Banda Machos made its debut with the release of a cassette format album cal… Read Full Bio ↴Banda Machos made its debut with the release of a cassette format album called Serían las Dos. The group's breakthrough came after issuing Sangre de Indio, featuring a style known as la quebradita, popularized in Los Angeles' Latin circuit in the early '90s. In 1993, Banda Machos was awarded by Univisión's Lo Nuestro for Revelation of the Year in the Mexican/Regional category, achieving a Furia Musical award for Best Mexican Band in 1995. Banda Machos' "ZapaMambo" was featured in the movie My Family, produced by Francis Ford Coppola in 1994. The group continued steadily releasing new material throughout the '90s and into the new millennium, usually issuing multiple albums in one year. Banda Machos released 20 Mil Heridas in early 2006, which was subsequently nominated for a Best Banda Album Grammy.

40 Cartas
Banda Machos Lyrics

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Tengo una baraja
con cuarenta cartas
que ayuda a librarme
de cualquier traición...

Traiciones que dejan
algunas ingratas
que son para el hombre

de mal corazón...

Si es el rey de copas
en carta primera
me anuncia parrandas
con algún amor...

Si la zota de oros
una traicionera
que vende sus besos
sin ver condición...

Ya sé que me dicen
el enamorado
allá por el rancho
donde yo nací...

Porque yo soy hombre
no soy un payaso
me gustan las hembras
palabra que si...

(Ingratas ingratas pero bien buenas)

No traigo secretos
de la magia negra
ni huesos de muerto
para enamorar...

Una buena suerte
es la que me cargo
que nadie en el mundo
me la ha de igualar...

Ahí les va muchachos
es mi despedida
un grito ranchero
por vida de dios...

No se les olvide
que todo en la vida

tiene su movida
si hay buen movedor...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Banda Machos's song "40 Cartas" tell the story of a man who possesses a deck of cards with forty cards that help him protect himself from betrayal. He has had experiences with ungrateful women who had evil intentions for him. The man explains that the cards reveal the truth about an individual's personality, whether they have good or bad intentions. The king of cups signifies a party with a new love interest, while the jack of gold represents a deceptive woman who sells her kisses without any obligations. Although he is often referred to as a hopeless romantic, he does not use any supernatural powers or tricks to win any woman's heart. He believes in the power of luck and knows that every situation in life can be tackled.

The man acknowledges that some people refer to him as an enamored fool, but he is a man who knows his worth and is not a clown. He enjoys the company of women and does not hide it. He boasts about his luck and has faith in his charm that comes naturally. The song serves as a farewell to his listeners and a reminder that everything in life is bound to move in one way or another, so it is essential to take each situation positively.

Line by Line Meaning

Tengo una baraja
I have a deck of cards

con cuarenta cartas
with forty cards

que ayuda a librarme
that helps me free myself

de cualquier traición...
from any betrayal...

Traiciones que dejan
Betrayals that leave

algunas ingratas
some ungrateful ones

que son para el hombre
who are, for the man,

de mal corazón...
of bad heart...

Si es el rey de copas
If it's the king of cups

en carta primera
as the first card

me anuncia parrandas
it announces partying