"El Yebero" - Song Lyrics
I have some questions about the lyrics of this song. The version that I have attached was ripped from a record that was made in the late '50s by an itinerant street-singer living in Mexico City. Online (http://www.metrolyrics.com/el-yerberito-moderno-lyrics-celia-cruz.html) I found the lyrics for a slightly different version of the song. In the interests of saving some key strokes, I'll use "P=" to label the lyrics according the the posted version and "R=" for what's in my recording (or at least what it sounds like to me).
!) P= Traigo jeilimon pa' la inchazon R= Traigo té simón pa' la hinchazón
"té limón" would seem more reasonable since I know that's an herb but it sounds like "té simón" (whatever that might be)
2) P= El apasote para los brotes R= El apazote para los trotes
Again, the dictionary makes "brotes" seem more plausible than "trotes" but ...
3) P= El metiten para el que no ve R= El veribé para él que no ve
I've tried looking up the various combinations (that result from the b|v confusion) to no avail.
Again, I'm not looking for a translation of the song. Apart from the 3 words I mentioned, I know what the song says/means.
10 Answers
Gus said:
The lady might be performing in Mexico but she is not from Mexico, Her accent is Argentinian or Chilean or Paraguay. It is a pretty melody. I finally was able to download the song. A cachy tune.
The record was originally issued by Folkways Records (the songs appear to be available form something called Smithsonian/Folkways [which I assume is the result of the Folkways label having been taken over]). It originally came with fairly extensive liner notes (which I no longer have but which did include some biographical information). The singer is a male (a tenor, obviously) but is joined (on some tracks by his wife). Actually, while searching online for the lyrics, I came across what appears (if memory serves) to be a copy of the original liner notes. (His name is Alfonso Cruz Jimenez.)
Oddly enough, the other records that I have of Spanish/Mexican folk songs are by a woman (a contralto). Over the years, a number of people hearing the two singers have thought that he was a woman and she was a man.
The lady might be performing in Mexico but she is not from Mexico, Her accent is Argentinian or Chilean or Paraguay. It is a pretty melody. I finally was able to download the song. A cachy tune.
Gus said:
I did not explain myself correctly. The words do exits and the herbs are real, what I meant was that the name of the herbs and the illness that it cure are together because they rhyme anf not because they are the cure for the disease mentioned in the song. That what I meant by it is just a song. I have some Apasote in my kitchen, they are small, red granules used to give flavor to Guatemalan's dishes. and not to cure something or other.
samdie said:
Gus said:
I,myself finally went to the site specified by you and found the lyrics but tnot the melodyit is just a song- it does not have to make sense as long as it rhymes; I mean we are not talking Amazing Grace here. By the way, talking about songs, do you happen to know a song that begins "in a long white room with no begnning and no end". It was sung bu a soul lady but I can't remeber the title of the song and the singer's name,circa 1971.
I'm assuming that the melody is the same. The site with the lyrics is clearly talking about the same song. Leaving aside a few typos/misspellings in that site's lyrics, there are only the three differences that I pointed out and (with folk songs) minor differences of that sort are not uncommon between versions of a song.As for it's not having to make sense, given the huge number of words that I don't know in Spanish, I would normally start of on the assumption that it's a real word but that I don't know it. If a whole bunch of people (especially, in this case, Mexicans) tell me that it's a nonsense word, I can accept that too. That's why I wanted to ask for other people's opinions.As for "in a long white room ... ", I haven't the faintest idea.P.S. I misspoke in an earlier post the singer is in/from Oaxaca not the D.F. (although I doubt that that has anything to do with the lyrics).
>
Gus said:
I,myself finally went to the site specified by you and found the lyrics but tnot the melody it is just a song- it does not have to make sense as long as it rhymes; I mean we are not talking Amazing Grace here. By the way, talking about songs, do you happen to know a song that begins
"in a long white room with no begnning and no end". It was sung bu a soul lady but I can't remeber the title of the song and the singer's name,circa 1971.
I'm assuming that the melody is the same. The site with the lyrics is clearly talking about the same song. Leaving aside a few typos/misspellings in that site's lyrics, there are only the three differences that I pointed out and (with folk songs) minor differences of that sort are not uncommon between versions of a song.
As for it's not having to make sense, given the huge number of words that I don't know in Spanish, I would normally start of on the assumption that it's a real word but that I don't know it. If a whole bunch of people (especially, in this case, Mexicans) tell me that it's a nonsense word, I can accept that too. That's why I wanted to ask for other people's opinions.
As for "in a long white room ... ", I haven't the faintest idea.
P.S. I misspoke in an earlier post the singer is in/from Oaxaca not the D.F. (although I doubt that that has anything to do with the lyrics).
I,myself finally went to the site specified by you and found the lyrics but tnot the melody
it is just a song- it does not have to make sense as long as it rhymes; I mean we are not talking Amazing Grace here.
By the way, talking about songs, do you happen to know a song that begins
"in a long white room with no begnning and no end". It was sung bu a soul lady but I can't remeber the title of the song and the singer's name,circa 1971.
Natasha said:
Do you think Gus is right? Purposefully non-sensical? Kind of like "Oh Susannah . . ."
That's certainly a possibility (I actually considered writing it as "té Simón" but I didn't want to prejudice the discussion). I know very little about flower/herb names and several threads here have emphasized the fact that there can be tremendous variety in local names so I'm trying to keep an open mind on the subject.
I listened to it & the song is awesome, but my Spanish listening level isn't nearly as good as yours.
Do you think Gus is right? Purposefully non-sensical? Kind of like "Oh Susannah . . ."
samdie said:
Did I, perhaps, fail to sufficiently emphasize that the MP3 is an ATTACHMENT to this thread? I was hoping that people would listen to the song and offer opinions.
>
Did I, perhaps, fail to sufficiently emphasize that the MP3 is an ATTACHMENT to this thread? I was hoping that people would listen to the song and offer opinions.
me canso,ganzo
the ganzo ( goose) part does not make sense but people use it because it rhymes
I can't tremember other other samples.
Street vendors in Gúatemala city's parks would set small tables on which they would put whatever product they wanted to sell and would describe the pproduct they were selling and make non sensical rhymes( to atract people attention) like the guy in your song.
té simón pa' la hinchazón
the Simón part does not make sense but it rhymes. Simon ( I hate these tildes) Simón is a name of a person -a male's name.
Natasha said:
Are you asking about the pronunciation? I must be really dense today, but I can't figure out what you were actually asking.
Not really. I've indicated what those three words sound like to me but I can't find any of them in the dictionary. This may be because they are some sort of regional names for the herbs or just very obscure or (heaven forfend!) my mis-hearing them. So I'd like to know what those words are (in Spanish). If someone wants to throw in the English equivalents too, I wouldn't mind.
Are you asking about the pronunciation? I must be really dense today, but I can't figure out what you were actually asking.
