In the old town square in Marrakech, a snake charmer plies his trade
While he plays to the cobra, his friend ensures the piper’s paid
Pickpockets filter through the crowd, the petty scams get played
It’s a city full of hunters, and tourists are the prey
The acrobats are out again, I join the crowd to see
Boys of 5 to 15 years, defying gravity
As they leap and flip around me, a man sits down to my right
Speaking perfect German he tells me of his life

(Chorus)
“Mein Name ist Mohammad”, he says smiling at me
“I’m wandrin’ across Morocco searching for my family
“When I was just 14 years old my father made this plea
“He said ‘Leave this place any way you can, don’t grow old here like me’ ”

“So in a 40-foot container I hid myself one night.
“For days I travelled in that box with bad air and no light
“I slipped out in Milano, and found a friend of the family.
“He said ‘You got here just in time, my boy, I’m leaving for Germany’ ”
“So next day we left for Stuttgart, two footloose travellers we
“We sought asylum saying we’re Algerian war refugees
“The Germans gave us the right to stay but no one could hire me
“But for 10 years I still made my way working illegally

(chorus)
“I’ve done most every job there is if it’s dirty & low-paid
“But I also learned good German, and a decent life I made
“I fell in love, I got engaged, and that was my mistake
“ ‘Cause a marriage must be registered and my ID was fake
“The Germans figured out that I was no war refugee.
“Just a poor kid from Morocco searching for opportunity
“On the next plane back to my home town the Krauts deported me
“But I did not find my parents whom I had hoped to see”
“The neighbours said they’d gone away many years ago
“ ‘Where are they now?’ I asked of all but no one seemed to know
“So now I’m back in my native land, but now I’m all alone
“I’ve lost my wife, my life and my livelihood, I’m back in my father’s home”

(chorus)