West gained fame the world over during his long career as one of the most innovative and influential musicians in the history of rock music. He is most noted for his role as leader of the explosive hard rock trio, Mountain, which was named by VH-1 as one of the Top 100 Hard Rock Groups of all time. With Mountain, he climbed the heights of rock stardom on the strength of a unique, signature guitar sound and classic songs such as “Mississippi Queen”, “Never In My Life” and “Theme From An Imaginary Western”,and Nantucket Sleighride which are still staples of rock radio to this day. West earned the admiration of a long list of famous peers. During his career, he recorded or played with a litany of rock icons including Billy Joel, Van Halen, The Who, Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix, to name just a few. In fact, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Schenker and Richie Sambora have all cited West as an important influence on their own music.
West's bold, expressive and unique guitar style is really a mirror of his own personality. Spend a little time talking with this larger-than-life figure, and you’ll realize that he is as charismatic without a guitar in his hands as he is with one. Possessing a sharp sense of humor, he was at once gregarious and gruff while recounting stories from his legendary past. When discussing his music projects, he exuded an infectious enthusiasm and excitement. Such projects could take him outside his traditional roles of guitarist, singer and songwriter.
In 1986, he acted alongside Tom Hanks and Shelley Long in the hit comedy film, The Money Pit and has lent his distinctive voice to the popular animated series, Beast Wars Transformers which ran for three seasons on the WB network beginning in 1996 before going into syndication. He has also contributed the theme music to the new WB show, Mutant X.
West was a popular personality on the Howard Stern Radio Show and was Musical Director for the shock jock’s FOX series, as well as for the late comedian Sam Kinison. Most recently, he lent his production and songwriting skills to an album by Atlantic Records’ modern rock group, Clutch, and has just released his own instructional guitar DVD, Big Phat Ass Guitar.
Hatfield or McCoy
Leslie West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pelones locotes vivimos recio en el norte
Conste que aquí no se rifa cualquiera
Están contados los que se van a la guerra
Y veras mi bandera bien amarrada en mi chompa
Lumbre pal leño enciende la mecha compa
Mi tropa es con la que todos se topan
Nos sobran pompas de los que se acoplan
Estoy bien entrado porque a nadie me le rajo
Cargamos cuetes se les acabo su suerte
El día que me topen se toparan con la muerte
No que muy ve de a sincho salen huidos
El puto que me pare todavía no ha nacido
Le doy pa dela siempre con la frente en alto
Me vale un kilo de ve bato si mato
Yo me la rifo siempre ando grifo
Si quiero un paro aquí en el barrio nomas chiflo
Y salen todos corren los morros
Otros en el piso hom boy pidiendo socorro
Todo en esta vida hay que pagarlo con un precio
Pero no hay pedo nosotros seguimos necios
Si no te matan te llevan preso
Pero nos vale madre nosotros andamos recio
Nos vale madre pura pinche vida loca
Inhalo coca me fumo como diez rocas
Soy un demente loco y zafado
Pero un chingo de rucas siempre yo traigo a mi lado
Soy mariguano y bien borracho
Si un jale me sale mal me voy directo pal gabacho
Maniato y loco desde chabalo
Cuando nos topemos veremos quien es mas malo
Soy cagapalos me vale queso
Porque desde bien morro he vivido mi vida recio
Pum la pólvora impulsa el casquillo
Lluvia de plomo pa aquel pinche morrillo
O mis nudillos nada mas pa que escarmiente
Pues con mi gente nunca nadie se mete
De este lado se junta puro zafado
Con el humo volando y por la ley somos buscados
Adicto a las pinche viejas y el pisto
Compito me junto con puro drogadicto
Fumando mientras mi cara se demacra
Vivimos recio toda la bola de lacras
Todo en esta vida hay que pagarlo con un precio
Pero no hay pedo nosotros seguimos necios
Si no te matan te llevan preso
Pero nos vale madre nosotros andamos recio
The lyrics of Leslie West's song "To the Moon" are a reflection of the artist's experience of growing up in a rough neighborhood in the North. The song speaks mainly of gang violence, drug use, and lawless behavior. The lyrics depict a group of young men who engage in heavy drug use such as cocaine and marijuana, and carry weapons, ready to fight anyone who tries to mess with them. They are proud of their roots, as reflected in the line "Veras mi bandera bien amarrada en mi chompa" (you'll see my flag well tied on my jacket), which represents the pride they have in their culture and heritage, despite the challenges they face.
The lyrics show a disregard for authority and consequences. The line "Si no te matan te llevan preso" (if they don't kill you, they'll take you to jail) implies that they are aware of the danger they put themselves in but are willing to take the risk anyway. They feel misunderstood and marginalized, and the only way they know to cope with their problems is by living their lives to the fullest, enjoying the thrill of danger, and not backing down from any opponent.
In summary, "To the Moon" is a song about the harsh realities of life on the streets, where survival depends on being tough, fearless, and not afraid to take risks.
Line by Line Meaning
De barrio bajo son estos mariguanotes
We are from the rough neighborhood and we like to smoke weed.
Pelones locotes vivimos recio en el norte
We are tough bald guys who live life to the fullest in the northern region.
Conste que aquí no se rifa cualquiera
Make no mistake, not just anyone can hang out with us.
Están contados los que se van a la guerra
Only a few of us are willing to fight for what we believe in.
Y veras mi bandera bien amarrada en mi chompa
You'll see my flag proudly displayed on my jacket.
Lumbre pal leño enciende la mecha compa
Light the fuse for the joint, buddy.
Mi tropa es con la que todos se topan
People know not to mess with my crew.
Nos sobran pompas de los que se acoplan
We have plenty of weed for those who join us.
Don tan los que nos iban a dar pa abajo
Those who used to bully us have disappeared.
Estoy bien entrado porque a nadie me le rajo
I'm deep into this lifestyle and won't back down from anything.
Cargamos cuetes se les acabo su suerte
We carry guns and that's bad luck for anyone who crosses us.
El día que me topen se toparan con la muerte
Anyone who confronts me will face death.
No que muy ve de a sincho salen huidos
Those who try to pick a fight with us end up running away.
El puto que me pare todavía no ha nacido
No one has the guts to stand up to me yet.
Le doy pa dela siempre con la frente en alto
I always fight with my head held high.
Me vale un kilo de ve bato si mato
I don't care about the consequences of murder.
Yo me la rifo siempre ando grifo
I take risks and always have drugs on me.
Si quiero un paro aquí en el barrio nomas chiflo
If I want to start a fight in the neighborhood, I just whistle.
Y salen todos corren los morros
All the youngsters come out to confront me, but they end up running away.
Otros en el piso hom boy pidiendo socorro
Others end up on the ground, begging for help.
Todo en esta vida hay que pagarlo con un precio
In life, everything has a cost.
Pero no hay pedo nosotros seguimos necios
We don't care about the cost, we will continue our lifestyle.
Si no te matan te llevan preso
If you don't die, you'll end up in jail.
Pero nos vale madre nosotros andamos recio
But we don't care, we'll live our lives to the fullest.
Nos vale madre pura pinche vida loca
We don't care about anything but living the wild life.
Inhalo coca me fumo como diez rocas
I do cocaine and smoke a lot of weed.
Soy un demente loco y zafado
I'm insane, crazy, and reckless.
Pero un chingo de rucas siempre yo traigo a mi lado
But I always have a lot of women by my side.
Soy mariguano y bien borracho
I'm a stoner and always drunk.
Si un jale me sale mal me voy directo pal gabacho
If something goes wrong, I flee to the border of the U.S.
Maniato y loco desde chabalo
I've been crazy and high since I was a kid.
Cuando nos topemos veremos quien es mas malo
We'll see who's tougher when we meet.
Soy cagapalos me vale queso
I don't care about being scared.
Porque desde bien morro he vivido mi vida recio
Because I've lived my life recklessly since I was very young.
Pum la pólvora impulsa el casquillo
The gunpowder ignites the bullet.
Lluvia de plomo pa aquel pinche morrillo
A rain of bullets for that damn youngster.
O mis nudillos nada mas pa que escarmiente
Or just my fists to teach them a lesson.
Pues con mi gente nunca nadie se mete
Because no one can mess with my people.
De este lado se junta puro zafado
On this side, only the reckless gather.
Con el humo volando y por la ley somos buscados
With smoke in the air, the law is after us.
Adicto a las pinche viejas y el pisto
I'm addicted to women and alcohol.
Compito me junto con puro drogadicto
I hang out with other drug addicts.
Fumando mientras mi cara se demacra
Smoking while my face deteriorates.
Vivimos recio toda la bola de lacras
We live our lives to the fullest alongside other scumbags.
Writer(s): Jennifer West-weinstein, Joseph Pizza, Leslie Weinstein
Contributed by Benjamin A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mydogspet
This is the way slide guitar was meant to sound. What a great album!
@frankconklin7611
kick ass!!!
@micheleserdar2011
Leslie West04ŕ
@marcinkicia7969
💛🧡❤❤🧡💛🙂🙃🙂