Monday, June 8, 2009

Sabbath Californiay



"...I'm up in the cupolo and with my newspaper dig the latest news on the front page and also consider and make notations of the money I spent already for this day Sunday absolutely not jot spent a nothing- California rushes by and with sad eyes we watch it reel the whole bay and the discourse falling off to gradual gils that ease and graduate to Santa Clara Valley then and the fig and behind is the fog immemoriates while the mist closes and we come running out to the bright sun of the Sabbath Californiay."

-"October in the Railroad Earth" by jack Kerouac

NARCOCORRIDOS

The immensely popular folk ballads that chronicle and celebrate the lives, loves and illicit achievements of Mexico's powerful drug lords.



"Contrabando y Traicion" (Smuggling and Betreyal)- Angel Gonzales, Los Tigres del Norte, 1975; rough translation

They left San Isidro,
from Tijuana,
They brought the tires of the car
full of weed,
were Emilio Varela
and Camelia the Texan

Passed through San Clemente
stopped by immigration,
requested documents,
He asked them: Where are they?
She was from San Antonio,
a female heart.

If a female wants a man,
he can give life,
but care must be taken
if that female is wound
Smuggling and betrayal ...
things are incompartidas.

Came to Los Angeles
moved to Hollywood,
in a dark alley
changed all four tires,
he handed the grass ...
and there he was also paid

Emilio says to Camelia:
Today you see for farewell
the part that touches you
you can rebuild your life,
I go 'pa 'San Francisco,
with the master of my life

Seven gunshots sounded,
Camelia killed Emilio,
the police only found
a thrown gun,
Of Camelia and money ...
Nobody ever knew anything