album cover
Minimum Wage
2,259
Alternative and Latin Rock
Minimum Wage was released on September 2, 2008 by Manhattan Records as a part of the album Shake Away
album cover
Release DateSeptember 2, 2008
LabelManhattan Records
LanguageEnglish
Melodicness
Acousticness
Valence
Danceability
Energy
BPM

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Lila Downs
Lila Downs
Vocals
Paul Cohen
Paul Cohen
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet
Celso Duarte
Celso Duarte
Harp, Violin, Charango, Pan Flute, Strings
Rob Curto
Rob Curto
Accordion
Juancho Herrera
Juancho Herrera
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Booker King
Booker King
Bass
Yayo Serka
Yayo Serka
Drums
Samuel Torres
Samuel Torres
Percussion
Ken Basman...
Ken Basman...
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Lila Downs
Lila Downs
Composer, Lyrics
Paul Cohen
Paul Cohen
Composer, Lyrics
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Lila Downs
Lila Downs
Producer
Paul Cohen
Paul Cohen
Producer
Aneiro Taño
Aneiro Taño
Producer, Engineer
Brian Lynch
Brian Lynch
Producer
Dave Darlington
Dave Darlington
Recording Engineer

Lyrics

Travelled seven hundred miles
'Cross the border to the States
With a plastic bottle running
'Cross the desert in a shake
Come to English-only country
Hiding from the minutemen
Come to make this place my home
Run a long, long way from them
Story of a lifetime
For the minimum wage
Well, they chased me through the desert
Then the agents tracked me down
Then they asked me why in Spanish
"Why you keep on coming back?"
Well, I left my dad in Jersey
And my sisters in Des Moines
They've been working in this country
Picking lettuce, washing floors
Story of a lifetime
For the minimum wage
(Minimum wage)
Well, they raised me to eight dollars
'Cause I washed the dishes fast
Well, the boss, he got me working
On the porch and in the bath
Then I wash the dish and rinse it
Then I go home, late, and sleep
Well, I need to be awake now
'Cause I walk out in my sleep
When I see that black van coming
Well, I know I'm sure to run
Goddamn, they may just caught me
Caught me on the spot
For the minimum wage
(Minimum wage)
No one forced the boss to hire me
But it's nearly been fifteen
When I left my baby crying
With the promise in my skin
On the outskirts of L.A
I was sired to native corn
Lending hands ten thousand years
It's the season for the crop
It's my people doing the picking
In the valley of the dolls
It's a decent job to work at
Any day I'll take this job
Ethiopian, Colombian
Pakistani, Cantonese
Every man that I run into
All the kitchens on the strip
And they're plugging in their maos
Smiling with glee
They're a long, long way from home now
But they're looking to be free
California, Alabama
And Missouri, Oregon
They've been working like their fathers do
A long, long time ago
For the minimum wage
(Minimum wage)
For the minimum wage
(Minimum wage)
For, for, for, for the minimum wage
(Minimum wage)
It's a bumpy road to ride it
But I'll take it anytime
It's a bumpy road to take
But I'll take it any day
It's a bumpy road to take
But I'll take it anytime
For the minimum wage
Written by: Lila Downs, Paul Cohen
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