Mala Fama Lyrics in English Manu Chao
Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Mala Fama by Manu Chao from Spanish to English.
Fama mala fama la que me va persiguiendo
Bad fame, bad fame, the one that keeps pursuing me
Fama mala fama zamuro en la gran ciudad
Bad fame, bad fame, a vulture in the big city
Fama mala fama la que me va maldiciendo
Bad fame, bad fame, the one that keeps cursing me
Fama mala fama dime tu porque sera
Bad fame, bad fame, tell me why it is
Yo soy un hombre sincero
I am a sincere man
De donde crece la juana
From where the weed grows
Boca de vieja contando de todo lo que no sabe
Old woman's mouth telling everything she doesn't know
Fama mala fama la que me va precediendo
Bad fame, bad fame, the one that keeps preceding me
Fama mala fama zamuro en la gran ciudad
Bad fame, bad fame, a vulture in the big city
Como buitre por la gran ciudad
Like a vulture through the big city
Arrastratela
Drag it along
Me dicen el desagradecido
They call me the ungrateful one
Esa no es la verdad
That's not the truth
Me dicen de todo me dicen de nada
They call me everything, they call me nothing
Nunca por delante siempre por detrás
Never to my face, always behind my back
Fama mala fama la que me va maldiciendo
Bad fame, bad fame, the one that keeps cursing me
Fama mala fama zamuro en la gran ciudad
Bad fame, bad fame, a vulture in the big city
Fama mala fama la que me va precediendo
Bad fame, bad fame, the one that keeps preceding me
Fama mala fama por algo sera
Bad fame, bad fame, there must be a reason
Fama mala fama
Bad fame, bad fame
Pero saoco yo sigo pa'lante
But hey, I keep moving forward
Se que mi día llegara
I know my day will come
Boca de vieja inventando
Old woman's mouth inventing
Lo que se ira comentando
What will be talked about
Todo lo va fabulando
She's fabricating everything
No sabe ma' que decir
She doesn't know what else to say
Me dicen el de la mala vida
They call me the one with the bad life
Perro verde mal educado
Strange dog, ill-mannered
Me dicen de todo me dicen de nada
They call me everything, they call me nothing
Nunca por delante siempre por detrás
Never to my face, always behind my back
Fama mala fama la que me va maldiciendo
Bad fame, bad fame, the one that keeps cursing me
Fama mala fama dime tu porque sera
Bad fame, bad fame, tell me why it is
Fama mala fama se que mi día llegara
Bad fame, bad fame, I know my day will come
Y de vecina en vecina
And from neighbor to neighbor
Llego hasta allá a la china
It reached all the way to China
Y de vuelta a la cocina
And back to the kitchen
Radio bemba comentando de todo lo que pasa
Gossip radio commenting on everything that happens
Lyrics and Translations Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
JOSE-MANUEL THO CHAO
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zamuro — vulture
Zamuro is a regional Spanish term for 'vulture', particularly common in some Latin American countries. It's a more evocative and less common word than the standard 'buitre'.
In "Mala Fama," Manu Chao uses 'zamuro' to paint a vivid picture of the 'bad fame' that follows him like a scavenger in the big city. It suggests something dark, persistent, and perhaps even predatory, making it a memorable and unique word choice in the lyrics.
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