Las 4 Camionetas – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Beto Quintanilla

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the storytelling of Mexican corridos with Beto Quintanilla's 'Las 4 Camionetas.' This song offers a glimpse into a narrative that, through its vivid lyrics, allows listeners to connect with a specific cultural context and a dramatic storyline.

[English]

1980 is the year that happens

The federal police

Appears with Roberto

We know you move grass with your uncles and your boss

Roberto replied to them

"I don't even know what marijuana is"

For the Gonzales family

I take responsibility for each one

If a snitch envies us

Why doesn't he face the bull?

Luis Gonzales showed up

To talk to the commander

I’ll give you half a million

So that Beto is treated well

We are business men

We have not been traffickers

The federal replied

"Double the amount for me"

Give me 50 thousand dollars

To set him free

And the four trucks

Or he stays as he is

An order came from above

To the prison in Matamoros

To release Roberto

To return everything to them

The federals said

"The bull got loose on us"

Against all the Gonzales

There was an arrest warrant

But they didn't go for them

For lacking the resolve

They knew that to apprehend them

There would be clients for the cemetery

...

[Spanish]

1980 es el año que acontece

La judicial federal

Con Roberto se aparece

Sabemos que mueves yerba con tus tíos y tu jefe

Roberto les contestó

"La mota ni la conozco"

Por la familia Gonzales

Por cada uno yo respondo

Si un soplon nos tiene envidia

¿Por qué no le sale al toro?

Se presentó Luis Gonzales

A hablar con el comandante

Yo les doy medio millón

Pa que a Beto bien lo traten

Somos hombres de negocios

No hemos sido traficantes

Le contestó el federal

"Dóbleme la cantidad"

Deme 50 mil dólar

Pa dejarlo en libertad

Y las cuatro camionetas

O se queda como está

Llegó una orden de arriba

Al penal de Matamoros

Que soltaran a Roberto

Que les devolvieran todo

Decían los federales

"Se nos desamarró el toro"

Contra todos los Gonzales

Había orden de aprehensión

Pero no fueron por ellos

Por faltarles decisión

Sabían que para aprehenderlos

Habría clientes pa'l panteón

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
camionetas /kamjoneˈtas/ A2	noun - vans or trucks
federal /ˈfɛdərəl/ B1	adjective - relating to a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs
negocios /neˈɡoθjos/ A2	noun - businesses or affairs
traficantes /tɾafiˈkantes/ B2	noun - traffickers
orden /ˈoɾðen/ A2	noun - order or command
libertad /liβeɾˈtað/ B1	noun - freedom or liberty
familia /faˈmilja/ A1	noun - family
soplon /soˈplon/ B2	noun - informer or snitch
cantidad /kanˈtidad/ B1	noun - quantity or amount
clientes /kliˈentes/ A2	noun - clients or customers
aprehensión /apɾeˈhensjon/ B2	noun - apprehension or arrest
decisión /deθiˈsjon/ B1	noun - decision
mota /ˈmota/ B2	noun - marijuana
tío /ˈtio/ A1	noun - uncle
jefe /ˈxe.fe/ A2	noun - boss or chief
toro /ˈtoɾo/ A2	noun - bull

Key Grammar Structures

• La judicial federal

  ➔ Use of the definite article 'la' + noun to specify a particular entity.

  ➔ 'La' is the feminine singular definite article used before feminine nouns to specify particular entities.

• Sabemos que mueves yerba con tus tíos y tu jefe

  ➔ Use of the present indicative tense 'sabemos' (we know) + subordinate clause with present tense.

  ➔ 'Sabemos' is the first person plural form of 'saber' (to know) in the present tense, used here to indicate knowledge of an ongoing situation.

• Por la familia Gonzales

  ➔ Use of 'por' + noun phrase to indicate 'for' or 'on behalf of'.

  ➔ 'Por' is a preposition commonly used to express motivation, cause, or in this case, to indicate for whom or on behalf of whom an action is performed.

• Se presentó Luis Gonzales

  ➔ Use of reflexive verb 'se presentó' (he/she/it appeared/presented themselves) in the simple past tense.

  ➔ 'Se presentó' is a reflexive construction in the preterite tense, meaning 'he/she/they appeared' or 'introduced themselves'.

• Le contestó el federal

  ➔ Use of indirect object pronoun 'le' + past tense of 'contestar' (to answer).

  ➔ 'Le' is an indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him/her/you', and 'contestó' is the third person singular past tense of 'contestar' (answered).

• Decían los federales

  ➔ Use of the imperfect tense 'decían' (they were saying /used to say).

  ➔ 'Decían' is the third person plural imperfect tense of 'decir' (to say), used to describe ongoing or repeated past actions.

• Habría clientes pa'l panteón

  ➔ Use of the conditional perfect 'habría' + noun phrase to express hypothetical situations or future-in-the-past possibility.

  ➔ 'Habría' is the conditional tense of 'haber' used to indicate hypothetical scenarios or actions that would occur under certain conditions.