~ Drago Bonacich, All Music Guide
El Coyote
Palomo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y me fui para la sierra
El coyote era un bandido
Nacido allá por mi tierra
Lo conocí desde niño
Fuimos juntos a la escuela
Se sabía lo que intentaba
Porque cantaba canciones
Peleando con su guitarra
Y aunque perdiera ilusiones
Con sus ojos no lloraba
Aquella noche de mayo
Le gusto mi María Elena
Pero yo llegue a caballo
Ya tenia cita con ella
Cuando baje de la sierra
Me encare con el Coyote
Y abrazando a Maria Elena
Le dije ya tiene nombre
Porque en la ermita sagrada
Nos caso el cura del monte
El agacho la cabeza
Y se fue cobardemente
Pero como era coyote
Se devolvió de repente
El me buscaba la espalda
Pero yo le halle la frente
Coyote, coyote altivo
Que no respetaste amores
Pudiendo se buen amigo
Te mataron tus traiciones
RV
The lyrics of Palomo's song "El Coyote" tell the story of a bandido named Coyote who was born in the same land as the singer. The singer and Coyote were childhood friends and went to school together. Coyote was always drawn to music and would sing songs and play the guitar even during their first lessons in school. Although he would sometimes lose hope, he would never cry.
One day, the singer went to see his girlfriend Maria Elena, but when he arrived, he saw that Coyote had already arrived and had taken a liking to her. The singer and Maria Elena had already made plans, so he confronted Coyote and told him that Maria Elena already had a name (a boyfriend). Coyote left but later returned and tried to attack the singer from behind, but the singer was able to defend himself and ultimately killed Coyote.
The song explores themes of love, friendship, jealousy, and betrayal. It highlights the idea that even close friends can become enemies and that sometimes, in the face of jealousy, people can act irrationally and make poor choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Le pinte un cuatro al coyote
I marked the coyote with a ‘four’ symbol
Y me fui para la sierra
And I went to the mountains
El coyote era un bandido
The coyote was a bandit
Nacido allá por mi tierra
Born in my homeland
Lo conocí desde niño
I knew him since I was a child
Fuimos juntos a la escuela
We went to school together
A las primeras lecciones
In the early lessons
Se sabía lo que intentaba
You could tell what he was trying to do
Porque cantaba canciones
Because he sang songs
Peleando con su guitarra
Fighting with his guitar
Y aunque perdiera ilusiones
And although he lost his illusions
Con sus ojos no lloraba
He didn't cry with his eyes
Aquella noche de mayo
That night in May
Le gusto mi María Elena
My Maria Elena liked him
Pero yo llegue a caballo
But I arrived on horseback
Ya tenia cita con ella
I already had a date with her
Cuando baje de la sierra
When I came down from the mountain
Me encare con el Coyote
I faced the coyote
Y abrazando a Maria Elena
And embracing Maria Elena
Le dije ya tiene nombre
I told him she already has a name
Porque en la ermita sagrada
Because in the sacred chapel
Nos caso el cura del monte
The mountain priest married us
El agacho la cabeza
He lowered his head
Y se fue cobardemente
And left cowardly
Pero como era coyote
But since he was a coyote
Se devolvió de repente
He suddenly turned back
El me buscaba la espalda
He was looking for my back
Pero yo le halle la frente
But I found his forehead
Coyote, coyote altivo
Coyote, proud coyote
Que no respetaste amores
Who didn't respect love
Pudiendo se buen amigo
Could have been a good friend
Te mataron tus traiciones
Your treachery killed you
Writer(s): Jose Alfredo Jimenez
Contributed by Julian N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.