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I Was A Stranger

from Strangers & Friends by David Rovics

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I Was A Stranger

If you go to Pima County in the Sonoran Desert lands
You'll find the town of Ajo among the cactus stands
The only town you'll see, the only water, too
When someone is thirsty there's no question what you do

For well over a century, it was a normal thing
To have an extra jug of water that you might bring
In the harsh Sonoran Arizona summer heat
We'd rather give the vultures something else to eat

You didn't ask where I was going, nor where I had been
I was hungry, you gave me food
I was thirsty, you gave me drink
I was naked, you gave me clothes
I was a stranger, you let me in

I have this book here, a story I learned well
I always thought I understood the tale that it tells
It's spelled out very clearly in Matthew 25
What a good Christian does when a stranger arrives

Now there's a crackdown, with life and death on trial
The only place with water for a hundred miles
Facing twenty years in prison is a very mighty rod
Now all of us are forced to choose between Caesar and God

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from Strangers & Friends, released December 16, 2019

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David Rovics Portland, Oregon

Singer/songwriter, writer, podcaster (on Spotify, Substack & Patreon), anarchist, dad, lover of life.

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