LYRICS

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LBJ

Here in the hill country, the soil is so thin

That the rain’ll wash it all away before the crops come in 

And though he breaks his back to work the land

The seeds he plants, they never seem to come out as he planned

Daddy sees a day when all this suffering will be through.

But who will make my daddy's dream come true?

 

The women haul the water here from rivers far from home

Momma washes clothes by hand until she’s aching in her bones.

No radios or light for the forgotten pioneer

Those power lines we’ve heard about- they never made it here. 

 

Momma, Daddy had a plan but he just couldn’t see it through 

So, who will make my daddy's dream come true?

 

I’m gonna make my daddy's dream come true (electric lights come on)

Won’t make his mistake

Won’t dream the whole day through 

I can feel the power surging through

He dreams. I’ll do.

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Up at a blackboard in front of Mexican students. On the board, it says:

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manzana = apple

filibustero = filibuster

papel higiénico = toilet paper

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LBJ (spoken)

C’mon in, kids. Welcome to the Welhausen School

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LBJ
Every child in this classroom

Can learn to read and write

To those thugs that called you “wet back”

You'll get back at them all right. 

 

Cause one day, one of them might work for you

You learn your letters here and then there’s nothing you can’t do

(throwing a ball with kids) Soon they’ll do the same in the whole state and country too. 

That’s how I’ll make my daddy’s dream come true

 

I’m gonna make my daddy's dream come true 

Won’t make his mistake

Won’t dream the whole day through 

I can feel the power surging through

He dreams. I’ll do.

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Last year in Oklahoma

The men in sheets came round

Every black home aflame

Their bodies on the ground

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So I wonder who are we supposed to be?

Where’s that landthat we learned about? 

And where does that leave me?

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I will make the anthems that we sing all ring true

I will make my daddy's dream come true

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I’m gonna make all your dreams come true

I’m gonna take this aching land and make it new

There’s nothing, NOTHING I won’t do

To make this country’s dream come true 

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Zephyr is seen on stage right listening. 

RFK emerges from the shadows with slow sarcastic clapping. 

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RFK

Nice performance.  Very nice. You'd think you were Mahatma Gandhi.