Lamento Boliviano

Can someone please tell me what the last two lines of the chorus mean?
Why is he going on about combs, beds and travelling salesmen? <=/
"Nena no te peines en la cama, Que los viajantes se van a atrasar"

Originally Posted by gsmart

Can someone please tell me what the last two lines of the chorus mean?
Why is he going on about combs, beds and travelling salesmen? <=/
"Nena no te peines en la cama, Que los viajantes se van a atrasar"

That line means "Baby dont comb on the bed, Be cause the travalers will delay"

This one of my favorit songs, in the last line he talk about how he loose the girl.

Ok - perhaps there is some Spanish colloquialism here that I am missing, but I can't see how he lost the girl as a result of delayed salesmen and combing on the bed? Any ideas?

I like this song a lot and if I'm ever caught singing away to it and someone asks "so what does it all mean?" - I'd like to be able to come up with something better than "who cares... nobody! (presumably followed by a brainless titter)"

I used to hear this song on the radio all the time when i lived in Mexico about 8 years ago. At the time I couldn't decipher most of the lyrics, and didn't realize it's kind of a serious song.

I was trying to think of "drinking songs" for a dj friend's radio show, and I remembered this one, so i downloaded it, and looked up the lyrics. Been banging my head against the wall for the last hour or so trying to figure out those particular lines too. I think I did, and since I ran across this message board in the process I'll give my two cents here:

That line isn't "no te pienes en la cama" it's "no te penas en la cama" You can hear it pretty clearly in the song. I have a hunch it was simply misprinted in the various lyrics websites floating around the net which are not uncommonly inaccurate, and which are usually copied from other lyrics webpages (so that the mistakes become duplicated over and over)

"Penar" is to suffer, worry, fret. The words would make a lot more sense that way. It's a song about an alcoholic guy who knows he's seriously ****ed-up, and the woman who's in love with him knows the same. I think the lines are saying something like "Baby, don't worry, and cry in bed and lose sleep" (no te penas en la cama)" that the travelers " (ie he and she, metaphorically speaking ~ ie travelers together in life) "will be left behind " (que los viajantes se van a trasar)

I was in relationship for a couple years, in southern Mexico, with a macho Mexican guy, who had a serious drinking problem , and at times would become quite crazy and violent. Frankly, I used to do alot of crying in bed, and I can totally relate to the song. I used to tell him that was his song. I didn't realize at the time though, as i said, that it says what it does, and has serious meaning, since the only words I could decipher were "yo estoy aqui' , borracho y loco"

Haven't seen my ex in years. I came home for the hoidays, intending to go back to Mexico to be with him, and realized, within a week or two being back in the US, i couldn't and shouldn't live in fear for my safety (or my life), though I didn't stop loving or missing him. He waited for me for a year, surprizingly, then gave up, told me he had great memories, and was very sorry he had treated me "muy, muy feo"

Wow - big two cents worth! Thanks for that. To be honest - I rarely question the lyrics I pull off the web since I always blame my translations for the implausible bits - but you're right - it is clearly 'penas', and your suggestion regarding travelling through life seems to work too - cheers.

Sorry about all your misfortune but it really does sound like you are well shot of that guy - there's no excuse for physical (or even mental) brutality. Breaking up always seems the most painful thing in the world at the time but things have a habit of improving just a short trip down the road! Have a great life!

[stefanov1977]

It's not penas, is peinas. And the meaning I guess is that he's telling a girl to don't comb her hair 'cause she's gonna be delay to get laid with someone else. I guess he's talking about a hooker, or maybe he just want to have sex with her and now that he has, he's ready to let her go and he is impatience for her to leave.

I guess anybody understood the lyrics the way you want.

Does the chorus of this song not sound exact like "One of these nights" by the Eagles?? I knew it sounded familiar for such a long time and then my fiance pointed it out to me one day!

As far as peines / penes I always thought it was no te peinas. But the meaning eluded me as well. I thought it was a phrase referencing some kind of superstition.

I did some googling and apparently that line referenced in a song by another band from the 80s called Alcohol Etilico and it may have some kind of internal meaning to them. I am not sure how accurate it is, but it is another possible meaning.

Discussing lyrics we all know that the writer has their own personal reason for choosing the words that they do, and it is probably none of these ...

[stefanov1977]

I love one song of alcohol etilico and i think it's the only one that is a hit, it's called Rocas en mi mente. Great song. It was a blast when it came out. And your right, only the songwritter get the real meanin' of what he tried to share.