El Agricultor – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Los Tucanes de Tijuana

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the narrative of 'El Agricultor' by Los Tucanes de Tijuana, a song that delves into the life of a farmer navigating modernization and economic challenges. Learn about the norteño musical style and how the band uses storytelling to reflect contemporary social issues in Mexico.

[English]

I am a farmer

One of the good ones, my friends

I’ve regained courage

Thanks to my innovations

I plant corn and beans

But I score some goals there

...

A furrow of maize

And the other is good land

The cornfield can cover

From any outsider

These are skills I learned

From planting plots so often

...

I am a farmer

Totally modernized

Now I plant with my tractor

I no longer use the plow

I also irrigate with a timer

Like the Americans do

...

Agriculture has grown

Today with technology

People live way better

Because there’s more economy

Everything is under control

The police report it

...

Hardworking men

Starve if they don’t work

That’s what the boss told me

When I was his helper

You gotta score some goals

To get ahead

...

International branch

You’re the one fulfilling my dreams

I’ll never leave you

Since I already feel you’re mine

Thanks to you I am the great

Farmer of the century

...

[Spanish]

Yo soy un agricultor

Y de los buenos, señores

He recobrado valor

Gracias a mis invenciones

Siembro maíz y frijol

Pero ahí les meto goles

Un surco va de maíz

Y el otro va de la buena

La milpa logra cubrir

De toda persona ajena

Son mañas que yo aprendí

De tanto sembrar parcelas

Yo soy un agricultor

Con todo, modernizado

Hoy siembro con mi tractor

Ya no acostumbro el arado

Riego también con reloj

Tipo los americanos

La agricultura creció

Hoy con la tecnología

El pueblo vive mejor

Porque hay más economía

Todo está bajo control

Reporta la policía

El hombre trabajador

Derecho se muere de hambre

Así me dijo el patrón

Cuando era yo su ayudante

Tienes que meterles gol

Para salir adelante

Ramita internacional

Eres quien cumple mis sueños

Nunca te voy a dejar

Pues ya me siento tu dueño

Gracias a ti soy el gran

Agricultor del milenio

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
agricultor /aɣɾikulˈtoɾ/ B1	noun - farmer
valor /βaˈloɾ/ B2	noun - courage, valor
maíz /maˈis/ A2	noun - corn
frijol /fɾiˈxoɫ/ A2	noun - bean
goles /ˈɡol.es/ A2	noun - goals
tractor /tɾakˈtoɾ/ B1	noun - tractor
tecnología /tek.noˈlo.xi.a/ B2	noun - technology
economía /e.ko.noˈmi.a/ B2	noun - economy
control /konˈtɾol/ B2	noun - control, management
trabajador /tɾabaˈxaˈðoɾ/ B1	noun - worker adjective - hardworking

Key Grammar Structures

• Yo soy un agricultor

  ➔ Use of the present tense of 'ser' (to be) to describe identity.

  ➔ The phrase 'Yo soy' indicates identity or profession, with 'soy' being the first person singular present tense of 'ser'.

• He recobrado valor

  ➔ Use of the present perfect tense ('he recobrado') to indicate an action completed recently or relevant now.

  ➔ 'He recobrado' combines the auxiliary 'he' (I have) with past participle 'recobrado' to form the present perfect.

• Y siembro maíz y frijol

  ➔ Use of the present tense of 'sembrar' (to plant) to express habitual actions or general truths.

  ➔ The verb 'siembro' is in the present tense, indicating habitual or ongoing action.

• La agricultura creció

  ➔ Use of the past tense 'creció' of 'crecer' to describe a completed action or change in the past.

  ➔ The verb 'creció' is in the simple past tense to indicate a completed growth or development.

• Hoy siembro con mi tractor

  ➔ Use of the present tense of 'sembrar' combined with 'con' (with) to describe current action and equipment.

  ➔ 'siembro' in present tense indicates current action, 'con mi tractor' specifies the equipment used.

• El hombre trabajador

  ➔ Use of the noun 'hombre' (man) with an adjective 'trabajador' (hardworking) to describe a person.

  ➔ 'hombre' is a noun meaning 'man', and 'trabajador' is an adjective meaning 'hardworking', together describing a person.