"Gato Que Avanza, Perro Que Ladra" by Calle 13, English translation of lyrics
"Cat That Gets Ahead, Dog That Barks"
Album: Multi_Viral, 2014
Style: Rap with pop, trumpets and electric instruments.
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen:
In this song, Calle 13 reflect on their expanding fame, brag, and express frustration over all the expectations that people place on the band.
For context:
Calle 13 started as a little urban music duo from Puerto Rico that released a controversial rap addressed to the FBI. Their politically-charged song began to set them apart from the other urban/rap/reggaeton artists in Spanish-language music who were mostly singing about sex and money and stuff. Calle 13 began to distinguish themselves musically as a genre-blending band with catchy music. Lyrically, their themes tend to range from love songs, to bizarre and violent songs, to socially-conscious and critical songs, to songs that celebrate the poor and working classes. They are banned from some radio stations and have a record number of Latin Grammy awards. They are controversial and talented and famous. And they don't like being pigeon-holed, obviously.
Listen to the song at YouTube here.
[Expand embedded video]
Translation:
Yo no soy músico ni canto, yo solo rapeo,
Pero digo más que tú, con su teoría y solfeo.
I am not a musician nor do I sing, I just rap,
But I say more than you, with your theory and solfège. [*music theory]
Soy el que rompe la armonía.
Si las palabras fueran notas, mis versos fueran sinfonías.
No hay pretensiones en mi obra.
Soy lo que escuchan los skaters mientras hacen maniobras.
I am the one who breaks the harmony.
If words were notes, my verses would be symphonies.
There are no pretentions in my work.
I am what the skaters listen to when they do tricks.
No soy cuadrado, soy multilátero.
Soy lo que escuchan los boxeadores
Antes de subir al cuadrilátero.
I’m not a square, I’m multilateral.
I am what the boxers listen to
Before they go into the ring.
Nosotros somos la fusión,
Somos una combinación diferente que provoca discusión.
Para darles una definición general, la Calle 13 es transexual;
Es la mezcla de más de un género musical...
We are the fusion,
We are a different combination that provokes discussion.
To give you all a more general definition, the band Calle 13 is transexual;
It is the mix of more than one genre of music...
...Donde nuestro formato literario pretende
Hacer cuentos cortos en forma de rap
Que todo el mundo entiende.
...In which our literary format attempts
To have short stories in the form of rap songs
That the whole world understands.
Algunos se ofenden,
Porque voy más allá de sus caras de pendejos.
Yo reflejo lo que no reflejan los espejos.
Some get offended,
Because I go beyond their idiotic faces.
I reflect what the mirrors don’t reflect.
A los críticos los veo con optimismo.
Le dedican más tiempo a mi vida que a la de ellos mismos.
Tienen el cerebro lento.
Su movimiento intelectual es como un velero sin viento.
Critics, I watch with optimism.
They dedicate more time to my life than to their own.
They have a slow brain.
Their mental synapses are like a sailboat without wind. [*lit. Their intellectual movements are...]
Con solo un juego de palabras divididas,
Como Frida, calo hondo en sus vidas resentidas [*reference to Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist]
Porque mis rimas son peli- de película y -grosas de grandiosas
Pero dividida en sílabas pueden ser peli-grosas.
With just a game of broken words, [*alt. With just a wordplay with divided word.]
Like Frida, I soak deep into your bitter lives
Because my rhymes are the peli- of película (movie) and the -grosas of grandiosas (grand)
But cut up into syllables they can be peli-grosas (dangerous).
Chorus:
----------------------------------------
Si supieras lo que pienso yo de ti,
Hablarías peor de mí.
Bien o mal, da igual, como quiera no les cuadra.
Gato que avanza, perro que ladra. (x2)
If you knew what I thought of you,
You would speak worse of me.
Good or bad, it’s all the same, no matter what, it doesn’t square with them.
Cat that gets ahead, dog that barks. (x2)
----------------------------------------
(x2)
Algunos psicópatas me tienen en la corte marcial.
Según las reglas de la "Asociación de la Música Social",
Se supone que me deje la barba larga,
Que mi esposa sea fea,
Que venda artesanías y que viva en una aldea.
Some psychopaths have me court martialed.
According to the rules of the "Association of Socially-Conscious Music",
Apparently I’m supposed to let my beard grow long,
Have an ugly wife,
Sell crafts and live in a small village.
Se supone que renuncie a mi pasaporte
Y que todas las cosas que compre vengan de Corea del Norte.
Apparently I am supposed to renounce my passport
And everything I buy should come from North Korea.
Una vez grabé en Miami,
Pero se supone que no vuelva.
La música de mi disco
La tengo que grabar desde la selva.
I once recorded in Miami,
But apparently I should never go back.
The music for my CD,
I need to record from the jungle.
No puedo usar internet,
Por lo menos eso asumo.
Se supone que me comunique por señales de humo.
I can’t use the internet,
At least that’s what I assume.
Apparently I should communicate with smoke signals.
Si lucho por los pobres,
Económicamente los de abajo,
No puedo cobrar por mi trabajo.
If I fight for the poor,
The economic underdogs,
I can’t charge for my work.
No puedo tener plata en mis manos,
Y si cobro algo, lo tengo que cambiar por pesos cubanos,
Y cuando vaya a pagar mi casa por cuotas,
No puedo porque en mi colonia solo aceptan dólares, ¡Idiota!
I can’t have money in my hands, [*plata (f. noun) = silver; money]
And if I charge for something, I have to exchange it for Cuban pesos,
And when I go pay the mortgage on my house,
I can’t because in my colony (Puerto Rico) they only accept dollars, idiot!
¿Cuál es el libreto?
Si lucho por los que no tienen educación,
¿Tengo que ser analfabeto?
What is the rule book? [*lit. What is the script?]
If I fight for those who do not have an education,
Do I need to be illiterate?
Por eso soy multi-trillonario.
Soy tan millonario
Que me acabo de comprar todo el cabrón abecedario.
That’s why I am a multi-trillionaire.
I am such a millionaire
That I just bought the whole f*ing alphabet.
Está difícil encontrar la musa por ahí
Porque ahora todas las letras trabajan para mí.
It is difficult finding my muse around (there)
Because now all the letters work for me.
Gracias a esto literariamente hay un naufragio.
Soy el culpable de que a Bob Dylan lo hayan acusa’o [acusado] de plagio.
Thanks to this there is a literary shipwreck.
I am at fault for Bob Dylan being accused of plagiarism. [*lit. I am the culpable one for...]
[Chorus]
[Musical interlude]
Quiero luchar contra la guerra de Vietnam mientras explota
Y como Lennon, protestar en Nueva York desde el Dakota.
I want to fight against the Vietnam War while it explodes (in unpopularity)
And like Lennon, protest in New York from The Dakota. [*a very expensive apartment complex]
También quiero hacer como el Papa Francisco,
Mientras hablo de los pobres, cobro el diezmo con mis discos.
O como Bob Marley, cuando abandonó su tierra
Y grabó su disco más famoso con sus colonos en Inglaterra.
I also want to do like Pope Francis,
While I talk about the poor, charge a tithe with my discs. [*a 10% tax paid to kings or clergy]
Or like Bob Marley, when he abandoned his country
And recorded his most famous record with his colonists in England.
Quiero ser como ellos,
Estar bien económicamente,
Y pa’ los ojos de la gente
Seguir siendo consecuente.
I want to be like them,
To be well-off economically,
And in the eyes of the people,
Keep being a person of principles.
[Chorus]
Translation Notes:
Gato que avanza, pedro que ladra.
Cat that gets ahead, dog that barks.
This line is based on two phrases about animals. The cat that gets ahead is a smart opportunist. The dog that barks isn't dangerous because all he does is bark. Calle 13 does not want to be seen as either. They want to be successful and outspoken, not just one or the other.
---
Bien o mal, da igual, como quiera no les cuadra.
Good or bad, it’s all the same, no matter what, it doesn’t square with them.
igual = equal
dar igual = to be the same; to not matter very much
---
Se supone que...
Apparently...
Supposedly...
It is supposed that... [*lit.]
It is presumed that... [*lit.]
Se supone que me deje la barba larga,
Que mi esposa sea fea,
Que venda artesanías y que viva en una aldea.
Apparently I’m supposed to let my beard grow long,
Have an ugly wife,
Sell crafts and live in a small village.
More literal:
It is supposed that I (should) leave my beard long,
That my wife (should) be ugly,
That I (should) sell crafts and that I (should) live in a small village.
Album: Multi_Viral, 2014
Style: Rap with pop, trumpets and electric instruments.
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen:
In this song, Calle 13 reflect on their expanding fame, brag, and express frustration over all the expectations that people place on the band.
For context:
Calle 13 started as a little urban music duo from Puerto Rico that released a controversial rap addressed to the FBI. Their politically-charged song began to set them apart from the other urban/rap/reggaeton artists in Spanish-language music who were mostly singing about sex and money and stuff. Calle 13 began to distinguish themselves musically as a genre-blending band with catchy music. Lyrically, their themes tend to range from love songs, to bizarre and violent songs, to socially-conscious and critical songs, to songs that celebrate the poor and working classes. They are banned from some radio stations and have a record number of Latin Grammy awards. They are controversial and talented and famous. And they don't like being pigeon-holed, obviously.
Listen to the song at YouTube here.
[Expand embedded video]
Translation:
Yo no soy músico ni canto, yo solo rapeo,
Pero digo más que tú, con su teoría y solfeo.
I am not a musician nor do I sing, I just rap,
But I say more than you, with your theory and solfège. [*music theory]
Soy el que rompe la armonía.
Si las palabras fueran notas, mis versos fueran sinfonías.
No hay pretensiones en mi obra.
Soy lo que escuchan los skaters mientras hacen maniobras.
I am the one who breaks the harmony.
If words were notes, my verses would be symphonies.
There are no pretentions in my work.
I am what the skaters listen to when they do tricks.
No soy cuadrado, soy multilátero.
Soy lo que escuchan los boxeadores
Antes de subir al cuadrilátero.
I’m not a square, I’m multilateral.
I am what the boxers listen to
Before they go into the ring.
Nosotros somos la fusión,
Somos una combinación diferente que provoca discusión.
Para darles una definición general, la Calle 13 es transexual;
Es la mezcla de más de un género musical...
We are the fusion,
We are a different combination that provokes discussion.
To give you all a more general definition, the band Calle 13 is transexual;
It is the mix of more than one genre of music...
...Donde nuestro formato literario pretende
Hacer cuentos cortos en forma de rap
Que todo el mundo entiende.
...In which our literary format attempts
To have short stories in the form of rap songs
That the whole world understands.
Algunos se ofenden,
Porque voy más allá de sus caras de pendejos.
Yo reflejo lo que no reflejan los espejos.
Some get offended,
Because I go beyond their idiotic faces.
I reflect what the mirrors don’t reflect.
A los críticos los veo con optimismo.
Le dedican más tiempo a mi vida que a la de ellos mismos.
Tienen el cerebro lento.
Su movimiento intelectual es como un velero sin viento.
Critics, I watch with optimism.
They dedicate more time to my life than to their own.
They have a slow brain.
Their mental synapses are like a sailboat without wind. [*lit. Their intellectual movements are...]
Con solo un juego de palabras divididas,
Como Frida, calo hondo en sus vidas resentidas [*reference to Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist]
Porque mis rimas son peli- de película y -grosas de grandiosas
Pero dividida en sílabas pueden ser peli-grosas.
With just a game of broken words, [*alt. With just a wordplay with divided word.]
Like Frida, I soak deep into your bitter lives
Because my rhymes are the peli- of película (movie) and the -grosas of grandiosas (grand)
But cut up into syllables they can be peli-grosas (dangerous).
Chorus:
----------------------------------------
Si supieras lo que pienso yo de ti,
Hablarías peor de mí.
Bien o mal, da igual, como quiera no les cuadra.
Gato que avanza, perro que ladra. (x2)
If you knew what I thought of you,
You would speak worse of me.
Good or bad, it’s all the same, no matter what, it doesn’t square with them.
Cat that gets ahead, dog that barks. (x2)
----------------------------------------
(x2)
Algunos psicópatas me tienen en la corte marcial.
Según las reglas de la "Asociación de la Música Social",
Se supone que me deje la barba larga,
Que mi esposa sea fea,
Que venda artesanías y que viva en una aldea.
Some psychopaths have me court martialed.
According to the rules of the "Association of Socially-Conscious Music",
Apparently I’m supposed to let my beard grow long,
Have an ugly wife,
Sell crafts and live in a small village.
Se supone que renuncie a mi pasaporte
Y que todas las cosas que compre vengan de Corea del Norte.
Apparently I am supposed to renounce my passport
And everything I buy should come from North Korea.
Una vez grabé en Miami,
Pero se supone que no vuelva.
La música de mi disco
La tengo que grabar desde la selva.
I once recorded in Miami,
But apparently I should never go back.
The music for my CD,
I need to record from the jungle.
No puedo usar internet,
Por lo menos eso asumo.
Se supone que me comunique por señales de humo.
I can’t use the internet,
At least that’s what I assume.
Apparently I should communicate with smoke signals.
Si lucho por los pobres,
Económicamente los de abajo,
No puedo cobrar por mi trabajo.
If I fight for the poor,
The economic underdogs,
I can’t charge for my work.
No puedo tener plata en mis manos,
Y si cobro algo, lo tengo que cambiar por pesos cubanos,
Y cuando vaya a pagar mi casa por cuotas,
No puedo porque en mi colonia solo aceptan dólares, ¡Idiota!
I can’t have money in my hands, [*plata (f. noun) = silver; money]
And if I charge for something, I have to exchange it for Cuban pesos,
And when I go pay the mortgage on my house,
I can’t because in my colony (Puerto Rico) they only accept dollars, idiot!
¿Cuál es el libreto?
Si lucho por los que no tienen educación,
¿Tengo que ser analfabeto?
What is the rule book? [*lit. What is the script?]
If I fight for those who do not have an education,
Do I need to be illiterate?
Por eso soy multi-trillonario.
Soy tan millonario
Que me acabo de comprar todo el cabrón abecedario.
That’s why I am a multi-trillionaire.
I am such a millionaire
That I just bought the whole f*ing alphabet.
Está difícil encontrar la musa por ahí
Porque ahora todas las letras trabajan para mí.
It is difficult finding my muse around (there)
Because now all the letters work for me.
Gracias a esto literariamente hay un naufragio.
Soy el culpable de que a Bob Dylan lo hayan acusa’o [acusado] de plagio.
Thanks to this there is a literary shipwreck.
I am at fault for Bob Dylan being accused of plagiarism. [*lit. I am the culpable one for...]
[Chorus]
[Musical interlude]
Quiero luchar contra la guerra de Vietnam mientras explota
Y como Lennon, protestar en Nueva York desde el Dakota.
I want to fight against the Vietnam War while it explodes (in unpopularity)
And like Lennon, protest in New York from The Dakota. [*a very expensive apartment complex]
También quiero hacer como el Papa Francisco,
Mientras hablo de los pobres, cobro el diezmo con mis discos.
O como Bob Marley, cuando abandonó su tierra
Y grabó su disco más famoso con sus colonos en Inglaterra.
I also want to do like Pope Francis,
While I talk about the poor, charge a tithe with my discs. [*a 10% tax paid to kings or clergy]
Or like Bob Marley, when he abandoned his country
And recorded his most famous record with his colonists in England.
Quiero ser como ellos,
Estar bien económicamente,
Y pa’ los ojos de la gente
Seguir siendo consecuente.
I want to be like them,
To be well-off economically,
And in the eyes of the people,
Keep being a person of principles.
[Chorus]
Translation Notes:
Gato que avanza, pedro que ladra.
Cat that gets ahead, dog that barks.
This line is based on two phrases about animals. The cat that gets ahead is a smart opportunist. The dog that barks isn't dangerous because all he does is bark. Calle 13 does not want to be seen as either. They want to be successful and outspoken, not just one or the other.
---
Bien o mal, da igual, como quiera no les cuadra.
Good or bad, it’s all the same, no matter what, it doesn’t square with them.
igual = equal
dar igual = to be the same; to not matter very much
---
Se supone que...
Apparently...
Supposedly...
It is supposed that... [*lit.]
It is presumed that... [*lit.]
Se supone que me deje la barba larga,
Que mi esposa sea fea,
Que venda artesanías y que viva en una aldea.
Apparently I’m supposed to let my beard grow long,
Have an ugly wife,
Sell crafts and live in a small village.
More literal:
It is supposed that I (should) leave my beard long,
That my wife (should) be ugly,
That I (should) sell crafts and that I (should) live in a small village.