– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Rugged.

Unyielding.

And impenetrable.

These are the good people of Oldentown...

Hewn from the harshness of an unforgiving  land, and less forgiving times.

They...

...are GRUFF.

Previously on GRUFF:

Trapped in the clutches of the bandit  "Pistolero", darling Bonita awaits rescue.  

While the people of Olden Town plead  with their fearless protector for hope.

"All this quiet and brooding ain't  bringing our Bonita back. We need a plan!"

"Now don't you worry Little Miss. El Mayor's more of the strong silent type."

"Lets the guns do the talking."

But in their moment of need,  El Mayor did the unthinkable...

...the unpredictable,

...the absolutely unexpected,

and addressed the people of Oldentown: "I will...

Good morning!

This is for you.

Hmm. Mm hm.

"..and this lousy town. 

*gunshots*

"That ought to wake him up."

"El Mayor will find a way  to rescue me. You'll see!"

"Think again senorita. I can tell the  measure of a man by the sling of his slang...

"And El Mayor ain't got any slang to sling."

Mija!

Hazel: Bo, breakfast.

Mommy, why won't Abuelo play with me?

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time there was a super spy...

Who wasn't scared of anything...

But hated quiet.

So she found ways to fill it.

But her favorite sound...

...was applause.

And the one she needed it from the most...

...was her Papa.

Hmm.

Mm hm.

That's as close as it got.

So the super spy lived louder...

And louder.

Just so our favorite person  would say a little more than:

Mm hm.

Hmm.

But he didn't.

So they talked less...

...and less.

Till one day, all that quiet...

... it caught up to them.

(Hazel changes TV channels)

"--the people of Oldentown stand behind their  protector, waiting for his word."

Pistolero: "I see you ain't got my  gold. So what'll it be by Mayor?"

"Pistola fight? Or the old silent treatment?"

El Mayor: "I vow to lay down my arms forever...  

"...for the return of this innocent."

Pistolero: "I ain't got the words!  The great Mayor without pistolas?"

"Your town'll be wiped from the map in a month."

El Mayor: "I have mi pueblo. Mi familia.  And they are strong in ways I am not..."

Hmm. Mm hm.

After that...

the quiet didn't seem so quiet.

In fact...

...it never seemed fuller.

Some people don't say the things we want.

And some people don't say much at all.

But when you run from the quiet...

You might miss what they've been saying...

...all along.

Bo: What was the dad saying to the super spy?

Some things don't have words.

So we have to be close enough...

...to feel them.

Pistolero: "I could tell the measure  of a man by the sling of his slang..."

"...and El Mayor ain't got any slang to sling."

Bonita: "Mama say the measure of a  man's in his doings. Not his sayings."

Pistolero: "Anybody says sayings don't matter  ain't got nothing of matter worth saying."

Hmm. Mm hm.

Pistolero: " Your town will be wiped from the map in a month."

El Mayor: "I have mi pueblo, mi familia."

"And they are strong in ways I am not."

"In ways you have yet to witness."

Abuelita: "Mmmm..."

Pistolero:"That'll do it."

Bonita: "I don't know what  I'd do without El Mayor."

Bonita's Dad: "Neither do I Bonita. We're lucky he looks out for us."

El Mayor: "And I always will."

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
quiet /ˈkwaɪət/ A1	adjective - making little or no noise noun - absence of noise or bustle
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
say /seɪ/ A1	verb - to express something in words
way /weɪ/ A1	noun - a method or manner
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - an urban area that is smaller than a city
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - persons in general or in a particular place
silent /ˈsaɪlənt/ A2	adjective - producing no sound or noise
talk /tɔːk/ A1	verb - to speak in order to give information or express ideas noun - a conversation
find /faɪnd/ A1	verb - to discover by chance or effort
stand /stænd/ A2	verb - to be or remain in a position
strong /strɔŋ/ A2	adjective - having great physical power
family /ˈfæməli/ A1	noun - a group consisting of parents and children living together
rescue /ˈrɛskjuː/ B1	noun - an act of saving someone from danger verb - to save someone from danger
words /wɜːdz/ A1	noun - units of language that have meaning, especially sound forms
plan /plæn/ A1	noun - a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something
awaken /əˈweɪkən/ B1	verb - to wake up or cause to wake up
measure /ˈmɛʒər/ B1	noun - a unit or standard of measurement verb - to find the size or amount of something
trapped /træpt/ B1	adjective - unable to escape
unforgiving /ʌnfərˈgɪvɪŋ/ B2	adjective - not allowing mistakes or weakness
gruff /grʌf/ C1	adjective - rough and abrupt in manner

Key Grammar Structures

• All this quiet and brooding ain't bringing our Bonita back.

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ The "ain't bringing" uses the present continuous to describe an ongoing action that's not happening, emphasizing the lack of progress.

• El Mayor's more of the strong silent type.

  ➔ Comparative Adjective

  ➔ "Strong silent" uses comparative adjective to describe El Mayor in a way that implies he's quiet rather than talkative.

• Lets the guns do the talking.

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ "Lets" (a contraction for let) is in the imperative mood, implying a command or suggestion to allow actions to speak.

• That ought to wake him up.

  ➔ Modal Verb (Ought To)

  ➔ "Ought to" is a modal verb expressing obligation or probability, here meaning it should probably wake him.

• Once upon a time there was a super spy...

  ➔ Past Simple Tense

  ➔ "Was" is in the past simple tense, used for storytelling to sequence completed events in the past.

• But her favorite sound... ...was applause.

  ➔ Linking Verb (Was)

  ➔ "Was" functions as a linking verb connecting the subject to a complement describing her favorite sound.

• Till one day, all that quiet... ... it caught up to them.

  ➔ Subject-Verb Inversion

  ➔ "It caught up" uses subject-verb inversion for emphasis on the arrival of the quiet.

• Your town'll be wiped from the map in a month.

  ➔ Future with Will (Contraction)

  ➔ "'Ll be" is a contraction of will be, indicating a future prediction of the town's destruction.

• I have mi pueblo. Mi familia. And they are strong in ways I am not...

  ➔ Present Simple Tense for Statives

  ➔ "Have" and "are" are in present simple for stative verbs, expressing permanent possession and qualities.

• Some things don't have words.

  ➔ Negative Do/Does Auxiliary

  ➔ "Don't have" uses the negative auxiliary don't with the base verb to state something lacks words.