El Chore – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Junior H, Gael Valenzuela

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and "El Chore" by Junior H and Gael Valenzuela offers a unique window into the world of modern Mexican corridos. The song's narrative lyrics, full of colloquialisms and emotional depth, can help you understand the storytelling tradition of this genre while learning vocabulary related to street life, family, and personal identity. What makes this song special is its blend of traditional corrido instrumentation with contemporary themes, providing a rich cultural and linguistic experience.

[English]

Forgive the lines on my body

They mark who I am inside

I started getting into the streets

And I learned from the cholos

The tricks, also the marijuana

I smoked it all week long

Fifteen years old, I already wanted to earn money

As a kid, I was always on my bike

Delivering little bags little by little, I grew up

In the neighborhood, they started knowing me as "El Chore"

One hundred percent with those who have always been here since we were kids

And my apologies to my parents for everything I've done

I didn't want to go to school either, I never liked it

I preferred to be a bum with my clique

I didn't care that my mother was worried about me

I see the pain I caused her and yes, I regret it

But I did it all for her

So she would never lack anything

And now that the tables have turned

She has everything she once dreamed of, uh!

Here you go, buddy Gael

Just like that, buddy Junior

Pure $ad Boyz, man

I've always been down to earth with people

Even if I only have a few friends

And whoever calls me conceited

It's because they've never known me

Now I dress differently

Now I stand out among the people

Money hasn't changed me

I'm still the same as always

Delivering little bags little by little, I grew up

In the neighborhood, they started knowing me as "El Chore"

One hundred percent with those who have always been here since we were kids

And my apologies to my parents for everything I've done

I didn't want to go to school either, I never liked it

I preferred to be a bum with my clique

I didn't care that my mother was worried about me

I see the pain I caused her and yes, I regret it

But I did it all for her

So she would never lack anything

And now that the tables have turned

She has everything she once dreamed of

...

[Spanish]

Perdón por las rayas de mi cuerpo

Ellas marcan lo que soy por dentro

A la calle yo me fui metiendo

Y a los cholos yo les fui aprendiendo

Las mañas, también la marihuana

La fumaba toda la semana

Quince años, ya quería ganar lana

De morro siempre anduve en mi baica

Repartiendo bolsitas poco a poco, fui creciendo

En el barrio como "El Chore" me fueron conociendo

Al cien con los que desde morro siempre aquí estuvieron

Y la disculpa es pa mis padres por todo lo que he hecho

Tampoco quise ir a la escuela, nunca me gustó

Preferí andar en la vagancia junto a mi clicón

Que mi madre se me angustiara, no me preocupó

Miro el dolor que le causaba y sí, me arrepiento

Pero todo lo hice por ella

Pa que nunca le faltara nada

Y hoy que dio vuelta la moneda

Tiene todo lo que un día soñaba, ¡uh!

Ahí le va compa Gael

Así nomás, compa Junior

Puro $ad Boyz, viejo

Gente con la gente siempre he sido

Aunque sea de muy pocos amigos

Y al que me tache de presumido

Es porque nunca me ha conocido

Ahora ya me visto diferente

Ahora ya resalto entre la gente

A mí no me ha cambiado el billete

Sigo siendo el mismo desde siempre

Repartiendo bolsitas poco a poco, fui creciendo

En el barrio como "El Chore" me fueron conociendo

Al cien con los que desde morro siempre aquí estuvieron

Y la disculpa es pa mis padres por todo lo que he hecho

Tampoco quise ir a la escuela, nunca me gustó

Preferí andar en la vagancia junto a mi clicón

Que mi madre se me angustiara, no me preocupó

Miro el dolor que le causaba y sí, me arrepiento

Pero todo lo hice por ella

Pa que nunca le faltara nada

Y hoy que dio vuelta la moneda

Tiene todo lo que un día soñaba

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cuerpo /ˈkweɾpo/ A1	noun - body
calle /ˈkaʎe/ A1	noun - street
cholos /ˈtʃolos/ B2	noun - gang members/subculture
mañas /ˈmaɲas/ B2	noun - habits, tricks
marihuana /maɾiˈwana/ B1	noun - marijuana
años /ˈaɲos/ A1	noun - years
lana /ˈlana/ B2	noun - money (slang)
morro /ˈmoro/ B2	noun - kid, young boy (slang)
baica /ˈbajka/ N/A	noun - bike (slang)
barrio /ˈbarjo/ A2	noun - neighborhood
padres /ˈpadɾes/ A1	noun - parents
escuela /esˈkwela/ A1	noun - school
vagancia /baˈɣansja/ B2	noun - idleness, loitering
madre /ˈmadɾe/ A1	noun - mother
dolor /doˈloɾ/ A2	noun - pain, sorrow
moneda /moˈneða/ B1	noun - coin, currency
gente /ˈxente/ A1	noun - people
billete /biˈʝete/ B1	noun - bill, banknote
raya /ˈraʝa/ B1	noun - line, stripe

Key Grammar Structures

• Perdón por las rayas de mi cuerpo

  ➔ Use of "por" indicating reason or cause.

  ➔ Here, "por" explains the reason for asking for forgiveness: because of the stripes on his body. It explains the reason for the apology.

• A la calle yo me fui metiendo

  ➔ Use of reflexive verb "meterse" with "ir" for gradual process; emphatic "yo".

  ➔ "Me fui metiendo" indicates a gradual process of getting involved with the streets. "Yo" is used for emphasis.

• Quince años, ya quería ganar lana

  ➔ Use of imperfect tense ("quería") to describe a past desire.

  ➔ The imperfect "quería" shows that at fifteen, he had the ongoing desire to earn money. It was a state of being.

• Repartiendo bolsitas poco a poco, fui creciendo

  ➔ Gerund ("repartiendo") to describe an ongoing action; progressive tense with "ir" + gerund (fui creciendo).

  ➔ "Repartiendo" describes the ongoing action of distributing small bags. "Fui creciendo" is a progressive tense showing a gradual increase in age and involvement.

• Y la disculpa es pa mis padres por todo lo que he hecho

  ➔ Informal shortening of "para" to "pa"; use of present perfect ("he hecho") to describe past actions with present relevance.

  ➔ "Pa" is a colloquial shortening of "para." "He hecho" signifies actions completed in the past that still affect the present, hence the apology.

• Tampoco quise ir a la escuela, nunca me gustó

  ➔ Use of "tampoco" to negate a previous negative statement; use of preterite ("quise") and imperfect ("gustó") tenses.

  ➔ "Tampoco" adds another negative point after the previous one. "Quise" is a completed action, whereas "gustó" is an ongoing feeling/state in the past.

• Pa que nunca le faltara nada

  ➔ Use of "para que" + subjunctive to express purpose.

  ➔ "Para que" introduces a clause expressing the purpose or intention of the previous action, followed by a subjunctive verb ("faltara").

• Y hoy que dio vuelta la moneda

  ➔ Use of "dar vuelta la moneda" as an idiom, meaning "the tables have turned"; "que" introducing a subordinate clause.

  ➔ "Dar vuelta la moneda" is a common idiom to signify a reversal of fortunes. "Que" introduces the clause explaining *when* his mother has everything she dreamed of.