Rosie crossed the Rio Grande
In the middle of the night she swam
With all she could carry
In a plain cloth sack
Heading for the promised land
Never coming back

Friends and family stayed behind
To haul the crops at harvest time
They think about Rosie
And all those nights
She spent thinking of
Her city lights

Chorus:
City lights shining in her eyes
Spreading out like Christmas lights
Under California skies
When the sun goes down
And those dreams begin to fade
She's got those city lights
To help her find her way

Times were hard and the jobs were few
City lights were so brand new
Down in the barrio
Good times were hard to find
So Rosie packs her cares
And up the hill she climbs
To see those

Chorus

Rosie never wants
Those dreams to fade away
Never wants to let the rain
Spoil a sunny day
So when the sun goes down
And those dreams begin to fade
She's go those city lights
To help her find her way