Among their greatest hits -after their Three Souls era- "Triste Cancion" (based on Neil Young's "Like a Hurricane"), "Metro Balderas" (originally by Rodrigo Gonzalez), and "Piedras Rodantes" are probably the most known and have the quality of Anthems. Favorite bluesy songs such as "Oye Cantinero" and "ADO" belong to their Three Souls era, but are included in compilations and newer versions (from live concert recordings) abound.
El Dragón
El Tri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pa hacer su numerito y luego talonear
Sa una estopa con gasolina que se pone en la boca
Y avienta flamas conmo si fuera un dragon
Y aunque el que juega con fuego se puede quemar
El necesita hacerlo para poder comer
En este mundo cruel
Hay muchos qye presumen que se comer la lumbre a puños
Todos buscamos alguna forma de ganarnos la vida
De alguna forma o de otra tenemos que comer
Pero la situacion cada dia esta mas gruesa
Y a el no le quedo de otra que lanzarse de dragon
Y aunque el que juega con fuego se puede quemar
El necesita hacerlo para poder comer
En este mundo cruel
Hay muchos qye presumen que se comer la lumbre a puños
Pero el tiene que hacerlo para sobrevivir
Hay gentes que se alquilan gran parte de sus vidas
Hay otros que se la pasan de chamba en chamba
Hay unos que se dedican al atraco o a la tranza
Pero a el no le quedo de otra que lanzarse de dragon
The lyrics to "El Dragón" tell the story of a man who waits on the corner for the traffic light to turn red, so he can perform his "act" and then beg for money. He puts a gasoline-soaked rag in his mouth and breathes fire like a dragon. Playing with fire can be dangerous, but he needs to do it to survive in this cruel world. The song goes on to describe how everyone is trying to find a way to make a living, but the situation is getting worse every day. Some people work all their lives just to pay the bills, others change jobs frequently, and some even turn to illegal activities. The man in the song has been pushed to the point where he has no other option than to become a dragon.
The lyrics of the song are a commentary on the difficult economic and social conditions of Mexico, where many people are forced to do whatever they can to survive. The image of a man breathing fire like a dragon is a powerful one, symbolizing both the desperation and the resilience of the human spirit. The song speaks to the struggles of ordinary people and the harsh reality of life in a world where economic opportunities are limited and social inequality remains a significant issue.
Line by Line Meaning
Esperando en la esquina a que se ponga la luz roja
Waiting on the corner for the traffic light to turn red
Pa hacer su numerito y luego talonear
To perform his act and then ask for money
Sa una estopa con gasolina que se pone en la boca
He has a rag soaked in gasoline that he puts in his mouth
Y avienta flamas conmo si fuera un dragon
And he spits flames like he's a dragon
Y aunque el que juega con fuego se puede quemar
And even though playing with fire can be dangerous
El necesita hacerlo para poder comer
He needs to do it in order to eat
En este mundo cruel
In this cruel world
Hay muchos qye presumen que se comer la lumbre a puños
There are many who boast that they can eat fire with their fists
Pero el tiene que hacerlo para sobrevivir
But he has to do it to survive
Todos buscamos alguna forma de ganarnos la vida
We all look for a way to earn a living
De alguna forma o de otra tenemos que comer
We have to eat one way or another
Pero la situacion cada dia esta mas gruesa
But the situation is getting worse every day
Y a el no le quedo de otra que lanzarse de dragon
And he had no other choice but to become the dragon
Hay gentes que se alquilan gran parte de sus vidas
There are people who rent out large portions of their lives
Hay otros que se la pasan de chamba en chamba
There are others who go from job to job
Hay unos que se dedican al atraco o a la tranza
There are some who dedicate themselves to theft and fraud
Pero a el no le quedo de otra que lanzarse de dragon
But he had no other choice but to become the dragon
Writer(s): ALEJANDRO LORA SERNA
Contributed by Eva W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.