In 1985, Kristofferson joined fellow country artists Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash in forming the country music supergroup The Highwaymen, and formed a key creative force in the outlaw country music movement that eschewed the Nashville music machine in favor of independent songwriting and producing. In 2004, Kristofferson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. As an actor, he is known for his roles in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973), Blume in Love (1973), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), A Star Is Born (1976) (which earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor), Convoy (1978), Heaven's Gate (1980) and Blade (1998).
Kristofferson has said that he would like the first three lines of Leonard Cohen's "Bird on the Wire" on his tombstone:
Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Mal Sacate
Kris Kristofferson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I know the way you're winning
And that bloody hand you're holding
Ain't no bargain at the price you had to pay
You have stolen all the land that you can steal
And you killed so many heroes
But the dreams they left behind them
Chorus:
And they say, "el mal sacate ni el fuego lo quema"
And los mexicanos dicen, "cosa mala nunca muere"
Don't you know ?
The fire don't burn a bad weed boy
And a bad thing never dies
Like the bad weeds growing wild around
The broken wounded body of el salvador
They killed so many heroes
Like zapata (presente!) and fonseca (presente!)
And sandino (presente!) and guevarra (presente!)
And allende (presente!) and aquino (presente!)
And steve biko (presente!)
But they can never kill the human spirit
Not in nicaragua !
Chorus:
And they say, "el mal sacate ni el fuego lo quema"
And los mexicanos dicen, "cosa mala nunca muere"
Don't you know ?
Aiiiiiaiiiaiiiiii nicaragua !
Aiiiiiaiiiaiiiiii sandinista !
In Kris Kristofferson's song "Mal Sacate," he is addressing the wealthy, privileged individuals, those holding bloody hands that have come upon success through violence, exploitation, and greed, at the cost of other people's lives and dreams. He's pointing out the irony of their sustenance where their destruction is, and no matter how much they try, they cannot destroy the human spirit. He mentions how his land and heroes were stolen and killed, yet their dreams never died with them, and the fire never burns a "bad weed" or a "bad thing."
The chorus "El mal sacate ni el fuego lo quema" translates to "The bad weed can't be burned," and "Los Mexicanos Dicen, "Cosa Mala Nunca Muere" means "Mexicans say, 'bad things never die.'" He suggests that these wrongdoings keep coming back in the form of "bad weeds" growing wildly around the wounded and broken bodies of El Salvador, Nicaragua, and other places. In the end, he provides a list of the heroes and martyrs who the oppressors had killed and presents a sense of hope that their human spirit cannot be conquered, and they will never really die.
"Mal Sacate" is a Spanish idiom that translates to "bad weed," and the song uses it as a metaphor for oppression and resistance. The song was released in 1988, a time when Central America was facing a lot of political turmoil, wars, and social upheavals, and it became an anthem of sorts for the Sandinistas' movement in Nicaragua, which sought to overthrow the corrupt dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza. Besides, the song also reflects Kristofferson's own struggle with his social conscience, and he acknowledges how he tried to make amends for his own privileged background.
Line by Line Meaning
Mr. money man, I know you've had your way
Addressing a wealthy tyrant who has accumulated riches through exploitation and coercion.
And I know the way you're winning
The singer is aware of the tactics being used by the addressee to maintain their wealth and power.
And that bloody hand you're holding
The addressee has violently acquired their wealth and is now responsible for maintaining it through brutality.
Ain't no bargain at the price you had to pay
The artist is referring to the moral cost of wealth that has been gained through immoral means.
You have stolen all the land that you can steal
The addressee has used their power to take any available resources for their own benefit.
And you killed so many heroes
The addressee has caused the deaths of many champions for a just cause.
But the dreams they left behind them
Despite the loss of these heroes, their beliefs and goals remain alive.
Ain't as easy as a man to blow away
The artist is referring to the resilience of the ideas and philosophies that the heroes have left behind.
Chorus:
The chorus serves as a memorable repetition that represents the resiliency of a bad idea, and the human spirit in the face of adversity.
And they say, "el mal sacate ni el fuego lo quema"
This Spanish phrase loosely translates to: "The bad weed won't be burned by fire." The concept is that the addressee's negative actions will not be eradicated easily.
And los mexicanos dicen, "cosa mala nunca muere"
This phrase translates to: "A bad thing never dies." The repetition of this idea further emphasizes the theme of resiliency in the face of adversity.
They killed so many heroes
The addressee's violence has resulted in the death of many respected figures.
Like zapata (presente!) and fonseca (presente!)
These are names of Mexican revolutionaries who fought for their country's independence.
And sandino (presente!) and guevarra (presente!)
Augusto César Sandino and Che Guevara are other heroes who fought for social justice in Latin America.
And allende (presente!) and aquino (presente!)
Salvador Allende and Benigno Aquino were influential figures in South American politics who fought for democracy and human rights.
And steve biko (presente!)
Steve Biko was an anti-apartheid activist who sought racial equality in South Africa.
But they can never kill the human spirit
The artist believes that even if the addressee continues to cause physical harm, they will never be able to destroy the human spirit and its ideas for social change.
Not in nicaragua !
The singer believes that Nicaragua will be a strong exemplar of resilience to the addressee's tactics.
Aiiiiiaiiiaiiiiii nicaragua !
This line serves as an emotional statement regarding the singer's passion for the country.
Aiiiiiaiiiaiiiiii sandinista !
The term Sandinista refers to anyone who identifies with the Sandinista National Liberation Front, a leftist political party in Nicaragua. This line serves as a statement of solidarity with their cause.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kris Kristofferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thewoodmanyana
Great song, ageing well. Very relevant in todays absolute chaos of events.
So many bad and wealthy charlatans profoundly damaging the lives of ordinary people, in so many countries all over the world.
This is such a emotionally charged song, that with the help of a thoughtful and provocative vision from the poster, makes a man stop and consider who he is. What is he going to do to stop it?
For evil to succeed- all it takes is for good people to watch and do nothing!
NO MORE!!
Thank you Kriss and the poster - you have both made me think very deeply about events - past, present and future- and to realise we all need to try to make the difference!!
@dianejarmon1990
I love Kris, He has always stood up for what he believed in and was not afraid to show it. The only writer to put all these beliefs in the words of a song. God has gifted Kris's gift to us.
@nirmalasgabriel3050
Powerful lyrics, says it like it is. Love the melody too. Ty KK for your music.
@peterr2674
One of King Kris best songs ever!
@sevenhighnote
I love this album. You have to respect Kris. These lyrics, the music, the songs. He sings the truth. It makes me cry.
@JohnSmith-ud3wy
The guy is a hero of music and a great legend
@emilygmitter7568
Am watching this again, always come back to your videos, Tina, even if I don't always comment. Love this one, you do an amazing job, which I know I have told you before. Now I have to say....although it's hard to pick a "best" album from Kris' discography, Third World Warrior and Repossessed, are definitely in a league of their own. Only Kris can write lyrics with lines like the ones in Mal Sacate and others ("See who is patiently watching in silence, the crucification of El Salvador...." ). He has a unique way of making us pay attention (to things we'd maybe rather not see) by marrying hard-hitting truths with incredible musical compositions. I've seen him perform this one live, just an amazing experience. Funny true story for you from my many years "on the road" following KK and the Borderlords around: Nine out of ten times, I was in a center first row seat and in some venues, that meant a table touching the stage, so I was sitting at Kris' feet essentially (da boots!). And I sang along every word of every song, even the lines in Spanish. Once when he finished the line about the bad weed you couldn't burn, when he sang "don't you know"....he looked down at me, looked straight at me--I'm sure he knew that was the only Spanish I knew and the only Spanish I'd probably ever spoken--and he gave me that smile, saying, "You know they say that, right?" What a rascal he could be!
@anelladambrosio2513
Che bella canzone! Grande Kris! 😊😍😘🎶🎸🎶💘❤️💋💯🌅
@touttamoi
Love this song. Great job as usual Tina, thank you.
@biggestkkfan1506
Thank you for listening, watching AND reading :-) And thanks for your comment and the nice words... I'm glad you like the videos.