EL CORRIDO DEL VIEJON – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: EL KOMANDER

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the powerful narrative of "El Corrido del Viejon" by El Komander, a key figure in regional Mexican music. This corrido offers a glimpse into a life of power, resilience, and the unique storytelling of the "altered corrido" movement, allowing listeners to connect with a significant cultural narrative.

[English]

Who would have thought that the old man

When he was young

But bloodthirsty

He killed and buried

Chopped off heads

There was no power strong enough

Nor law in the world

That could stop him

He lived in the House of Stone

And in the Rumorosa

Near Tijuana

Where he tortured

He would take out the guts

Of all his enemies

He instilled fear in them

That's how they respected him

Riding a white horse

He would come down from the hill

Looking for women

He robbed banks

To indulge himself

A rancher and poorly dressed

He would carry a rifle

Also a machete

He hated the government

Because they killed

His only brother

When he was a kid

Herding cattle

That's why he killed the federals

With fury

In honor of his brother

A man tough and brave

With scars of war

All over his body

Death in his blood

A violent character

And he would charge at federals

Rurales and guachos

In those times

Now he lives in Culiacan

He no longer rides a horse

He drives a Cheyenne

A super from eleven

For anyone who gets in his way

And even though the years have passed

And the old man is old

He still defends himself

...

[Spanish]

Quien iba a pensar que el viejo

Cuando estaba joven

Pero sanguinario

Mataba enterraba

Mochaba cabezas

No habia poder suficiente

Ni ley en el mundo

Que lo detuviera

Vivio en la Casa de Piedra

Y en la Rumorosa

Cercas de Tijuana

Donde torturaba

Las tripas sacaba

A todos sus enemigos

Les sembrara el miedo

Asi lo respetaban

Montado en un cuaco blanco

Bajaba del cerro

Buscando mujeres

Robaba los bancos

Pa darse placeres

Ranchero y mal encachado

Se terciaba un rifle

Tambien un machete

Aborrecia al gobierno

Porque le mataron

A su unico hermano

Cuando estaba plebe

Arriando el ganado

Por eso a los federales

Mataba con saña

En honor a su hermano

Un hombre puesto y valiente

Con huellas de guerra

Por todo su cuerpo

La muerte en la sangre

Caracter violento

Y arremango a federales

Rurales y guachos

En aquellos tiempos

Ahora vive en Culiacan

Ya no anda en el cuaco

Trae una Cheyene

Una super del once

Pal que se atraviese

Y aunque pasaron los años

Y el viejo este viejo

Aun se defiende

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pensar /pensar/ B1	verb - to think, consider
viejo /ˈbje.xo/ A2	adjective - old
sanguinario /sangu.iˈna.ɾjo/ B2	adjective - bloodthirsty, violent
enterra /enˈtɛ.ra/ B2	verb - to bury
cabezas /kaˈβe.sas/ B1	noun - heads
poder /poˈðeɾ/ B1	noun - power verb - to be able, can
ley /lei/ A2	noun - law
mundo /ˈmundo/ A2	noun - world
vivio /ˈbi.βi.ɔ/ B2	verb - to live
casa /ˈka.sa/ A1	noun - house
piedra /ˈpje.ðɾa/ A2	noun - stone
rumorosa /ru.moˈɾo.sa/ B2	adjective - rocky, noisy
tierra /ˈtje.ra/ A2	noun - earth, land
tijuana /tʃiˈwa.na/ C1	proper noun - Tijuana (city)
ganado /ɣaˈnaðo/ B2	noun - livestock
federales /feðeˈɾa.les/ C1	noun - federal police
matar /maˈtaɾ/ B1	verb - to kill
corazón /koɾaˈson/ B2	noun - heart

Key Grammar Structures

• Quien iba a pensar que el viejo

  ➔ Use of subjunctive mood in indirect questions.

  ➔ The phrase "Quien iba a pensar" implies doubt or uncertainty about who would think.

• Mataba enterraba

  ➔ Use of the imperfect tense to describe past habitual actions.

  ➔ The verbs "mataba" and "enterraba" indicate actions that were regularly performed in the past.

• No habia poder suficiente

  ➔ Use of the imperfect tense to express a past state.

  ➔ The phrase "No habia poder suficiente" indicates that there was not enough power at that time.

• Vivio en la Casa de Piedra

  ➔ Use of the simple past tense to indicate a completed action.

  ➔ The verb "vivio" indicates that he lived in a specific place in the past.

• Aun se defiende

  ➔ Use of the present tense to indicate a current state or action.

  ➔ The phrase "Aun se defiende" indicates that he still defends himself.