02.25.2006
Preachy or Pretentious? The Sophie's Choice of Song Lyrics
I had forgotten I have this song, which popped up on my iPod the other day. I was going to say more about it, but it came out sounding soapboxy, so I will let it speak for itself.
It will have to speak for itself, however, only to people who speak Spanish. I was going to translate it, but I thought that might be even more monstrously ostentatious than it already was.
Guillermo Tell
by Carlos Varela
Guillermo Tell no
comprendió a su hijo
que un día se aburrió
de la manzana en la cabeza.
Echó a correr
y el padre lo maldijo pues
cómo entonces iba
a probar su destreza.
Guillermo Tell, tu hijo creció,
quiere tirar la flecha
le toca a él probar
su valor usando tu ballesta.
Guillermo Tell no
comprendió el empeño
pues quién se iba a arriesgar
al tiro de esa flecha.
Y se asustó cuando dijo
el pequeño, ahora
le toca al padre
la manzana en la cabeza.
Guillermo Tell, tu hijo creció
quiere tirar la flecha.
Le toca a él probar su valor
usando tu ballesta.
A Guillermo Tell no
le gustó la idea
y se negó a ponerse
la manzana en la cabeza.
Diciendo que no
era que no creyera
pero qué iba a pasar si
sale mal la flecha.
Guillermo Tell, tu hijo creció
quiere tirar la flecha.
Le toca a él probar su valor
usando tu ballesta.
Guillermo Tell no comprendió
a su hijo que un día se aburrió
de la manzana
en la cabeza.
posted by
David at 3:12 PM
WEll, I guess this leaves me out of reading it!!!!
posted by: Mom on 02.25.2006 at 3:47 PM
I'm sorry. My Spanish is rusty. Something about apples being on / in heads. I'm thinking Sir Isaac Newton or biblical?
Sorry. I'm a bastard.
I didn't know the William Tell Ovature had words to go with it....
That leaves me out too! No comprendo. How do you say shit in spanish?
posted by: Aunt Blabby on 02.25.2006 at 9:06 PM
Err, I meant damn!
posted by: Aunt Blabby on 02.26.2006 at 1:51 AM
All right! It's about William Tell and his son, the first verse being, "William Tell didn't understand when his son got bored of having the apple on his head," and the rest going on to describe what happens when the son wants to shoot the apple off of his father's head instead, with his father's own bow. It's a metaphor for the Cuban people chafing under the thumb of the dictator Castro and wanting their freedom. The irony is that the morons in this country are giving away their freedoms left and right to our own Little Dictator in the White House.
You can't make this stuff up.
posted by:
David on 02.27.2006 at 9:45 AM
He truly couldn't understand his child. This is the translation, however, few might actually care:
Guillermo Tell / William Tell
no comprendió a su hijo / couldn't understand his son
que un día se aburrió de la manzana en la cabeza. / that one day grew tired of the apple above the head
Echó a correr / He ran away
y el padre lo maldijo pues / and the father cursed him since
cómo entonces iba / how then would he
a probar su destreza. / prove his prowess
Guillermo Tell, tu hijo creció, / William Tell your son grew up
quiere tirar la flecha / he wants to shoot the arrow
le toca a él probar / it is his chance to prove
su valor usando tu ballesta. / his value using your bow
Guillermo Tell / William Tell
no comprendió el empeño / couldn't understand the effort
pues quién se iba a arriesgar / since who would be willing to risk himself
al tiro de esa flecha. / to the shoot of that arrow
Y se asustó cuando dijo / and he was scared when
el pequeño, ahora / the little one said, now
le toca al padre / it's the father's turn
la manzana en la cabeza. / to put the apple on the head
Guillermo Tell, tu hijo creció, / William Tell your son grew up
quiere tirar la flecha / he wants to shoot the arrow
le toca a él probar / it is his chance to prove
su valor usando tu ballesta. / his value using your bow
A Guillermo Tell no / William Tell wasn't pleased
le gustó la idea / with such idea
y se negó a ponerse / and didn't agree to put
la manzana en la cabeza. / the apple on his head
Diciendo que no / arguing that it wasn't
era que no creyera / that he didn't believe
pero qué iba a pasar si / but what would happen
sale mal la flecha. / if that arrow goes wrong
Guillermo Tell, tu hijo creció, / William Tell your son grew up
quiere tirar la flecha / he wants to shoot the arrow
le toca a él probar / it is his chance to prove
su valor usando tu ballesta. / his value using your bow
Guillermo Tell / William Tell
no comprendió a su hijo / couldn't understand his son
que un día se aburrió de la manzana en la cabeza. / that one day grew tired of the apple above the head
posted by: Luis on 05.23.2007 at 6:12 AM
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