In support of RAICES Texas, signer-songwriter Radney Foster has re-released his 1998 single "Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)" as "Godspeed (Dulces Sueños)" with an accompanying music video.
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"I was born and raised on the Mexican border in Del Rio, Texas," Foster said in a statement. "I'm heartbroken by the image of young children being taken from their parents. When I originally wrote 'Godspeed,' I was a desperate father, separated by thousands of miles, literally by a continent, from my son. I wanted him to know how much I loved him. I can only imagine the desperation of these parents and children."
"Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)," as it appears on his record See What You Want To See, featured backup vocals from Emmylou Harris and reflected Foster's feelings concerning his 5-year-old son moving to France with his mother. (The track was later famously covered by the Dixie Chicks on their album Home.) Foster's recent updates to the song included working with Déborah Hernandez Salinas to partially translate the track to Spanish and changing the lyrics about reading "Goodnight, Moon." Now, he says, "We have no books on this journey, but I can sing."
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Foster hopes that the heartbreaking song and music video for "Godspeed (Dulces Sueños)" will encourage empathy from its listeners who should imagine how deeply upsetting, confusing and terrifying it is for children to be ripped away from their parents and put into a strange, unwelcoming place. "My conscious tells me it's wrong, my faith tells me that's wrong and the values I was taught at the dinner table tell me it's wrong," Foster explains.
Earnings from "Godspeed (Dulces Sueños)" will go to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES Texas) who assist immigrants and refugees with finding educational, social and legal support. The group advocates that improving the lives of our immigrants and refugees will greatly benefit our American community.
