Spanish speakers - Help me understand these lyrics

[DigMe]

On Ozomatli's most recent album, Street Signs, there's a song called "Santiago."

I actully understand quite a bit of spanish, especially written, however there are parts that I don't understand but mainly I'm trying to get a feeling for what the message of the song is overall.

I was wondering if maybe "Santiago de Aztlan" is a reference to the departed INS officer Luis Santiago. I'm a little confused by it though as from what I understand, many people that refer to "Aztlan" would not think highly of an INS agent and yet the song at times seems to praise him or be reverent. Maybe it's not about him at all and I'm just reading too much into. I'll post the lyrics here if anyone wants to take a look at it and try to interpret the idea of the song.


I just cut and pasted this but I assume that everywhere it says "Ago" should be "Hago" but I don't know...maybe "ago" is really a word in spanish that I don't know or maybe it's supposed to be the english "ago" On the song though it sounds like "hago"

Santiago de Aztlan
Pienso que eres superman
En el sangre del mundo
En tus venas enteras
En tus venas enteras
Vive la historia de tu mama
Y tambien de tu papa
Por eso eres un Rey

Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Santiago de Aztlan

Instrument Break

Santiago un pino hoy
Tu sentistes opresion
Por los lados del mundo
Sobrevives para el vien
Sobrevives con amor
Sobrevives con honor
Sobrevives con tu vientre
Por eso eres un rey


Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Santiago de Aztlan


Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Santiago de Aztlan

Instrument Break

Como vives tu vida
Sera tu decision
Abrasa lo bueno Santiago
Y escupe lo mal


Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Santiago de Aztlan

brad cook

[Thee]

I can't help you with it, but thumbs up on ozomatli. Caught them live last oct, they had breakdance fighting at the end!

[superbassman2000]

altavista has a translation page...it works quite well

[barebones]

Recalling my days of high school Spanish--now nearly twenty years gone--and my recent trip to Cabo San Lucas, I'll take a crack at the first stanza:

Santiago de Aztlan (Santiago of/from Aztlan)
Pienso que eres superman (I think that you are superman)
En el sangre del mundo (In the blood of the world)
En tus venas enteras (In your something something)
En tus venas enteras (In your something-er-other)
Vive la historia de tu mama (Long live the history or your mother)
Y tambien de tu papa (And also of your father)
Por eso eres un Rey (For this you are a king)

That's about as much as I can to with it. And I'm sure it sounds much better in Spanish!

Matt

[DigMe]

Originally Posted by superbassman2000

altavista has a translation page...it works quite well

Read my post again. I don't think altavista's translation engine can give me their subjective synopsis of what they think the lyricist was writing about. As I said before I understand most of the spanish to english translation, I need something deeper than that.

brad cook

[superbassman2000]

i see what you are saying...whoops!

[DigMe]

Pretty much the only part of that I can't literally translate is "sentistes." Don't know what that one is... I just think that I'm missing out on the real meaning of that song because I lack persepective of the native speaker. I can translate most of it into literal english. I'd like a native speaker to possibly explain the real meaning of the song that I might be missing.

brad cook

[reasonbass]

Santiago de Aztlan
Pienso que eres superman( you think u are superman)
En el sangre del mundo( in the blood of the world)
En tus venas enteras(in your entire veins)
En tus venas enteras
Vive la historia de tu mama( you live the history of your mother)
Y tambien de tu papa ( and also you father)
Por eso eres un Rey (thats why u are king)

Ago, ago, ago( i do , i do , i do,.....)
Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Santiago de Aztlan

Instrument Break ( descanso instrumental)

Santiago un pino hoy ( i don't know what "pino" means..really)
Tu sentistes opresion ( you felt oppression)
Por los lados del mundo ( on the sides of the world)
Sobrevives para el vien ( U will survive for the good)
Sobrevives con amor ( u will survive with love)
Sobrevives con honor (with honor)
Sobrevives con tu vientre ( with your womb)
Por eso eres un rey ( thats why u are king)


Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Santiago de Aztlan


Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Santiago de Aztlan

Instrument Break

Como vives tu vida ( how u live your life)
Sera tu decision ( is your decision)
Abrasa lo bueno Santiago (hug the good santiago)
Y escupe lo mal ( and spit out the bad)


Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Santiago de Aztlan

that should be mostly right...someone correct me if im wrong.

[DigMe]

Isn't "Pienso que" "I think" rather than "you think?"

The only meaning I know of "pino" is pine or pine tree. I guess maybe he could be speaking figuratively.


brad cook

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

This is the translation:

Santiago De Aztlan
I think you're Superman
In the blood of the world
In your whole veins
In your whole veins
Lives your mom's history
And your dad's too
That's why you're a king.

Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Ago, ago, ago
Santiago De Aztlan


Santiago a pine tree today (??)
You felt oppression
By the sides (maybe edges?) of the world
You survive for the goodness
You survivie with love
You survive with honor
You survive with your abdomen (should be "womb", but not a female here)
That's why you're a king.

Ago...

(Inst. break)

The way you live your life
It will be your decision
Embrace the good Santiago
And spit the evil

Ago...



I think that "ago" is just a "random" word used for a chorus line. Nothing to do with "Hago" ("I make"). It doesn't mean anything. Like saying (this is an horrible and stupid song very popular nowadays): "Za, za, za, zarazaza, za, za". That's just a chorus that adds "excitement" to an uptempo tune, in this case. Maybe I should listen to the song. It would help to get the intention.

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

You survive with your abdomen (should be "womb", but not a female here)

Well, I've just seen that "womb" used to be a synonym of "belly" (didn't know that), so maybe it works.

[DigMe]

Alvaro,

You should hear it, it's a great song.

brad cook

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by DigMe

Alvaro,

You should hear it, it's a great song.

brad cook

I'm going to look for it, Brad. I'll let you know if I get something different by listening.

[DigMe]

Mainly what I'm wondering is who is Santiago de Aztlan?

brad cook

[The Golden Boy]

"Let's go to the beach,
oh oh oh oh oh."

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by superbassman2000

altavista has a translation page...it works quite well

Those translation engines are funny. I remember when I was an Internet newbie. I was Frank Zappa freak at the time (still am, but I've got most of his records, so it calmed my obsession) and I wrote: "As a rabid Zappa fan..." in Babelfish, and it returned: "Como un furioso VENTILADOR Zappa...". (Fan: " A machine using an electric motor to rotate thin, rigid vanes in order to move air, as for cooling.")

[NJL]

hey, brad! i didn't know you were a Ozo fan...

a couple of weeks ago, i opened up for them in Tucson, these guys are the real deal - they are tight!!!

[DigMe]

Originally Posted by NJL

hey, brad! i didn't know you were a Ozo fan...

a couple of weeks ago, i opened up for them in Tucson, these guys are the real deal - they are tight!!!

Awesome! Yeah, I've listened to them for 5 or 6 years. Ever since their self-titled album came out. That'd be a blast to open at an Ozomatli show.

brad cook

[NewWaveBasser]

"ago" is nonsensical in this case...

Observe that "ago" are the last three letters of SantiAGO.

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

I saw Ozomatli back in December. Opening for them was Kinky and Juana Molina. They were awesome, with such incredible energy. I'd kill to have a band like that!

Their original drummer, Andy Mendoza, used to play in my friend's band, The Fenians, about 10 or 12 years ago. He left to go win a Grammy with Ozo.

I can't help you much with the translations beyond what's already been offered, but I agree that "Street Signs" is an awesome disc.