The Americans
The Americans by Piero
English Translation
I have translated a piece of poetry from Alberto Cortez that was interpreted by famous Latin American singer, Piero. I find the piece very intersting, and I must say very offensive too, however there is a great amount of sense and truth in it.The song is widely known all over Central and South America.
They are born old
And they become older
Through life
The Americans
And they are born convinced
That there is nothing in the world
More important than
The Americans
Napoleon for them
Was an Italian gentleman
That organized the thing
Without Americans
And they are more than certain
That Waterloo would not
Have lost without the help
Of the Americans
If they know about history
Is not because they read
But because they watched it
In the American theaters
With grand stages
And fabulous music
In the subtle style
Of the Americans
With large mandibles
Of so much chewing gum
Is common to see
The Americans
Showing a thousand colors
All but black
Which they do not consider
Of American taste
When they are old enough
They dress as tourists
And travel around the world
The Americans
In an organized trip
With romance included
Everything paid
By Americans
If there is something to admire
Is the great elegancy
Wherever they go
Of the Americans
With traditional clothes
They blend with the people
And nobody notices
The Americans
Always buying
Valuable things
That have recently become old
For Americans
And later in their houses
They attend the guests
That greatly appreciate the good taste
Of the Americans
And in the night clubs
They feel inspired
And it is very common to see them
Dancing without stop
Proliferating the grace
Of the Americans
And well my friends
It is enough for now
I have told you what I could
About the Americans
And if you see them
I beg you please to give them my respectful greeting
To the Americans
November 14, 2007 at 5:21 am
People would not allow anyone in America to do this on such a large scale as he did. Why does he have so much hate towards “The Americans”? We don’t have thousands of people preaching “The Argentinians”.
November 16, 2007 at 3:17 am
I am speechless.
The kind of speechless an American may feel when they don’t even know what to think of their own country. When they know there are good things about it, but just as much -if not more- corrupt things. What must an American do when they wish to express their frustration about their own country, but they know they cannot, due to the influence and the opinions of the majority of Americans -the Americans in the song. What must an American do when they are not proud of the American way they were raised, but can not make an impact large enough to change the ways around them, so they must conform?
What must an American do? They cannot simply shed their image of an American. People will always perseive them this way until they get to know the “American” better.
I hope, Luis, that you do not totally perseive me as one of “the Americans” in the song.
July 21, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Luis I am disappointed in your offensive blog. You said it yourself a Latin (not American) artist wrote it and it is widely known across Central America. Maybe a song about Americans should be written by one…who would actually know what to say…
July 23, 2008 at 4:08 am
who are you?
it does represent what many many many americans are