El Carretero
Ry Cooder and others Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Por el camino del sitio mio
Un carretero alegre paso
Con su canciones que es muy sentida
Y muy guajira alegre cantó

Me voy al transbordador, bam bam
A descargar la carreta (Bam bam)
Me voy al transbordador, bam bam
A descargar la carreta, bam bam
Para cumplir con la meta (Bam bam)
De mi pequeña labor

A caballo vamos pal monte
A caballo vamos pal monte
A caballo vamos pal monte
A caballo vamos pal monte

Yo trabajo sin reposo (Bam bam)
Para poderme casar (Bam bam)
Yo trabajo sin reposo (Bam bam)
Para poderme casar (Bam bam)
Y si lo llego a lograr (Bam bam)
Seré un guajiro dichoso

A caballo vamos pal monte
A caballo vamos pal monte
A caballo vamos pal monte
A caballo vamos pal monte

Yo soy guajiro y carretero (Bam bam)
Y en el campo vivo bien que (Bam bam)
Soy guajiro y carretero (Bam bam)
Y en el campo vivo bien (Bam bam)
Porque el campo es el eden (Bam bam)
Más lindo del mundo entero (Bam bam)

A caballo vamos pal monte
A caballo vamos pal monte
A caballo vamos pal monte
A caballo vamos pal monte

Chapea el monte, cultiva el llano
Recoge el fruto de tu sudor




Chapea el monte, cultiva el llano
Recoge el fruto de tu sudor

Overall Meaning

The song "El Carretero" by Ry Cooder and others is a celebration of the life of a carretero, or a cart driver, in the rural countryside of Cuba. The opening verse describes a carretero passing by, singing his heartfelt and joyful guajira songs, which are traditional rural songs in Cuba. The following verses depict the carretero going about his daily work, driving his cart to the ferry to unload it and complete his small task. He works tirelessly, even with the prospect of marriage motivating him, but he finds fulfillment in his life as a guajiro and carretero. The final lines encourage the listener to cultivate the land and reap the fruits of one's labor.


Overall, "El Carretero" is a song that celebrates the simple pleasures and hard work of rural life in Cuba. The carretero, with his songs and his work ethic, is a symbolic figure of the rural lifestyle that the song praises. The lyrics use repetition and rhythm to create a joyous and catchy song that celebrates the virtues of hard work and simplicity.


Line by Line Meaning

Por el camino del sitio mio
On the road to my place of origin


Un carretero alegre paso
A cheerful cart-driver passed by


Con su canciones que es muy sentida
With his heartfelt songs


Y muy guajira alegre cantó
And he joyfully sang in the Guajira style


Me voy al transbordador, bam bam
I'm going to the ferry


A descargar la carreta (Bam bam)
To unload my cart


Para cumplir con la meta (Bam bam)
To achieve my goal


De mi pequeña labor
In my small job


A caballo vamos pal monte
On horseback we go to the mountains


Yo trabajo sin reposo (Bam bam)
I work relentlessly


Para poderme casar (Bam bam)
So that I can get married


Y si lo llego a lograr (Bam bam)
And if I achieve it


Seré un guajiro dichoso
I'll be a happy Guajiro


Yo soy guajiro y carretero (Bam bam)
I am a Guajiro and cart-driver


Y en el campo vivo bien que (Bam bam)
And I live well in the countryside


Porque el campo es el eden (Bam bam)
Because the countryside is the Eden


Más lindo del mundo entero (Bam bam)
The most beautiful in the world


Chapea el monte, cultiva el llano
Clear the mountain, cultivate the plain


Recoge el fruto de tu sudor
Reap the fruits of your labor


A caballo vamos pal monte
On horseback we go to the mountains


A caballo vamos pal monte
On horseback we go to the mountains


A caballo vamos pal monte
On horseback we go to the mountains


A caballo vamos pal monte
On horseback we go to the mountains




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GUILLERMO PORTABALES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@d.cypher2920

One of my absolute favorite songs.

"Por que en el campo es el eden,
Mas lindo de mundo enterro"

--"because the land is a paradise,
The most beautiful place on earth!"
😎😏🤠
El carretero 'the cart driver'



@d.cypher2920

@Hunter Falck umm... i believe the very end is actually::

"...por que el campo es el eden,
¡Mas lindo de mudo enterro!"

"...because the land is an eden,
The most beautiful place on earth!"

...ah caballo vamos p'al monte, ah caballo vamos p'al monte.

Se un guajiro Carretero,
....
...

You get the idea.

VIVA CUBA, CUBA LIBRÉ!!
AHORA!!
😎🇺🇸



@markbrown4260

Along the road of my place,
a happy cart driver passed by
with his very heartfelt songs.
And with rural style, he happily sang.

I'm going to the ferry
to unload my cart,
to complete the tasks
of my humble job.

[Chorus]
On horseback we go to the countryside.
On horseback we go to the countryside.

I work without rest,
so someday I can get married,
and if I achieve it,
I will be a fortunate person.

I'm a farmer and cart driver,
and in the country I live well,
because the country is Eden,
more lovely than anyplace.

Clear the land, cultivate the land
harvest the fruit of your sweat.



@rpm1796

Mi Gusta...Mi favourita.....Viva la Independencia!


''Along the road of my place
A happy cart driver passed by
With his heart felt songs
and with rural style, He happily sang


I'm going to the ferry
to unload my cart
to complete the tasks
of my humble job


On horseback we go to the countryside
On horseback we go to the countryside



All comments from YouTube:

@raquelcroesraquelcroes1hot193

Mi abuelo vivió un tiempo en cuba y era carretero. Al principio del siglo 20

@ultramet

Just forever grateful to have had the privilege and honor to see the BVSC perform during the tour accompanying this magnificent album. Sadly, several original members of the BVSC are no longer with us but their great music lives with us forever. Thank you Ry Cooder for everything you did to bring this musical project to fruition for all the world to see and hear.

@vandoo66

Just forever grateful that I was never born in the Hell hole that is Cuba. If the adage that great art comes from great pain was ever true….

@romyman1971

Second your thank you to Ry Cooder for this beautiful gift. I suspect if this happened today Ry would be cancelled for cultural appropriation. 🙄

@adriancarter9970

Hearing this song always makes me so proud to be cuban, every single one of these and so many more by BVSC sang by my grandfather almost daily till he passed. I’ll be carrying the torch viejo, asta luego mi chama ❤️

@danielguimaraes1815

Música cubana ès increíble. Saludos desde Brasil.

@user-jh4ni4sd5o

May his soul rest in peace 🙏🏻 I'll be visiting Cuba in April! With love, from Cyprus 🥰

@ronlatronica3112

God bless your abuelito, caballero.

@teodorlartrist4440

Eschivează en tu lingua

@yvesdt3515

I'm not cuban but I like very much Buena Vista Social Club. Great music!

More Comments

More Versions