that no one is illegal
Watch the giant as it falls