El Forastero
Nelson Y Sus Estrellas Lyrics
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A buscar la leña al río
Todo el mundo presagiaba
Un sentimiento sombrío
La florecita del pueblo
Fue a buscar la leña al río
Y como ya está de noche
Soy lugareño y espero
De ti el amor que yo quiero
Por qué buscar leña al río
Si ahí estará el forastero
Tu estás de mi enamorada
Y de él sólo ilusionada
Pa' qué borrar en un día
De la flor la lozanía
No quiero ir a la cita
Porque estará el forastero
Y yo le tengo recelo
A quien tu querer me quita
Al llegar la madrugada
Yo quiero que tu me olvides
No perdono a la malvada
Que a un forastero te diste
Qué malo es el forastero
Qué malo es el forastero
Qué malo es el forastero
Qué malo es el forastero.
The lyrics of Nelson Y Sus Estrellas's song El Forastero tell the story of a small town where everyone knows each other's business. The night that the "florecita del pueblo" (little flower of the town) went to gather firewood from the river, everyone had a feeling of foreboding. The local man was expecting the love that he wanted from the florecita, but she was only interested in the forastero (outsider) who was also collecting wood by the river.
The local man resents the forastero for taking away the woman he loves, and he refuses to go to a meeting because he is afraid of losing her to him. He wishes that she would forget him when he wakes up in the morning because he can't forgive the "malvada" (bad woman) who left him for an outsider. The repeating refrain of "qué malo es el forastero" (how bad the outsider is) speaks to the town's distrust and dislike of people who are not from their tight-knit community.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the fear, jealousy, and suspicion that often arise in small communities when an outsider is involved in a romantic situation. It also shows how love can be complicated and messy, especially when other people are involved.
Line by Line Meaning
La noche aquella que fuiste
On that night when you went
A buscar la leña al río
To gather firewood from the river
Todo el mundo presagiaba
Everybody was predicting
Un sentimiento sombrío
A dark feeling
La florecita del pueblo
The little flower of the town
Fue a buscar la leña al río
Went to gather firewood from the river
Y como ya está de noche
And since it's already nighttime
Se escuchan muchos reproches
Many complaints can be heard
Soy lugareño y espero
I am a local and I hope
De ti el amor que yo quiero
To receive the love I desire from you
Por qué buscar leña al río
Why go gather firewood from the river
Si ahí estará el forastero
When the outsider will be there
Tu estás de mi enamorada
You are my lover
Y de él sólo ilusionada
And only have illusions for him
Pa' qué borrar en un día
Why erase in a day
De la flor la lozanía
The flourishing of the flower
No quiero ir a la cita
I don't want to go to the meeting
Porque estará el forastero
Because the outsider will be there
Y yo le tengo recelo
And I am distrustful of him
A quien tu querer me quita
To the one who takes away your love from me
Al llegar la madrugada
When the dawn arrives
Yo quiero que tu me olvides
I want you to forget about me
No perdono a la malvada
I do not forgive the wicked woman
Que a un forastero te diste
Who gave herself to an outsider
Qué malo es el forastero
How bad the outsider is
Qué malo es el forastero
How bad the outsider is
Qué malo es el forastero
How bad the outsider is
Qué malo es el forastero
How bad the outsider is
Writer(s): NELSON GONZALEZ
Contributed by Eliana W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.