A while ago I posted a blog with train songs that was probably unnecessary, given the quantity of train song lists. There are undoubtedly horse song lists, but not as many, so I think I’ll do horses now. That said, I won’t embed everything, because it takes the page too long to load that way. There are many songs about horses.
Tell me your favorite horse song here: http://bit.ly/HorseSongPoll
I’ll just do a few of my favorites. I’ve also translated several Spanish-language songs (including a long milonga); any corrections are welcome, I had to guess on some words/phrases. (and I am very unhappy with the formatting for the lyrics/translations, but cannot easily fix it, sorry!)
Here is a link to my youtube playlist, with these songs and more: Horse songs
Scroll down for English translations of songs in Spanish and classical (mainly instrumental) pieces.
New 2020 Grammy winner!! Congrats to Willie Nelson.
Horse song of the summer:
Old Town Road
1. I started a few days ago with some humor (Big & Rich):
Save a horse, ride a cowboy
2. Next, a relatively new song from a scion of country music,
Fast horses and good hideouts
3. An old favorite from when I was just finishing college (the first time):
A horse in the country (Cowboy Junkies):
4. One I’ve known since childhood that every horse person must hear:
Wildfire
5. A Tom Petty song with a meaning I cannot decipher.. I love Petty and would like to know what these lyrics mean:
Ankle Deep:
6. I am fond of this song, because it so aptly describes my own drive to seek adrenaline-fueled experiences.
Whatever it Takes
7. A song I’ve been fond of for as long as I can remember (and lo and behold, it’s also a train song!!):
Rhinestone Cowboy:
8. For all the boyfriends and husbands of horse women, from Carbon Leaf:
A girl and her horse
9. This is a tough listen from an album of hard truths by Patti Smith
Land: Horse/Land of a Thousand Dances/La Mer (De)
10. I used to dance to Billy Idol’s cover of this song:
Mony Mony
11. This one is for those of us who have ridden race horses:
“Sailing by eight-feet high on horses made of dreams….”
Quick as Dreams
12. Sticking with the racing theme, here is George Harrison’s
Dark Horse
13. Katy Perry’s
Dark Horse
14. One of the best race horse songs of all time:
Stewball
15. Followed by the other best race horse song of all time:
Run for the Roses
16. Horse race as metaphor (George Jones):
The Race is On
17. Moving on to the very popular wild horses theme:
“In her dreams, she rides wild horses” as so many of us do
She Rides Wild Horses
18. Following the dream theme:
Horses in My Dreams
19. Rod Stewart:
The Wild Horse
20. And now for one of my favorites, Joan Baez:
Three Horses:
21. The first of several songs called
Wild Horses (Natasha Bedingfield)
22. A new Dwight Yoakam song that I really like:
Pretty Horses
23. Can’t have a horse song list without
All the Pretty Little Horses
24. Some fun: the Beach Boys covering
Long Tall Texan
25. EmmyLou Harris’s great
Ballad of a Runaway Horse
26. Changing genres with Spin Doctors
If Wishes Were Horses
27. For my chestnut mare, Lady: from The Byrds
Chestnut Mare
28. John Denver… Horses are creatures that worship the earth…
Eagles and Horses
29. So many horse women will understand this one 😉
WildHorse
30. Corb Lund’s got sevearl horse songs, here is
The Horse I Rode in on
31. Elton John (& Pavarotti)
Live Like Horses
32. Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard
A Horse Called Music
33. Bat for Lashes, only nominally a horse song, but good lines:
“You and me, we’re more than on the run
Busting at the heavens like the horses of the sun”
Horses of the Sun
34. Can’t leave out
Horse with no Name
35. Leonard Cohen’s
Ballad of the Absent Mare
is adapted perhaps better for us women by Jennifer Warnes:
Ballad of the Runaway Horse
36. George Strait
If Heartaches were Horses
37. Garth Brooks
Wild Horses
38. And another great song by the Rolling Stones
Wild Horses
39. For a slight variation in a favorite (why does everyone like the idea of wild horses?)
All the Wild Horses
40. Even U2:
Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?
41. This seems to refer to actual horses and not Mustang cars
Run Wild Horses
42. One of my all time favorites, by Echo and the Bunnymen:
Bring on the Dancing Horses
43. A sad one…
Just Like Them Horses
44. You might say this isn’t a horse song but…
Ride a painted Pony
let the spinning wheel fly
Spinning Wheel
45. in the same vein…
The Last Painted Pony Song
46. I’d like to link a video of Garnet Rogers’ ballad
The Painted Pony
here, but I cannot. You can listen to and buy the song on his site.
And I’ll bring to you a painted pony
And together love we will ride
Across the flowered plains together
Forever, side by side
47. I’m sure you all know this one, it’s one of the best
Ghost Riders in the Sky
48. This isn’t exactly a horse song, but a lot of riding happens in it…
El Paso
49. Some disco…
Saddle Up
(and ride like hell … you’ll find the end of a rainbow)
50. Sticking to the rainbow theme with the Marshall Tucker Band
Searching for a Rainbow
51. Can’t skip Toby Keith when I live in Norman, OK
Beer for my Horses
52. Juni Fisher has entire albums of horse songs, here are a few I like:
Listen
Ride with your Heart Open
Fly without Leaving the Ground
Snubbin’ Horse
53. An old cowboy song
Doney Gal
54. Men always blame the horses…
Wild Horses in her Eyes
55. Change of genre, but not theme (women)
Swerve City
56. Back to a racing theme:
The Angels Took my Racehorse Away
57. For any jockeys who may land here:
Lester Piggott
58. Very obscure, but definitely a horse song:
Champion the Wonder Horse
59. Barry Blue
Don’t Put Your Money on my Horse
60. Most of you who get this far can probably sympathize with this feeling:
Feeling fine in a million ways
This is one of those wonderful days
Cause I gotta horse
I Gotta Horse
61. Bishop Briggs gives us yet another
Wild Horses
62. OK so this is a horse plus wings (the Hollies):
Pegasus
63. Calexico’s symbolic horses
Yours and mine
64. These days, days, days run away like horses over the hill…
Dirty Day
65. Another sad one… Christy Moore’s
Ride on
66. Joey & Rory…
The Horse Nobody Could Ride
67. Don’t ride the white horse… (Laid Back)
White Horse
68. For once a woman singing about a man (horse) … Schuyler Fisk’s
Blue Ribbon Winner
69. This is fun:
All the Tired Horses
70. Loreena McKennitt put this to music, and even if it’s not really a “horse” song, I love the poem and the singer.
The Highwayman
71. mewithoutyou’s
Pale Horse
72. I love sea shanties… though this is dark:
Dead Horse Shanty
73. And getting darker…
They Shoot Horses Don’t They
74. I really like this, Rickie Lee Jones:
Horses
(I don’t like Daryl Braithwaite’s famous version nearly as much!)
75. Another not-exactly-a-horse-song, but I love Joni Mitchell:
And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We’re captive on the carousel of time
We can’t return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game
The Circle Game
and there are more songs out there, some of which are on my youtube playlist:
If you have any favorites that should be included here, please tell me in the comments!
Some of the suggestions I’ve received on Facebook:
Come Ride with Me
Dave Stamey’s The Bandit Joaquin is great too (and has got horses in it!)
Old Skyball Paint
The Strawberry Roan
and now…
Some songs about horses in Spanish (I might add more when I’ve got time to translate):
There are many many songs about horses in Spanish, and I will translate a few of them here, starting with a great song from Venezuela, that’s been covered many times:
Caballo viejo
Version 1: Chaqueño Palavecino Version 2: Roberto Torres
Cuando el amor llega así When loves arrives like this,
de esta manera in this way
uno no se da ni cuenta You doesn’t even realize it
el carutal reverdece The bean fields turn green again
y el guamachito florece The little cactus blooms
y la soga se revienta. and the rope snaps (rips apart).
**actually “riendas falsas” connect to a nosepiece and are used when transitioning to a curb… closest thing is bosal before full-up bridle horse
A song about Madrid, really, and that’s why I love it:
Caballo de Cartón
Joaquin Sabina…
Cada mañana bostezas, Every morning you yawn
amenazas al despertador you wake up when your alarm sounds
y te levantas gruñendo and you get up groaning
cuando todavía duerme el sol, while the sun still sleeps
mínima tregua en el bar, quick truce (stop, break) at the bar
café con dos de azúcar y croissant, coffee with two sugar cubes and a croissant
el metro huele a podrido, the metro smells rotten,
carne de cañón y soledad. like cannon fodder and solitude.
Chorus:
Tirso de Molina, Sol, Gran Vía, Tribunal,
(these are all metro stops on the blue line in Madrid)
¿Dónde queda tu oficina para irte a buscar?
Where is your office, so I can go find you there?
Cuando la ciudad pinte sus labios de neón
When the city paints its lips in neon colors
subirás en mi caballo de cartón.
You will mount my cardboard horse (climb on my toy horse)
Me podrán robar tus días… tus noches no.
They can take your days from me, but not your nights.
Que buena estás corazón,
How beautiful (sexy) you are, my heart (dear, love)
cuando pasas grita el albañil
when you walk by, the workman whistles
el obseso del vagón se toca mientras piensa en tí,
the crazy person in the train car masturbates (touches himself) while thinking of you
la voz de tu jefe brama and your boss brays
“estas no son horas de llegar” “this is not the time to arrive” (you are late!!)
mientras tus manos archivan While your hands go to work (filing things)
tu mente empieza a navegar. Your mind begins to sail.
Tirso de Molina, Sol, Gran Vía, Tribunal, (chorus repeat from above)
¿Dónde queda tu oficina para irte a buscar?
Cuando la ciudad pinte sus labios de neón
subirás en mi caballo de cartón.
Me podrán robar tus días… tus noches no.
Ambiguas horas que mezclan al borracho y al madrugador,
danza de trajes sin cuerpo al obsceno ritmo del vagón,
hace siglos que pensaron:
For centuries, people have thought
“las cosas mañana irán mejor”
“Tomorrow things will be better”
es pronto para el deseo y muy tarde para el amor.
(Chorus)
A tango, the horse of the people (the village horse… not sure how to translate the title…)
El Caballo del pueblo
Sólo creo ya en tu amor, mi parejero. Now, I only believe in your love, my steed (racehorse)
Mi noble pingo alazán tostao, My noble liver chestnut (race) horse
vos tan sólo para mí fuiste sincero Only you have been sincere (honest, true) with me
y mi cariño no has traicionao. You have not betrayed my affection
Vos me has hecho estremecer You’ve made me tremble
de orgullo y de placer. with pride and pleasure
¡Tus tardes de triunfador!… Your triumphant afternoons!!
Pero hoy sólo busco en vos al compañero But now, I only want you to be my companion
y al confidente de mi dolor. and a confidant for my pain (someone to confide in).
Si en el codo peligroso del querer If in the dangerous territory of love (desire)
rodé tan fiero, I fell (tumbled) so fiercely (painfully)
el desquite con tu triunfo ha de tener I gained some sense of revenge (compensation, comfort)
mi decepción, from your triumph
pues no falla, parejero, Because, my steed, your
tu mirada inteligente intelligence gaze never fails me
ni tu pinta de ligero Nor does your quick, powerful frame
ni la mancha de tu frente Nor does the white mark on your forehead,
que es tu sello de campeón. which is the stamp (mark) of champions.
Vos me has dado mis más caras emociones, You have given me my most precious (dear) emotions,
mi noble pingo alazán tostao. My noble liver chestnut (race) horse.
Heredero de una raza de campeones. Heir of a line of champions.
¡Tostao! Muerto antes que derrotao. Liver (chestnut)!. Dead before defeated.
Es en vano pretender lealtad en la mujer, In vain can one hope for loyalty from a woman,
tan falso es su corazón. so false is her heart. (are their hearts).
Pero en vos puedo cifrar mis ilusiones But in you I can trust my dreams
pues sé que nunca me harás traición. because I know you will never betray me.
A Mexican ballad…
El caballo blanco
Este esa el corrido del caballo blanco This is the story (ballad; run) of the white horse
Que en un día domingo feliz arrancara That one happy Sunday set off
Y bajo la mira de llegar al norte for the north (intending to go north)
Habiendo salido de Guadalajara from Guadalajara
Su noble jinete le quito las riendas His noble rider took off the reins (bridle)
Le quito la silla, y se fue apuro pelo He took off the saddle and rode bareback
Cruzo como rayo tierras calladitas He crossed desolate lands like a bolt of lightning
Entre cerros verdes y lo azul del cielo riding between green hills and blue sky
A paso más lento llego hasta espinosa At a slower pace, he arrived at Espinosa
y por Culiacán, ya se andaba quedando, By the time he got to Culiacan, he was slowing
cuentan que en los Mochis, ya se iba cayendo, by Mochis, he was about to collapse
que llevaba todo el hocico sangrando his nose was covered with blood**
**exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage? 😉
Pero lo miraron pasar por Sonora But then they saw him pass through Sonora
Y el valle del Yanqui le dio su ternura and the Yanqui (Yankee) valley was kind to him
Dicen que cojeaba de la pata izquierda They said he was limping, off in his left hind
Y a pesar de todo siguió su aventura and yet he continued on his quest
Llego hasta Hermosito, siguió Matadorca He got to Hermosito, and then Matadorca
Y por Mexical sintió que moría By Mexicali, he thought he was dying
Subió paso a paso por la rumorosa Yet continued, step by step, to Rumorosa
Llegando a Tiguana con la luz del día and arrived at Tijuana while it was still light
Cumplida su hazaña, se fue a Rosarito Having reached his goal, he went on to Rosarito
Y no quiso echarse hasta ver la Ensenada He didn’t want to stop till reaching Ensenada
Y este fue el corrido del caballo blanco And so was the story of the white horse
Que salio un domingo de Guadalajara who one Sunday set off from Guadalajara
A terribly sad milonga
(100% my own translation; please correct it anyone who can!):
El Mugroso:
De chico quise tener, When I was a boy I wanted to have
un caballo pa’mi solo a horse that was mine alone
y soñaba con un moro I dreamed of a black horse
o tal vez un alazán… or maybe a chestnut (sorrel)
Sus crines poder peinar to be able to comb his mane
y cepillar su buen lomo and brush his strong loins
ponerle de nombre Toro, Name him “Toro” (bull)
Refucilo o alacrán. “Lightning” or “Scorpion.”
Nunca salí de mi asombro I was astounded (never got over the shock)
cuando pa’mi cumpleaños when on my birthday
mi tata medio mamao, My Pop, half drunk,
sin saber lo que decía, not knowing what he said,
me dijo: mijo en tu día, told me, look, on you special day
esto te voy a regalar: what I am going to give you.
salí pal patio nomás, Go straight out to the patio
vas a llorar de alegría. You’re going to cry from happiness.
Algo ya me imaginaba, Something I imagined
mas no podía creer but I couldn’t believe it
pues no quería entender I didn’t want to understand
que si para el patio iba that if I went to the patio
¡ahi nomás me lo vería There right here, I’d see it,
atadito algún palenque, tied up neatly to a post
con el recao y rebenque, with saddle and whip
que mas luego luciría! that of course would adorn the horse!
Tomé aire bien profundo I took a deep breath
y para el patio arranqué; and ran to the patio.
de mi madre me agarré I grabbed onto my mother,
de miedo a que la emoción, fearful that the emotion
me dé un bajo de presión would cause me to faint
y no pudiera gozar and then I wouldn’t be able to enjoy
después de tanto esperar, after so much waiting,
lo que yo siempre soñé… what I’d always dreamed of…
Y al fin… no me equivoqué, And in the end, I wasn’t mistaken
estaba atao a un palenque there he was, tied to hitching post
no les miento, hubo gente I’m not lying, there were people
que hasta de miedo gritó who even shouted in fear
mi gurisita lloró, my little brother (?) cried,
al ver un bicho tan fiero to see a beast so ferocious
que si viviera Don Fierro, that if don Fierro (comics hero) were real,
lo hincaba con su facón. he’d thrust his (guacho) knife through his heart.
Era negro, oloroso, The horse was black, smelly,
piojos, pulgas, garrapatas; lice, fleas, ticks,
cayos en sus cuatro patas, calluses (scars) on all four legs
tenía una sola herraruda with only one horse shoe left
le faltaban dentaduras, missing teeth
sus bazos como alpargatas his spleen like espadrilles (?!? no idea)
sus orejas eran chatas, his ears were small and flat
sus entrepiernas peludas. his croup was hairy.
Su aliento era endemoniao, His breath smelled like the devil
y su pelaje lanudo His coat looked like wool
sus ojos, dos huevos duros His eyes, two hard-boiled eggs
miraban desorientao looking lost and confused
menos mal que estaba atao, Good thing he was tied
de bozal tenía una soga For a bosal he had a simple rope
llena de bosta su cola, His tail was full of dung
parecía estar chupao. He was thin (sucked up in the loin)
Hice tripa corazón, It took all my guts
agradeciendo el regalo to say thank you for that gift
y les juro mis paisanos, and I swear to you, my friends,
estaba todo roñoso that horse was so dirty
lo bautizamos Mugroso, We named him Mugroso (Filthy).
si daba miedo tocarlo and we were afraid to touch him,
y ahora tenés que montarlo!, but my Pop shouted, proud
gritaba el tata orgulloso. “Now you’ve got to ride him!”
En el campo lo largué I just turned him out in the field
y que me perdone Dios, and, God forgive me,
nunca le llevé ración, I never fed him,
ni jamás lo molesté I never touched (bothered) him
yo no sé como aguantó and I don’t know how he survived
esas noches congeladas those frozen nights
y el pobre sin decir nada, and the poor thing never complained,
solito sobrevivió. He survived, all alone.
Fue una noche de tormentas, Then one stormy night,
con rayos y refucilos, with lightning and thunder,
yo me había quedao dormido, I’d fallen asleep,
después de larga tarea after a long hard day
mi china como una fiera, when my wife,* like a wild beast,
de un grito me despertó woke me with a cry,
¡levantate por favor Get up, please!
que se nos muere la nena!… Our baby is dying!
De un salto llegué a su catre, I leapt to the crib,
y arrodillado quedé and fell to my knees
sus dos piecitos toqué, I touched her little feet,
los mismos estaban morados… they were purple…
¡Ay Jesucristo que hago!, Oh Jesus, what do I do!
mi niña no se movía My daughter wasn’t moving
la pobre se me moría the poor thing was dying
y yo sin saber que hacer… and I didn’t know what to do….
¡AAndá a buscar al doctor, “Go fetch the doctor!!!
andá apurate mi viejo, and hurry, my old man (endearment)
aunque el pueblo quede lejos, although the village is far,
tráemelo por favor!!! please bring me the doctor!!”
Y pa un padre con dolor, And as a father hurting for his child
que me importaba el mal tiempo I didn’t care about the bad weather
y justo en ese momento… and at that very moment….
El Mugroso, relinchó! Mugroso neighed!!
Nunca se lo había visto, We’d never seen him
merodear cerca e’ la casa wander around the house
pero esa noche a Dios gracias, but that night, thank God
mi sufrimiento sintió He felt my suffering
en la puerta se paró and came to the door
lleno de barro sus ancas with his hide covered in mud.
le crucé mi poncho pampa, I threw my poncho over him
que de apero me sirvió. it served me as a saddle.
Y allí el Mugroso partió, And Mugroso took off
sin tener que talonearlo before I could lay my heels to his sides
si parecía un canario He was like a canary
que la jaula abandonó fresh set loose from his cage,
y al campo lo atravesó, and he crossed the fields
como el mejor pura sangre like the best Thoroughbred
y sin hacer mucho alarde, and without much ado
cumplía con su misión. completed his mission.
A la casa del doctor, We arrived at the doctor’s house
llegamos como fantasmas like a couple of ghosts,
y en un momento de calma, and in a brief respite from action,
el hombre con su experiencia the man (dr), with his experience
no hay que tener mucha ciencia, You don’t need much savvy,
pa’entender lo que me dijo to understand the meaning behind his words
¡que querés que hagamos mijo, “What do you want me to do, my son,
con semejante tormenta!. what with this crazy storm!”
Yo sin mucho titubear, Without hesitation,
corriendo fui a su galpón I ran to his barn (storehouse)
en mi desesperación, in my desperation,
hasta el farol me olvidé I even forgot the lantern…
un viejo sulky encontré I found an old cart,
con sus monturas resecas: with cracked seat and harness:
solito vino el sotreta, That horse came after me,
y entre las varas lo até and I hooked him up between the shafts.
Castigarlo,…..¿ para qué … Whip him… why would I??
si salió como una bala when he was off like a shot,
parecía la luz mala, he was like the evil light*
naides lo podía ver no one could see
y en menos de un santiamén, and in a flash,
hasta mi rancho voló he flew to my ranch
y en la puerta se paró, and came to a stop at my door,
como diciendo… ¡Llegué! as if saying, “I’m here!”
*evil light “luz mala” is some sort of Argentine/Pampa myth…
Yo en un llanto me quebré, I broke down in tears,
pidiendo un milagro a Dios Asking God for a miracle
pa’que ilumine al doctor to help the doctor
y a sus manos sanadoras and his curing hands
después de rezar dos horas, After two hours of prayer,
sentao en un viejo apero sitting on an old saddle,
mi niña salió al alero, my little girl came out of the crisis,
y un fuerte beso me dio. and gave me a big kiss.
Al doctor, le dí las gracias, I thanked the doctor,
juré que le pagaría and promised to pay him,
pero una cuenta tenía but first I had to settle a bill
que arreglar con mi caballo. with my horse.
Él desafiando a los rayos He had faced lightning
y a la adversidad del tiempo and all the weather could throw at him
se tragó hasta el firmamento, he faced the firmament itself
pa’ayudar a este paisano. just to help me (this countryman)
Como te via agradecer, How will I ever thank you,
Mugroso por lo que hiciste Mugroso, for what you did
si como nunca corriste, you ran like never before,
demostrando tu valor showing your true value
fuiste en el campo canción, you were a song in the countryside,
y en el camino una roca and like a rock (steady) on the road,
sangre salió por tu boca, with blood pouring from your mouth,
lastimao por el dolor. aching with pain.
Yo que fui tan desgraciao, I have been such a wretch,
nunca te sentí mi amigo, I never felt you were my friend,
lo pongo a Dios de testigo But I swear to God,
que las cosas han de cambiar. things are going to change.
Dejeme china llorar, Let me cry, girl (to his wife)
si el nos devolvió la vida, He gave a life back to us,
vamos a darle comida, Let’s give him some food,
que bien que se lo ha ganao He’s earned it well
Y con mi china abrazao, And arm in arm with my wife,
fuimos a darle las gracias we went to thank him
parece que la disgracia, But bad luck
no me había abandonao and not yet left me
porque ahí estaba tirao, because there he was lying on the ground
el Mugroso agonizando Mugroso, in agony
sus ojos iban buscando, his eyes seeking
la figura de un finao… an end (the figure of death? of an end?)
¡No te mueras por favor, Don’t die, please
dispués de lo que tu has hecho after all you have done!!
su cabeza alcé en mi pecho, I pulled his head to my chest
lo mantenía abrazao and held it to me tightly
me miró como cansao, He looked at me, tired,
y con tremenda tristeza and with great sadness
volvió a inclinar su cabeza, rested his head against me,
y dormido se quedó and fell asleep (passed away).
Fue tan grande el sacrificio The sacrifice he made for me
que esa noche hizo por mí; that night was so great;
que yo ni cuenta me dí, I didn’t even realize
que estaba tan agotao how exhausted he was,
sin embargo el disgraciao, and yet the poor thing
se mostró como el mejor showed me he was the best
dejándome una lección leaving me with a lesson
que jamás he de olvidar. I will never forget.
En el campo lo enterré, I buried him in the fields,
con una cruz de recuerdo with a cross marking his grave
y cada vez que me acuerdo, and every time I think of him
le dedico una oración I dedicate a prayer to him
por él hice esta canción, I wrote this song for him,
para vos pingo querido for you, my beloved horse
pa’que no entrés al olvido, so that your memory is not lost,
TE LLEVO EN MI CORAZÓN. I carry you in my heart.
A Caballo
Silvio Rodriguez is a Cuban folk singer, and this song might be about the Cuban Revolution, or about horses (really), or about sex (probably), or all three…
A caballo comienza el delirio de esta carrera
The delirium of this race begins on a horse
A caballo de mi beso a caballo de la primavera
Ahead of my kiss, on the wings of spring
A caballo caemos al río
Horseback we fall into the river
A caballo apagamos el frío
Horseback we shut out the cold
A caballo se saltan los broches
Horseback buttons come undone
A caballo se alumbra la noche
Being horseback illuminates the night
A caballo el amor
Love (is) horseback
A caballo bañado en sudor
Horseback, covered in sweat
A caballo llegamos al vicio
Horseback we are carried to vice
y juro que no es sacrificio.
And I swear that is not sacrifice.
A caballo querría contigo tener una vista
Horseback, I would want to share a vision with you
A caballo y temprano
Horseback and early,
para que se alargue la pista
so that our road is longer
A caballo andarías segura
Horseback, you would be safe
en la más saludable montura.
in the healthiest saddle.
A caballo los santos pervierten
Horseback, saints become perverted
y dolor y tortura divierten
And pain and torture are fun
A caballo el amor
Love, horseback
galopando hacia el premio mayor
Galloping towards the biggest prize (larger reward)
A caballo pasando la liebre
Horseback, overtaking the hare
y un trovador cantando de fiebre
and a minstrel (bard) singing of fever.
A caballo curando la baja presión de la sangre
Horseback, curing low blood pressure
A caballo borrando
Horseback, erasing
ignominias miserias y hambres
ignominy, misery, and hunger
A caballo impartiendo justicia
Horseback, handing out justice
reclamando el país con Alicia
Reclaiming the country (land) with Alice
A caballo sin discriminarnos
Horseback, without telling us apart.
A caballo total para amarnos
Horseback to love each other
A caballo el amor
Love, horseback
desbocado a todo tambor
Running away at top speed
A caballo de tan necesario
Horseback of everything necessary
me siento más revolucionario
I feel more revolutionary.
Caballo de batalla
27. Juan Pardo… I really like this song 🙂
Alguien caminando por mi huella Someone following me (my tracks)
viene repitiendo lo que yo is repeating what I’ve done
y eso no está bien amigo mío And this is not acceptable, friend
cada cual que escriba su sendero y canción. Everyone should write their own path and song
No es que me moleste que me sigan It’s not that it bothers me to be followed
porque a fín de cuentas ¿quién soy yo? Because in the end, who am I?
un caballo andado que defiende A tired (worn) horse that defends
su potro y camino his colt and road
su yegua y su voz. his mare and his voice (words).
Estribillo: Refrain:
Caballo que te acercas mi yegua Horse, you are getting too close to my mare
por qué vienes pateando Why are you coming around kicking up dust
por qué llamas su atención? Why are you trying to catch her attention?
me sabes algo viejo y ya cansado You know that I’m rather old and tired
provocando en tu galope with your gallop teasing
a este pobre corazón. this old heart.
Podrás en un futuro no lejano In the not too distant future
cortejar mi yegua blanca you will be able to woo (court) my white mare
cuando sepas que no estoy. when you know I’m no longer around.
Porque si tú eres joven no eres sabio Because you might be young but you are not wise
y hay que darle tiempo al tiempo and you must give be patient (give it time)
y aprenderse la lección. and learn the lesson.
Porque si tú eres joven yo soy bravo You might be young, but I am brave (fierce)
caballito que galopas para ser conquistador. (you) little horse in a hurry to conquer
No es más fuerte aquel que grita mucho
He who shouts the loudest is not the strongest
ni es bueno correr sin más ni más
and it’s a mistake to run without thought
Porque hay que llegar teniendo vino
Because one must arrive with wine.
No es el camino sino el caminar
It’s not the road, it’s the journey.
Y doy por terminados mis consejos
And I’m done with giving advice
Para quién los quiera recordar
For those who would remember,
en la fruta verde está el futuro
the future lies in the green (unripe) fruit
siempre que tenga tiempo para madurar.
provided that it has time to ripen.
El amor es un caballo
by Tijeritas (a gypsy) “Love is a horse”
(Estribillo) (Refrain…)
Porque tu eres paya y yo gitanillo, Because you are not a gypsy and I am,
tu padre no quiere que tu salgas conmigo. Your father doesn’t want you to see me.
No te deja verme y te pone trabas He won’t let you see me,
pero en el amor no importa raza. But race doesn’t matter when it comes to love.
El amor no entiende de colores Love doesn’t understand color
El amor no sabe de razas Love knows nothing of race.
Estribillo: Refrain:
El amor es un caballo, Love is a horse,
es un caballo veloz, A swift horse,
queno puede sujetarlo That no one can control
se desboca el corazón The heart runs away.
El amor es un caballo, Love is a horse,
es un caballo veloz, A swift horse,
que no puede sujetarlo That no one can control
se desboca el corazón The heart runs away.
Nuestro amor es grande, Our love is great,
no tiene fronteras, It has no borders,
para sujetarlo There are no chains
no existen cadenas, That could hold it,
mientras nos queramos While we love each other
con esta ceguera With this blindness,
para separarnos There is no one who
no habra quien pueda Could separate us.
El amor nos hace ser mas fuerte, Love makes us stronger
el amor une cuando llega Love unites all when it occurs.
Estribillo Refrain
I should really translate this very famous tango, and I might, but not now… Gardel’s:
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