El Contrabando Del El Paso
Parte 1 y 2
By Los Hermanos Bañuelos (Okeh 16354), 1929
El Contrabando Del Paso is a classic corrido about a smuggler’s regret. Caught in El Paso, shackled, and sent on a train to Leavenworth Prison, the narrator begs forgiveness from his mother and expresses longing regret for his girlfriend. Riding on the popularity of prisoner songs at the time, this recording was made in Los Angeles in 1929, only months after Ralph Peer recorded the duo Hernandez Y Sifuentes’ original version in El Paso. The song’s success illustrated the speed with which popular recordings traveled from Texas to California and beyond.
Contraband is very nice
One can make a lot of money
But what happens is
A prisoner is condemned
Spanish
En el día siete de agosto
Estábamos desesperados
Que nos sacaron de El Paso
Pa’ llevarnos mancornados
Nos sacaron de la corte
A las ocho de la noche
Nos llevaron para el depot
Nos montaron en un coche
Yo dirijo mi mirada
Por todita la estación
A mi madre idolatrada
Que me dé su bendición
Ni mi madre me esperaba
Ni siquiera mi mujer
Adiós todos mis amigos
¿Cuándo los volveré a ver?
Ya viene silbando el tren
Ya no tardará en llegar
Les dije a mis compañeros
Que no fueran a llorar
Ya voy a tomar el tren
Me encomiendo a un santo fuerte
Ya no vuelvo al contrabando
porque tengo mala suerte
Ya comienza a andar el tren
Ya repica la campana
Le pregunto a Mister Hill
Que si vamos a Louisiana
Mister Hill con su risita
Me contesta: “No Señor
Pasaremos por Louisiana
Derechito a Leavenworth”
Yo les digo a mis amigos
Que salgan a experimentar
Que le entren al contrabando
A ver donde van a dar
English
On the seventh day of August
We were feeling desperate
They took us from El Paso
Chained up
They took us from the courthouse
At eight o’clock at night
They took us to the depot
And put us on a coach
I direct my glances
All around the station
Looking for my beloved mother
That she may give me her blessing
But my mother was not there
Waiting, not even my wife
Good-bye to all of my friends
When Will I See you again?
There comes the train whistling
It will arrive shortly
I said to my companions
No to cry
No, I am going to take the train I
Commend myself to a strong saint
I shall never go back to smuggling
Because I have bad luck
Now the train begins to move
And the bell is ringing
I ask Mr. Hill
If we are going to Louisiana
Mister Hill, with his little smile
Replies, “No sir,
we go pass through Louisiana
Straight to Leavenworth
I say to my friends
That want to experiment
That they get involved in contraband
And see where it gets them
More Contraband Songs
Contrabando De La Frontera El Coyote Fracasado Contrabando y Traición
