“Canción Mixteca,” by Ry Cooder … (Folk / Mexican Folk – Music to Your Ears–11)

This melancholy folk song has become an anthem for expats.

Ry Cooder – “Canción Mixteca”

“Canción Mixteca” (1912 ~ 1984)

Written over a century ago, this melancholy folk song expresses the homesickness of a migrant, and his longing for his home region. It was written by an Oaxacan composer who had moved to Mexico City.  

Expat Anthem

Over the years, “Canción Mixteca”  became an anthem of sorts for Mexican expats. Since 1984, it has received even wider exposure from its use in the soundtrack to the film “Paris, Texas”   (which is the version at the above link, with the lyrics sung by the actor Harry Dean Stanton).

Ry Cooder

Ry Cooder is a US musician who is known for his broad range of interests, primarily centred around “roots”  music. He plays a variety of plucked-string instruments, and has performed with everyone from John Lee Hooker and The Rolling Stones to The Chieftains and Captain Beefheart.   

On Rolling Stone magazine’s 2003 list of “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,”   Cooder ranked at Number 8.    

His resume is very long, and very, very impressive.     _{(Image source)}

¡Qué lejos estoy del suelo donde he nacido!
inmensa nostalgia invade mi pensamiento;
y al verme tan solo y triste cual hoja al viento,
quisiera llorar, quisiera morir de sentimiento.

¡Oh Tierra del Sol! Suspiro por verte
ahora que lejos yo vivo sin luz, sin amor;
y al verme tan solo y triste cual hoja al viento,
quisiera llorar, quisiera morir de sentimiento.

(English translation of lyrics)

How far I am from the land where I was born!
Immense nostalgia invades my thoughts;
And seeing myself so lonely and sad like a leaf in the wind,
I want to cry, I want to die of sorrow.

Oh Land of Sun! I yearn to see you!
Now that I'm so far from you, I live without light and love;
And seeing myself so lonely and sad like a leaf in the wind,
I want to cry, I want to die of sorrow.   _{(Image source)}
Lyrics by José López Alavez, courtesy of – Wikipedia
Reference – Wikipedia
Reference – Wikipedia

Into your ears … through 5 channels

 The various posts are categorized into 5 channels _{(Right-Click to see details)}
         1 – “Music to Your Ears” (MTYE)
         2 – “Cover Versions”
         3 – “Honor Roll”
         4 – “Documentaries”
         5 – “Mock’n’Roll”

Links to my other series ...

          Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"
          Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"

          Great Lyrics, a compilation – “Part One – My Lyrics Posts 3~30”
          Great Lyrics, a compilation – “Part Two – My Lyrics Posts 31~60”  

          Vocab-Ability – "Introduction to Vocab-Ability"  
          Vocab-Ability – "Index"  to all Chapters and Sections  

          Notes from Under the Tatami Mats – "Part One – Notes 1~50"  
          Notes from Under the Tatami Mats – "Part Two – Notes 51~87"