The Accidental Linguist

Joe Arroyo is probably the best known Colombian salsero, from the hey-day of Colombian salsa in the 1970s and 1980s. This passionate tribute to his favorite city remains popular in Barranquilla to this day.

Here you will find an English translation of the lyrics, as well as a more complete and accurate version of the Spanish lyrics than is currently available elsewhere on the web. Also see notes on translation.

Listen to the song.

In Barranquilla I will Stay (En Barranquilla Me Quedo)
Joe Arroyo

…
Shake it up man!

[…instrumentals…]

From the Caribbean blooms
Beautiful, enchanting
With sea and river
A great society

Barranquilla the lovely
I sing to you now
With gratitude and love
From a singer to the people who adore
To the nobility and sense
Of her embracing people
To my little homeland
That supported me

Your name means to me
The hope of life
I arrived to you when I had
Fourteen springs¹

blablabla blebleble blobloblo
…

I made my resolution
So that the whole world knows
In Barranquilla I will stay

(In Barranquilla I will stay)
(In Barranquilla I will stay)
In Barranquilla I will stay

(In Barranquilla I will stay)
I’ll stay I’ll stay I’ll stay I’ll stay I’ll stay
Living as a friend

(In Barranquilla I will stay)
I swear it and I’m not a liar, baby

(In Barranquilla I will stay)
In the sandy city I will stay

(In Barranquilla I will stay)
The Antillean landing
Where the people thank you
A good door to salsa
For me it was given that I should strike²
Those that derive from this race
And if they throw me in jail
Barranquilla will bail me out

(In Barranquilla I will stay)
On firm land I will stay

(In Barranquilla I will stay)
I proclaim it because I love you, woman

(In Barranquilla I will stay)
In the sandy city I will stay

(In Barranquilla I will stay)
To beloved Barranquilla I bring this mambo

[…instrumentals and piano solo

…There!…

…Flavor!…

…Here with you all, Cheripo de Gato, from Barranquilla with flavor…

…Here it is…

…Let’s go!…

…]

(In Barranquilla I’ll stay, I’ll stay to enjoy)
In Barranquilla I’ll stay, flavorful and that’s it

(In Barranquilla I’ll stay, I’ll stay to enjoy)
For her women, how pretty are her women

(In Barranquilla I’ll stay, I’ll stay to enjoy)
Pretty and tropical land

(In Barranquilla I’ll stay, I’ll stay to enjoy)
I swear that I’ll stay, I’ll stay to enjoy

¹i.e., 14 years old
²i.e., strike a chord with

---

En Barranquilla Me Quedo
Joe Arroyo

…
Vacílalo rumbero!

[…instrumentals…]

Del caribe aflora
Bella, encantadora
Con mar y rio
Una gran sociedad

Barranquilla hermosa
Yo te canto ahora
Con gratitud y amor
Del cantor al pueblo que adora
A la nobleza y sentir
De su gente acojedora
A mi patria chiquita
Que me apoyo

Tu nombre pa’ mi significa
La esperanza de la vida
Llegue a ti cuando tenía
Mis catorce primaveras

blablabla blebleble blobloblo
…

Tome mi resolución
Que lo sepa todo el mundo
que en Barranquilla me quedo

(En Barranquilla me quedo)
(En Barranquilla me quedo)
En Barranquilla me quedo

(En Barranquilla me quedo)
me quedo me quedo me quedo me qeudo me quedo
viviendo a lo ñero

(En Barranquilla me quedo)
Te lo juro y no soy cañero bebe

(En Barranquilla me quedo)
En la arenosa me quedo

(En Barranquilla me quedo)
La negautia antillana
Donde la gente te agrata
Puerta bono y de la salsa
Pa mi dio que yo le pego
Quien derive de esta raza
Y si a mi me meten preso
Barranquilla a mi me saca

(En Barranquilla me quedo)
En tierra firme me quedo

(En Barranquilla me quedo)
Yo lo pregono porque te quiero mujer

(En Barranquilla me quedo)
En la arenosa me quedo

(En Barranquilla me quedo)
A Barranquilla querida yo le traigo este mambo

[…instrumentals and piano solo

…Ahí!…

…Sabor!…

…Y con Ustedes, Cheripo de Gato, de Barranquilla con sabor…

…Aqui esta…

…Vamos!…

…]

(En barranquilla me quedo me quedo a gozar)
En Barraquilla me quedo sabroso y na’ ma’

(En Barranquilla me quedo me quedo a gozar)
por sus mujeres que lindas son sus mujeres

(En barranquilla me quedo me quedo a gozar)
Tierra linda y tropical

(En barranquilla me quedo me quedo a gozar)
Te juro que me quedo me quedo a gozar

---

In translating this song to English, it was not possible to simply take a ready Spanish version off the web and start from there. Before this one, there were two versions of the Spanish lyrics on the web, and both of them had numerous, obvious flaws. What’s more, even after correcting all of the easy stuff, there is still the middle stanza, ending with the line “Barranquilla a mi me saca”, which I am still very unsure about. I’ve managed to interpret Joe’s syllables in a way that minimizes nonsense words, but obviously something is still missing. In the city of Barranquilla itself, I am sure there are several musicians who know exactly what these words are supposed to be, but so far (apparently) none of them are on the internet. So until somebody tracks one of them down, this is what we’ve got. Suggestions?

In the first line of this difficult stanza, I put “antillana” because this refers to the Antillean blacks whose descendents make up much of Barranquilla’s population, and to the Colombian musical style bearing the same name. Another possibility for this word is “catillana” which in Caribbean dialect means “castellana”, i.e. the Spanish language. “Negautia” is not a word as far as I know, so this is a spot that obviously needs clarification.

In the third line “puerta bono” does not make any sense as far as I know, except as a corruption of “puerta buena” or “puerto bueno”. I suspect that the real words may be “por estar …”. I also suspect that “bono” may be “vano”, but I wasn’t comfortable substituting this word because of its usual negative connotation.

With regards to the rest of the stanza, it is my sense that it is a play on the double-meaning of “pegar”– pegar could mean that he makes such good music that the people can’t get enough of him. It could mean that he is physically striking them, which might land him in jail (in which case “Barranquilla” would break him out). That’s just my take on it.

Matt