LOTW: They scolded me in English, The gabachos told me, You're goin' back to your ranch

Lyrics Of The Week (better late than never, sorry...)

This is a fun ballad of some not-so-fun times of a bracero (migrant worker), sung for us by Lila Downs on track 17 of current playlist. Spanish original followed by my English translation below.

And since we're on the topic, go see the film La misma luna (English title Under the Same Moon), it's awesome in all kinds a ways.

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El Bracero Fracasado

Cuando yo salí del rancho
No llevaba ni calzones
Pero si llegué a Tijuana
De puritos aventones

Como no traía dinero
Me paraba en las esquinas
Para ver a quién gorreaba
Los pescuezos de gallina

Yo quería cruzar la línea
De la Unión americana
Yo quería ganar dinero
Porque ésa era mi pirada

Como no traía dinero
Mucho menos pasaporte
Me aventé cruzando cerros
Yo solito y sin coyote

Después verán cómo me fue

Llegué a Santa Ana
Con las patas bien peladas
Los huaraches que llevaba
Se acabaron de volada
El sombrero y la camisa
los perdí en la correteada
Que me dieron unos güeros
Que ya mero me alcanzaban

Me salí a la carretera
Muerto de hambre y desvelado
Me subí en un tren carguero
Que venía de Colorado
Y con rumbo a San Francisco
De un vagón me fui colado
Pero con tan mala suerte
que en Salinas me agarraron

Después verán cómo me fue

Llegó la Migra
De la mano me agarraron
Me decían no sé qué cosas
En inglés me regañaron
Me dijeron los gabachos
Te regresas pa' tu rancho
Pero yo sentí muy gacho
Regresar pa' mi terruño
De bracero fracasado
Sin dinero y sin hilacho
De bracero fracasado
Sin dinero y sin hilacho
De bracero fracasado
Sin dinero
Y sin hilacho

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The Failed Bracero

When I left the ranch
I didn't even bring underwear
But I did get to Tijuana
Just by hitching rides

Since I didn't have money
I'd stop at the corners
To see who'd let me eat their
Chicken necks

I wanted to cross the border
Of the American Union
I wanted to earn money
Because that's what I was crazy for

Since I didn't have money
Much less a passport
I got rides crossing hills
Just me alone and without coyote

Then you'll see, what happened to me

I got to Santa Ana
With my paws rubbed bare
The sandals I wore
Got used up real quick
The hat and shirt
I lost in the chase
That some white guys gave me
They almost caught me

I got out onto the highway
Dead hungry and tired
I got into a cargo train
That was coming from Colorado
And headed for San Francisco
I snuck by on a railcar
But with such bad luck
They grabbed me in Salinas

Then you'll see, what happened to me

The INS arrived
The grabbed me by the hand
They said I-don't-know-what to me
They scolded me in English
The white guys told me
You're goin' back to your ranch
But I was bummed
To go back to my homeland
As a failed bracero
With no money and no nothing
As a failed bracero
With no money and no nothing
As a failed bracero
With no money
And no nothing