El Chueco Maciel [English translation]

Why your aching step

from north to south,

the foot that didn't know

the foot that didn't know

about laughs or light?

Your father leaves the land

of Tacuarembó

looking for his land,

a land of his,

and he never found it.

He finds th sad garbage

where a thousand people live,

he finds the death,

he finds the silence

of that shanty town.

The Bow-legged, round eyes

without chalkboard,

looking at his mother,

looking at his brother,

he learns about pain.

The moon, week by week,

saw him wander

loaded of foam,

looking for a shore

like looking for the sea.

The Bow-legged doesn't know about shores

doesn't know about seas,

he knows about anger,

anger that aims

and doesn't want to kill.

He robs the bank and shares

with the shanty town,

like before with hunger

like before with hunger

he shares the loot.

This way I sing the story

of the Bow-legged Maciel,

the siren sounds,

the siren sounds,

they're coming for him.

The news publish two bullets,

are ten or a thousand,

a thousand eyes watching,

a thousand eyes watching

from the shanty town.

The Bow-legged was a uruguayan

from Tacuarembó

with aching step,

with aching step,

with aching step.

Let the bow-legged get together,

get their feet together,

and then walk looking for the homeland,

everyone's homeland, Maciel's homeland,

this bow-legged homeland that they won't twist

with hard chains the feet together

we will succeed.

• Artist:Daniel Viglietti
• Album:Canciones Chuecas (1971)