Ismael Rivera
Te lo voy a contar lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1958
- Genre
- Salsa
- Length
- 2:36
De la montaña vino Ramón el Pelón
From the mountain came Ramón the Bald
Con un chaleco largo y sin el pantalón
In a long vest and without his pants
Y lo cogieron preso, qué hay en la ciudad
And they caught him, what’s happening in the city
Por andar sin calzones en la madrugá
For walking without shorts in the early dawn
Ay-lalá
Oh-lalá
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, te voy a contar
Oh-lolay, oh-lolay, I'm going to tell you
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, espera y verás
Oh-lolay, oh-lolay, just wait and see
De la montaña vino Fermín Escalera
From the mountain came Fermín Escalera
Con una teni rota y los dedos por fuera
With a torn shoe and his toes sticking out
Tuvo que andar dos millas cerquita del río
He had to walk two miles close to the river
Y los dedos gritaban ¡bendito, qué frío, mi tío!
And the fingers screamed, blessed, how cold, my uncle!
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, te voy a contar
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, I'm going to tell you
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, espera y verás
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, wait and you'll see
De la montaña vino sin dulzura el Bocón
From the mountain, the Big Mouth came without sweetness
Con una cosa larga como un saxofón
With something long like a saxophone
Con esa boca grande que tiene el Bocón
With that big mouth that the Big Mouth has
No hay quién se atreva a verlo comiéndomelo, Juan Ramón
No one dares to see him eating it, Juan Ramón
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, te voy a contar
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, I'm going to tell you
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, espera y verás
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, wait and you'll see
De la montaña vino Juan el Cabezón
From the mountain came Juan the Big Head
Bailando bomba y plena en un maratón
Dancing bomba and plena in a marathon
Daba dos pasos a un lado y al otro un montón
I took two steps to one side and a bunch to the other
Luego pasaba al frente con el Cabezón, Juan Ramón
Then I moved to the front with the big guy, Juan Ramón
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, te voy a contar
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, I'm going to tell you
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, espera y verás
Ay-lolay, ay-lolay, just wait and see
Key vocabulary
- andar
- walkA2
- atreva
- dare
- ay-lalá
- lullaby
- ay-lolay
- chant
- bailando
- dancing
- bendito
- blessedC1
- boca
- mouthA2
- bocón
- blabber
- bomba
- bombB1
- calzones
- underwear
About this song
Firmly fixed in the Latin music firmament as "El Sonero Mayor" (The Greatest Singer), Ismael Rivera was blessed with a gloriously husky voice, which he honed into a unique improvisational instrument.