Un Grupo de Mexicali - Fernando

Un Grupo de Mexicali's latest is a ballad about a man who took a lot of abuse from men because of his small stature and unwillingness to stick up for himself. But when a bully makes advances towards his wife, he shows what kind of a man he really is! The chorus section of the song is interesting, and must be a little tricky to get right because of the mis-directed accents and rhythms. But the group has no trouble pulling it off with their usual virtuosity. The song does highlight Hispanic cultural machismo, but the end of the song throws a little surprise to that as well.  There is also a few examples of Spanish vulgarity in the song. We aren't prudes here at Big And Tall Records, but it is surprising as we haven't heard it from this group before.

I once knew a man named Fernando

 He was not a man strong and free 

So many hombres pushed him around 

It was so much terrible to see I toll him, 

“Do you have cojones?

Or are you all blank way down there”

 But he said nothing, just looked at me 

It was something that I couldn’t bear! 

 

 ¿Eres Fernando o Fernanda? 

¡Quién te cortó los cojones! 

¿No tienes nada que decirme? 

¿O simplemente no tienes nada que decir? 

 

 Are you Fernando or Fernanda? 

Who cut both your cojones away! 

Can’t defend any honor you have 

Or do you just have nothing to say! 

 

 It’s true Fernando was really short

 His arms and his legs were so skinny 

His hair on his face was like peach fuzz 

His voice was real high and was tinny 

He seldom went to the cantina 

Always hombres would pick a big fight 

 He would just stay home with La espousa 

And stay safe in her care every night!

 

 Are you Fernando or Fernanda? 

Who cut both your cojones away!

 Can’t defend any honor you have 

Or do you just have nothing to say! 

 

 ¿Eres Fernando o Fernanda?

 ¡Quién te cortó los cojones! 

¿No tienes nada que decirme? 

¿O simplemente no tienes nada que decir? 

 

 I saw him and wife walk down the street 

They were quiet and just took a stroll

 A mean hombre stumbled into him 

And said to his wife, “I’m on patrol! 

Look for señoras that need a man 

You look like you don’t have anyone 

Why do not you lose that corbarde 

Come with me and I’ll show you fun! 

 

Are you Fernando or Fernanda? 

Who cut both your cojones away! 

You going to let that hijo de puta 

To talk to your cariño that way 

 

Fernando told the bully, “Please stop! 

We do not want any trouble tonight!” 

The bully said, “Si, you have trouble 

Hah! You trying to start a big fight? 

You no puedo can protect your woman!”

 He grabbed for the wife then Fernando

Slapped the hombre in the face so hard 

The hombre’s head snapped to the side

 Then he hit him 3 times really hard 

 

 Fernando! I am so, so surprised

 That you had that much fight inside you 

The hombre’s face down in the gutter 

We all didn’t know the real you! 

 

My amigos told me Fernando 

Was a peace loving man strong and true 

That he was a self defense teacher 

That he could defeat a whole crew 

So the moral of the story is 

Don’t judge any book by its cover 

Or you too may be bleeding, laying

 Face down in the street and the gutter!