Tag: Genre: Corrido

“Llegó Borracho El Borracho” (The Drunk Arrived Drunk) by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation

“The Drunk Arrived Drunk” Lyrics Translation
Style: Corrido (storytelling country music style of Mexico). Song about two drunks keeping each other company and how an unfortunate and minor argument led to their deaths.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Llego borracho el borracho,
Pidiendo cinco tequilas,
Y le dijo el cantinero,
Se acabaron las bebidas.
Si quieres echarte un trago,
Vamonos a otra cantina.

The drunk arrived drunk,
Asking for five tequilas,
And the barman told him,
This bar has dried up.
If you want to have a drink,
Let’s go to another bar.

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“Era Diferente” (She Was Different) by Los Tigres Del Norte, English translation of LGBTQ acceptance song

“She Was Different”
Album: Realidades (Deluxe), Realities (Deluxe), 2014
Style: Corrido norteño, regional Mexican. LGBTQ acceptance song about realizing a neighborhood girl is not interested in any of the boys, but rather her best friend (another girl).
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Eras más linda,
Más bella que luna de octubre.
Su voz era tan dulce, trino de gorrión.

She was more lovely,
More beautiful than the October moon.
Her voice was so sweet, trill of a sparrow.

Era la chica más tierna de aquel viejo barrio.
Los hombres se peleaban su fiel corazón.
Ellos hacían su apuestas para conquistarla,
Pero ningún muchacho se ganó su amor.

She was the most tender girl of that old neighborhood.
The men fought each other for her loyal heart.
They made their bets to win her over,
But no guy ever won her heart.

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“La Ingrata” (Ingrate) by Café Tacvba, cover by La Santa Cecilia and Mon Laferte, English translation

“Ingrate”
Albums: Re, 1994; Amar y Vivir (To Love and To Live), 2017
Style: Original version is a mix of a Mexican corrido norteño and grunge rock. The cover song starts as a ballad and becomes a tango. Song to an “ungrateful” ex-lover who keeps coming back and causing pain. Warning: violent end.
Countries: Mexico City (Café Tacvba); USA, Mexico, Chile (La Santa Cecilia and Mon Laferte)
Listen: Café Tacvba (original); Duet by La Santa Cecilia and Mon Laferte (cover)

Lyrics Translation:

Ingrata,
No me digas que me quieres,
No me digas que me adoras,
Que me amas,
Que me extrañas,
Que ya no te creo nada.

Ingrate,
Don’t tell me that you care for me,
Don’t tell me that you adore me,
That you love me,
That you miss me,
For I no longer believe anything you say.

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“Te Solté La Rienda” (I Let Go of Your Reign) by José Alfredo Jiménez, Maná, English translation

“I Let Go of Your Rein”
Style: Corrido, ranchera, sometimes a mariachi. This popular Mexican song is an epic “you’ll miss me, but go” breakup song.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube (José Alfredo Jiménez, Maná, Lupillo Rivera, Vicente Fernandez, and many more)

Lyrics Translation:

Se me acabó la fuerza
De mi mano izquierda.
Voy a dejarte el mundo
Para ti solita.

I lost the strength
On my left hand.
I am going to leave you the world
For your very own.

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“El Caballo Blanco” (White Horse) by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation

“The White Horse”
Style: Corrido about a white horse, but it’s really about a road trip all over Mexico on a car (romanticized as a horse).
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

About:

This song is about a road trip [es] that José Alfredo Jiménez took from Guadalajara (in central Mexico) to Baja California (just south of the United States southwest) on a white 1957 Chrysler. It is a good song to teach Mexican geography, since he mentions the places he passes on his journey.

Lyrics Translation:

Este es el corrido del caballo blanco,
Que en un día domingo feliz arrancara. *
Iba con la mira de llegar al norte, *
Habiendo salido de Guadalajara.

This is the narrative of the white horse,
That on a Sunday, happily took off. *
He went with the goal of reaching the north, *
Having left from Guadalajara.

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“El Coyote” by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation of lyrics

“The Coyote”, mid-20th century
Style: Corrido with mariachi music. This is the story of an unrequited love triangle that ended in the rival’s death.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Lyrics Translation:

Le pinte un cuatro al coyote, y me fui para la sierra.
El Coyote era un bandido, nacido allá por mi tierra.
Lo conocí desde niño. Fuimos juntos a la escuela.

I drew a cross over the Coyote, and I left for the sierra.
The Coyote was a bandit, born near my hometown.
I knew him since we were kids. We went to school together.

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“El Perro Negro” (The Black Dog) by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation lyrics

“The Black Dog” Lyrics
Style: Corrido (a storytelling style) about a loyal dog.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

About:

José Alfredo Jiménez was a famous and prolific Mexican singer-songwriter. Remember his name if you are interested in the music history of Latin America or Mexican culture. His songs created a new mythology in Mexico. He sang about characters and stories. This song is about the murder of Gilberto the Brave, who was killed in his sleep by a cowardly but powerful rival. Gilberto had a loyal dog who avenged his murder. 

Translation:

Al otro lado del puente
De La Piedad, Michoacán,
Vivía Gilberto el Valiente,
Nacido en Apatzingán.

On the other side of the bridge
Of La Piedad, Michoacán,
Lived Gilberto the Brave,
Born in Apatzingán.

Siempre con un perro negro
Que era su noble guardián.

Always with a black dog
That was his noble guardian.

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