Hear Radney Foster’s Spanish-Language ‘Godspeed’ for Immigrant Children

Singer-songwriter Radney Foster has shared a new Spanish-language version of his song “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams),” recasting the tune as “Godpeed (Dulces Sueños).” The song is his response to immigrant children being separated from their families along the U.S.-Mexico border by the Department of Justice’s policy under President Trump.

Foster, a native of Del Rio, Texas, originally wrote the song for his young son, who moved to France with his mother after she and Foster divorced. With its lyrics about pirates sailing and lost boys flying, it’s a tender, sadness-tinged lullaby from father to son. Foster’s new version, set as “a prayer for the border” and accompanied by a video with images of stranded children, takes on additional heaviness and grief amid reports of the crisis that has been unfolding at border detention facilities.

“When I originally wrote ‘Godspeed,’ I was a desperate father, separated by thousands of miles, literally by a continent, from my son,” says Foster in a release. “I wanted him to know how much I loved him. I can only imagine the desperation of these parents and children.”

The song originally appeared on Foster’s See What You Want to See album from 1999 and featured vocal contributions from Emmylou Harris, while subsequent versions were recorded by the Dixie Chicks and Nick Lachey. Proceeds from Foster’s new version will benefit the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) Texas, an advocacy group working on behalf of immigrants.

The RAICES organization also received another donation this week when Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon pledged money in response to a tweet from President Trump criticizing Fallon. “In honor of the President’s tweet I’ll be making a donation to RAICES in his name,” wrote the talk-show host.