520 PART 4 | SINCE WORLD WAR II
songwriter: Santiago Jiménez
date: 1990
instrumentation: vocals, accordion, bajo
sexto, electric bass, drums
genre: conjunto
meter: duple
form: strophic
timing section text translation comments
0:00 introduction Accordion, then full band,
set a slow, expectant
mood.
0:04 stanza 1 Voy a cantar estos versos
porque yo no soy de
aquí...
I’m going to sing these
verses because I’m
not from here...
The polka rhythm is
established as the stanza
begins.
0:38 adorno A short accordion
solo shows a German
infl uence.
0:47 stanza 2 Me encontré a una
tejanita y de ella me
enamoré...
I met a little Texan girl
and fell in love
with her...
Vocal harmony in thirds.
1:21 adorno A longer accordion solo
begins in polka style,
then introduces a long
blue note (1:28) and
fi nishes in a bluesier
style.
1:41 stanza 3 Todo el dinero me quita
a bailar se va al
salon...
She takes all my money
and goes dancing
at the bar...
2:13 adorno Mixture of polka and
blues.
2:26 stanza 4 Ya me voy para mi tierra
aunque pobre es mi
nación...
I’m going back to my
land even though it’s
a poor nation...
3:00 coda The brief coda goes
out with a descending
chromatic scale.
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
- Mexican-style vocals harmonized in parallel
thirds - German-style polka rhythm and prominent
accordion - blue notes in adornos
CD 4.9 Listening Guide 21.2 “Soy de San Luis” FLACO JIMÉNEZ
172028_21_514-530_r2_mr.indd 520 23/01/13 11:18 AM