The Ballad of Pedro Animales (country) words: Ellen Starbird, music: Jesús (Lolo) Rivas

I’ll sing you the story of a brave man who goes by the name of Pedro. The tyrants that terrorize the town are scared of Don Pedro, and their henchmen say he has magical powers. Pedro Animales. 

When his enemies least suspect it, Pedro will sting them. When they think they might catch him, he will turn into a lion, or a dove. Maybe a monkey, or an ant. I don’t know if you can believe me that there’s a man who lives just to fight injustice. But I can tell you that he boycotted grapes. I know he marched with Cesar Chavez to Sacramento, and he joined with Sherri Chiesa to lift up la raza, to defend our cause. To overcome your fear, you can be like a tiger or a lion. You can learn grace from a dove, and cunning from a monkey. When we march, united, as an army of ants, I know there’s no one who can beat us. The struggle is never simple. If we want a valiant victory, we have to respect ourselves. Each one of us is Pedro Animales, with a magic force to advance the cause.

The Ballad of Pedro Animales, written about the rebirth of a local union movement led by Sherri Chiesa, hails from Hotel Employees Restaurant Employees (HERE) Local 2 in San Francisco, California - a dynamic and powerful union predominantly made up of immigrants from developing countries.