La Cucaracha!
Translated from the original Spanish
Okay, everyone turn to page 262 of Jerry Silverman's Folk Song Encyclopedia, Vol. I.
We'll start with the first verse, all together now!
When a fellow loves a maiden/and that maiden doesn't love him,It's the same as when a bald man/finds a comb upon the highway.
Well, not a connection I would have made, per se.
But let's try the chorus!
La cucaracha, la cucaracha/doesn't want to travel on,Because she hasn't, oh no she hasn't/Marihuana for to smoke.
Wha-HAAAAAAT? Jerry Silverman, you subversive stoner devil!
Let's see what the other verses have in store.
All the maidens are of pure gold/All the married girls are silver;All the widows are of copper/And old women merely tin.
All right, line up ladies: Gold in front, silver behind them. Copper and tin, I'll totally be calling you later.
My neighbor across the highway/Used to be called Dona Clara,And if she has not expired/Likely that's her name tomorrow.
Okay, is that not actually hilarious? In like a "dad joke" kinda way?
All the girls up at Las Vegas/Are most awful tall and skinny,But they're worse for plaintive pleading/Than the souls in Purgatory.
Yeah, Vegas! wooho-!
Wait, I think there was a moral caution in that verse...
...
...
...Yeah, Vegas! Sing the part about weed again!
All the girls here in the city/Don't know how to give you kisses,While the ones from Albuquerque/Stretch their necks to avoid misses.
City women = prudes.
Albuquerque women = sluts.
Check!
One thing makes me laugh most hearty/Pancho Villa with no shirt on,Now the Carranzistas beat it/Because Villa's men are coming.
Woaahhhhaaaaa hahahaa!
Pancho Vi...! no shir...! Ha... ! [gasp!]
Then...! [pant!]
Those STUPID Carranzistas...! HA! Do you GET it?
No shirt!!
Now here come Villa's men!!!!
Ahh... I laugh most hearty...
And that's some quality sing-along time with La Cucaracha, thanks to our pal Jerry Silverman.
Thanks Jerry!
Until next time, adios Carranzistas!
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5 comments:
"Jerry Silverman's Folk Song Encyclopedia, Volume 1
Currently unavailable
from publisher
We don't know when or if
this title will be available
again from the publisher."
Hm. I wonder why that is.
I imagine it is because when I purchased our copy and subsequently used it as a resource in a show I was directing with teens that there was an IMMEDIATE RUN on all remaining copies.
We should take the translated lyrics and put it to new music.
You guys should do everything.
I definitely translate this differently then this Jerry fellow.
1 Cuando uno quiere a una
Y esta una no lo quiere,
Es lo mismo que si un calvo
En la calle encuentr' un peine.
When one wants one [woman]
And this one [woman] doesn't want it [him]
it is a shame as if a bald dude
found a comb in the street.
Chorus:
La cucaracha, la cucaracha,
Ya no quieres caminar,
Porque no tienes,
Porque le falta,
Marihuana que fumar.
The cocroach, the cocroach
doesn't want to walk
because it doesn't have
because it lacks,
Marijuana to smoke.
2 Las muchachas son de oro;
Las casadas son de plata;
Las viudas son de cobre,
Y las viejas oja de lata.
The [young] women are gold
The [older] women are silver
The [older-er] women are copper
The [shriveled old granny old] women are just of tin.
3 Mi vecina de enfrente
Se llamaba Doña Clara,
Y si no había muerto
Es probable se llamara.
the house in front of mine [across the street]
called herself doña clara
and if she is not dead
she likely calls herself that.
4 Las muchachas de Las Vegas
Son muy altas y delgaditas,
Pero son mas pedigueñas
Que las animas benditas.
the women of las vegas
are very tall and thin
but they are worse
than the souls in purgatory
5 Las muchachas de la villa
No saben ni dar un beso,
Cuando las de Albuquerque
Hasta estiran el pescuezo.
the women of the villa
do not know how to give a kiss
when those in albuquerque
until they stretch the neck
6 Las muchachas Mexicanas
Son lindas como una flor,
Y hablan tan dulcemente
Que encantan de amor.
the mexican women
are beautiful like a flower
and speak very sweetly
of the love of love
7 Una cosa me da risa --
Pancho Villa sin camisa.
Ya se van los Carranzistas
Porque vienen los Villistas.
one thing that makes me laugh
pancho villa without a shirt
we [carranzistas] are already going
because here come the villistas
8 Necesita automóvil
Par' hacer la caminata
Al lugar a donde mandó
La convención Zapata.
you need a car
to go for a hike
a place where was commanded
the Zapata convention
...
Spanish... well... I know it from my childhood. I'm obviously a little rusty. But that's what I got.
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