Las Tres Llamadas – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Los Cuates De Sinaloa

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the storytelling of Mexican music with Los Cuates de Sinaloa's 'Las Tres Llamadas.' This song offers a vivid narrative, providing insights into lyrical expression and the cultural context of regional Mexican music.

[English]

Quiet, quiet, don't move!

...

They tied me up, blindfolded me, pointed a gun at me

Several dressed in black, hooded faces

Forced open the lock, kicked down the door

My family cried, now my family was coming

Long irons, badge initials on armored vests

Wearing military boots, soldier-like bearing

It was ordinary people who sent them after me

I already know who was the good guy, he's sentenced now

...

But the boss found out

My people got really offended

They rose up in arms

Three calls were needed

All it took was the voice of Mayo, Nacho, or Chapo

To set me free

...

Right there! Just Culiacán, buddy!

“Want more or should I cook you an egg, in a torta or ranch style?”

I told them before I left, but they didn’t understand

They saw me, laughed, and also hit me

For each punch, three decapitations

Clear accounts, friendships still big and strong

My people are now kin, my cousin, La Parca

She passes by and greets me, I offer her my help

We make a team and also get into trouble

...

I don’t allow any offense

Especially not to my family

My work is guaranteed, but they didn't know that

Three heavy voices saved my life

...

[Spanish]

¡Quieto, quieto, no te muevas!

Me amarraron, me vendaron, me encañonaron

Varios vestidos de negro, encapuchados

Forzaron la chapa, patearon la puerta

Lloró mi familia, ahora venía la mía

Fierros largos, siglas en chalecos blindados

Traíban botas militares, porte de soldados

Fue gente corriente que me la mandaron

Ya sé quién fue el bueno, ya está sentenciado

Pero se dio cuenta el jefe

Se ofendió mucho mi gente

Se levantaron en armas

Tres llamadas necesarias

Bastó con la voz del Mayo, del Nacho, del Chapo

Pa que me soltaran

¡Ahí nomás!, ¡puro Culiacán, compa!

"¿Quieren más o les guiso un huevo, en torta o ranchero?"

Les dije antes de venirme, pero no entendieron

Me vieron, se rieron, también me golpearon

Por cada chingazo tres decapitados

Cuentas claras, las amistades siguen grandes y largas

Mi gente ya es el pariente, mi prima, la Parca

Pasa y me saluda, le brindo mi ayuda

Hacemos equipo y también travesuras

No permito ni una ofensa

Y menos a mi familia

Mi trabajo es garantía, pero eso no lo sabían

Tres vozarronas que pesan salvaron mi vida

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
amarraron /amaˈraron/ B1	verb - tied up (they)
vendaron /benˈdaɾon/ B1	verb - blindfolded (they)
encañonaron /eŋkaɲoˈnaɾon/ B2	verb - held at gunpoint (they)
familia /faˈmilja/ A1	noun - family
siglas /ˈsiɣlas/ B2	noun - acronyms
chalecos /t͡ʃaˈlekos/ B1	noun - vests
blindados /blinˈdados/ B2	adjective - armored
botas /ˈbotas/ A2	noun - boots
militares /miliˈtaɾes/ B1	adjective - military
jefe /ˈxefe/ A2	noun - boss
gente /ˈxente/ A1	noun - people
armas /ˈarmas/ B1	noun - weapons
voz /bos/ A2	noun - voice
golpearon /ɡolpeˈaɾon/ B1	verb - hit (they)
amistades /amisˈtaðes/ B1	noun - friendships
pariente /paˈɾjente/ A2	noun - relative

Key Grammar Structures

• Me amarraron, me vendaron, me encañonaron

  ➔ Use of reflexive pronouns with verbs indicating an action done *to* the subject.

  ➔ The pronoun "me" indicates that the actions of tying, blinding, and pointing a gun are being done *to* the speaker. It's a shortened form of "A mí me amarraron", etc.

• Forzaron la chapa, patearon la puerta

  ➔ Preterite tense to describe completed actions in the past.

  ➔ "Forzaron" and "patearon" are in the preterite, indicating that the lock was forced and the door was kicked down at a specific point in the past.

• Fue gente corriente que me la mandaron

  ➔ Relative clause using "que" to introduce a clause that modifies the noun phrase "gente corriente". Indirect object pronouns: me, la

  ➔ "que me la mandaron" modifies "gente corriente," meaning "they were common people *who were sent to do it to me*." "Me" is an indirect object pronoun (to me) and "la" is also an indirect object pronoun referring to the harm being done. (i.e. me hicieron esto)

• Pero se dio cuenta el jefe

  ➔ Use of "se" as an accidental reflexive or impersonal construction. Word order inversion (verb before subject).

  ➔ "Se dio cuenta" can be interpreted as "the boss realized" where the realization happened spontaneously or unexpectedly. The typical word order is "El jefe se dio cuenta", but the inversion is common in Spanish, especially in narrative contexts.

• Bastó con la voz del Mayo, del Nacho, del Chapo Pa que me soltaran

  ➔ "Bastar con" + noun: To be enough with something. Use of "pa" instead of "para" (common in informal speech). Subjunctive mood after "para que" (although "pa" is used here), expressing purpose or result.

  ➔ "Bastó con la voz... pa que me soltaran" means "The voice... was enough *so that* they released me." The subjunctive "soltaran" is used because it expresses the *purpose* or *result* of the voices having spoken.

• ¿Quieren más o les guiso un huevo, en torta o ranchero?

  ➔ Use of the present subjunctive "guiso". Question formation with alternatives.

  ➔ The subjunctive "guiso" is used here because it's part of offering an alternative. The speaker is asking if the listener wants more trouble, *or* if they want him to cook them an egg. The cooking is presented as a hypothetical.