Langbeats
El bracero fracasado – Lila Downs

Lila Downs

El bracero fracasado lyrics with English translation

Language
Spanish
Level
Intermediate
Released
2001
Genre
Cumbia
Length
2:34
  1. Cuando yo salí del rancho, no llevaba ni calzones

    When I left the ranch, I wasn't even wearing shorts

  2. Pero llegué a Tijuana de puritos aventones

    But I did arrive in Tijuana hitchhiking all the way

  3. Como no traía dinero, me paraba en las esquinas

    Since I didn't have any money, I would stand at the corners

  4. Para ver a quién gorreaba los pescuezos de gallina

    To see who I could bilk out of chicken necks

  5. Yo quería cruzar la línea de la Unión Americana

    I wanted to cross the line into the American Union

  6. Yo quería ganar dinero porque esa era mi tirada

    I wanted to make money because that was my goal

  7. Como no traía papeles, mucho menos pasaporte

    Since I didn't have papers, much less a passport

  8. Me aventé cruzando cerros, yo solito y sin coyote

    I jumped across mountains, all alone and without a guide

  9. Después verán cómo me fue

    You'll see how it turned out for me

  10. Llegué a Santana con las patas bien peladas

    I arrived in Santa Ana with my feet all scraped up

  11. Los huaraches que llevaba, se acabaron de volada

    The sandals I wore, they ran out in a flash

  12. El sombrero y la camisa, los perdí en la correteada

    The hat and the shirt, I lost them in the chase

  13. Que me dieron unos güeros que ya mero me alcanzaban

    Some blondes were after me, almost catching up

  14. Me salí a la carretera, muerto de hambre y desvelado

    I hit the road, starving and sleep-deprived

  15. Me subí en un tren carguero que venía de Colorado

    I hopped on a freight train coming from Colorado

  16. Y con rumbo a San Francisco, de un vagón me fui colado

    And headed towards San Francisco, sneaking in a freight car

  17. Pero con tan mala suerte que en Salinas me agarraron

    But with such bad luck that they caught me in Salinas

  18. Después verán cómo me fue

    You'll see how it went for me later

  19. Llegó la migra, de la mano me agarraron

    The border patrol arrived, they grabbed me by the hand

  20. Me decían no qué cosas, en inglés me regañaron

    They were saying who knows what, scolding me in English

  21. Me dijeron los gabachos: "te regresas pa' tu rancho"

    The gringos told me: "go back to your ranch"

  22. Pero yo sentí muy gacho regresar pa' mi terruño

    But I felt very sad going back to my hometown

  23. De bracero fracasado, sin dinero y sin hilacho

    As a failed farmworker, without money and without hope

  24. De bracero fracasado, sin dinero y sin hilacho

    As a failed farmworker, without money and without hope

  25. De bracero fracasado, sin dinero y sin hilacho

    As a failed farmworker, without money and without hope

Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com

Key vocabulary

tan
soA2
carguero
freighterC2
salí
I left
rancho
ranchC2
calzones
underwear
llegué
I arrivedB2
puritos
purest
aventones
rides
traía
brought
dinero
moneyA1

About this song

Lila Downs is a Mexican-born singer-songwriter and performer. She makes Indigenous Mexican-rooted music that blends North American jazz and Latin American folk, and is known for albums such as Ofrenda and for receiving Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.

More songs by Lila Downs

More Intermediate Music to Learn Spanish

🇲🇽 Lila Downs

El bracero fracasado

Cuando yo salí del rancho, no llevaba ni calzones

When I left the ranch, I wasn't even wearing shorts

Pero llegué a Tijuana de puritos aventones

But I did arrive in Tijuana hitchhiking all the way

Como no traía dinero, me paraba en las esquinas

Since I didn't have any money, I would stand at the corners

Para ver a quién gorreaba los pescuezos de gallina

To see who I could bilk out of chicken necks

Yo quería cruzar la línea de la Unión Americana

I wanted to cross the line into the American Union

Yo quería ganar dinero porque esa era mi tirada

I wanted to make money because that was my goal

Como no traía papeles, mucho menos pasaporte

Since I didn't have papers, much less a passport

Me aventé cruzando cerros, yo solito y sin coyote

I jumped across mountains, all alone and without a guide

Después verán cómo me fue

You'll see how it turned out for me

Llegué a Santana con las patas bien peladas

I arrived in Santa Ana with my feet all scraped up

Los huaraches que llevaba, se acabaron de volada

The sandals I wore, they ran out in a flash

El sombrero y la camisa, los perdí en la correteada

The hat and the shirt, I lost them in the chase

Que me dieron unos güeros que ya mero me alcanzaban

Some blondes were after me, almost catching up

Me salí a la carretera, muerto de hambre y desvelado

I hit the road, starving and sleep-deprived

Me subí en un tren carguero que venía de Colorado

I hopped on a freight train coming from Colorado

Y con rumbo a San Francisco, de un vagón me fui colado

And headed towards San Francisco, sneaking in a freight car

Pero con tan mala suerte que en Salinas me agarraron

But with such bad luck that they caught me in Salinas

Después verán cómo me fue

You'll see how it went for me later

Llegó la migra, de la mano me agarraron

The border patrol arrived, they grabbed me by the hand

Me decían no qué cosas, en inglés me regañaron

They were saying who knows what, scolding me in English

Me dijeron los gabachos: "te regresas pa' tu rancho"

The gringos told me: "go back to your ranch"

Pero yo sentí muy gacho regresar pa' mi terruño

But I felt very sad going back to my hometown

De bracero fracasado, sin dinero y sin hilacho

As a failed farmworker, without money and without hope

De bracero fracasado, sin dinero y sin hilacho

As a failed farmworker, without money and without hope

De bracero fracasado, sin dinero y sin hilacho

As a failed farmworker, without money and without hope