"All pretensions and presumptions are stripped away from
the words, and what is left behind is a beautifully
blunt baring of the naked teeth, or soul."
Going Soon In Aztlán
With the exception of "The Sky Is Obviously Mad," I haven't written a song in a long time. And most of the songs I've written in recent years have been in Spanish. I enjoy solving the puzzle of the unfamiliar syntax and rhyme patterns of a foreign language. In English, words like "money" and "warrior," "pain" and "flowers," or "bastards" and "forgiveness" don't rhyme. But in Spanish, they do.
Several years ago, I watched a video about narcocorridos, songs that musicians in Mexico are commissioned to write for their narco patrons. One of the comments on the video lamented that nobody writes songs for science (cienciacorridos), or anything even remotely positive. It's always drugs and money and sex and death. It occurred to me to write a "cielocorrido," or a "ballad of heaven," and so "El Corrido de Jesucristo" was born.
I never bothered to write any music for it. I don't know how to shred on the tuba, or play the accordion, and to write a proper corrido it is necessary to do both. But I did finish the lyrics.
The English translation is pasted below the original Spanish. Visit the article Going Soon In Aztlán for an introduction to my thoughts on why "the best English lyrics are translations of Spanish lyrics." I'm not sure it's true anymore; I've discovered some newer gringo artists in recent years who seem to have raised the songwriting bar back to where it belongs. Or maybe I've just lightened up. Being back in the States has changed things. I'm not fluent, and my gringo accent is slow and heavy, but I do miss speaking Spanish.
In any case, the puzzle of writing in a foreign language is a fun one, and I encourage any and all songwriters and poets out there to play with it. It's like opening a box of colors you've never seen before. Or digging a tunnel with fireworks. A tunnel to the Promised Land, perhaps.
Thanks for listening.
N
Zelle: [email protected]
El Corrido de Jesucristo
Es una canción sobre Dios
del amor en el mundo de frios
donde muerte y dolor es la ley
pero Jesus volverá como el rey
Su poder es mas de la poder de la muerte
su amor es total y muy fuerte
todas las personas bien y cabrones
necesitas su perdónes
Murió en la cruz, está terminado
el pago por todos nuestros pecados
no necesitas un sacerdote o dinero
no necesitas ser fuerte o un guerrero
Jesús murió por los pecados
de todos de los pecadores
Pregúntarle a tu corazón
y él será tu amigo y Salvador
Y serás libre para siempre
y en tu corazón ten paz y calma
y como tratan de lastimarte
nunca robarán tu alma
Cuéntales a todos tus amigos sobre él
tus padres y hermanos
tus abuelos y hermanas
y todos los niños pequeños
Él traerá a todos tus hijos al cielo
a la tierra de leche y miel
donde los perros y gatos son amigos
con los serpientes y animales peligrosos
Donde ya no hay tristeza ni llanto
no más muerte y no más tontos
lejos de este mundo de muchos dolores
en una eternidad de sonrisas y flores
© Nathan Payne
28 June 2020
The Ballad of Jesus Christ
This is a song about God
of love in the cold world
where death and pain is the law
but Jesus will return as the king
His power is more than the power of death
his love is total and very strong
all good people and bastards
need his forgiveness
He died on the cross, it's finished
paying for all our sins
you don't need a priest or money
you don't need to be strong or a warrior
Jesus died for sins
of all the sinners
Ask him into your heart
and he will be your friend and savior
And you will be free forever
and in your heart have peace and calm
and however they try to hurt you
they will never steal your soul
Tell all your friends about him
your parents and brothers
your grandparents and sisters
and all the little kids
He will bring all your children to heaven
to the land of milk and honey
where cats and dogs are friends
with snakes and dangerous animals
Where there is no longer sadness or crying
no more death and no more fools
away from this world of many pains
in an eternity of smiles and flowers
© Nathan Payne
28 June 2020
