El Tatuado

The Tattooed One

El Tatuado

(Oh no way, I see it and I can't believe it)(Ay no puede ser, lo veo y no lo creo)

After five years, we finally had him backDespués de cinco años, lo teníamos de regreso
My oldest son who was locked up up northMijo el mayor que en el norte anduvo preso
We went to the airport to pick up our missing kidFuimos al aeropuerto a recoger al hijo ausente
Who, thanks to the gangs, was running with the wrong crowdQue por culpa de las juntas andaba de delincuente

We had a little party all set up at homeTeníamos la fiestecita ya en la casa preparada
So when he arrived, he could really let loosePa' que cuando llegara, se diera una atarrajada
Because we were so excited, we could hardly believePorque andábamos muy gustosos, no lo podíamos creer
That after so long, my son was about to come backQue mijo después de tanto estaba a punto de volver

But when I saw my boy step off the planeMás cuando vi a mi muchacho, que se bajó del avión
I barely recognized him, all scruffy and baldYa no lo reconocía, todo guangocho y pelón
But the worst was at home when I saw him nakedPero lo peor fue en la casa cuando lo vi encuerao'
That’s when I really lost it seeing him all tattooedAhí sí me dio el ojillo al verlo todo tatuao'

Why’d you get tattooed?Por qué te tatuatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get inked?Por qué te pintatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get marked up?Por qué te rayatis
Just becausePos nomás
You really messed yourself upYa te desgraciatis
You stupid fat assYou stupid fat ass

Why’d you get tattooed?Por qué te tatuatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get inked?Por qué te pintatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get marked up?Por qué te rayatis
Just becausePos nomás
You really messed yourself upYa te desgraciatis
You stupid fat assYou stupid fat ass

On the back of his neck, an L and an AEn la parte de la nuca, una L y una A
And down on his throat, his mom's nameY abajo en el pescuezo, el nombre de su mamá
He had a cross painted on one of his armsTenía una cruz pintada en uno de sus brazos
With the name of a friend who got shot downCon el nombre de un amigo al que mataron a balazos

Then he had another tattoo, two faces paintedLuego trae otro tatuaje, que son dos caras pintadas
One of them crying and the other just laughingUna de ellas está llorando y la otra puras carcajadas
On the other arm, a colorful flagEn el otro brazo trae a color una bandera
And a lady in a sombrero with her tits hanging outY una vieja con sombrero charro y las chichis de fuera

He’s all inked up, from elbow to wristAnda todo bien pintao', desde el codo a la muñeca
He’s got a car, a skull, and an Aztec calendarTrae un carro, una muerte y un calendario azteca
On his chest, it says Westside, I think that’s his hoodEn el pecho, trae Westside, que creo que ese es su barrio
And also two hands together holding a rosaryY también dos manos juntas que sostiene un rosario

He’s got some Chinese letters and a dragon’s headUnas letras chinas tiene y la cabeza de un dragón
Some dice and flames around the sacred heartUnos dados y entre lumbre al sagrado corazón
On his stomach, it says “crazy dudeEn la panza, trae escrita la palabra vato loco
On his back, my last name and a tear in his eyeEn la espalda, mi apellido y una lágrima en el ojo

Why’d you get tattooed?Por qué te tatuatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get inked?Por qué te pintatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get marked up?Por qué te rayatis
Just becausePos nomás
You really messed yourself upYa te desgraciatis
You stupid fat assYou stupid fat ass

Why’d you get tattooed?Por qué te tatuatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get inked?Por qué te pintatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get marked up?Por qué te rayatis
Just becausePos nomás
You really messed yourself upYa te desgraciatis
You stupid fat assYou stupid fat ass

Oh, oh, ohAy, ay, ay
That’s why people get sickPor eso es que a uno le dan las enfermedades
From those scares, those pains they put us throughPor esos sustos, esas penas que le hacen pasar a uno
Look at my boy, he came back more marked upMiren mi muchacho, me llegó más rayado
Than a wall in East Los AngelesQue una pared de este de Los Angeles
And I’m scared that with all those tattoos and those clawsY es que tengo miedo que con esas garras y con tanto tatuají
A cop might mistake him for a, for a gangbangerMe lo vaya a confundir algún policía con un, con un cholo

I asked him: Why’d you get all that ink? And he didn’t say a wordLe dije: ¿Por qué se pinta? Y no contestó nada
I feel like I wanna bathe him in pure hydrogen peroxideMe dan ganas de bañarlo con pura agua oxigenada
I’m gonna soak him in bleach and scrub him with soapVoy a remojarlo en cloro y a tallarlo con jabón
Just look at all that ink, he looks like a chalkboardMiren nomás cuánta letra, ya parece pizarrón

And the gossip spreads like wildfire, those nosy peopleY lo traen de boca en boca esa gente mitotera
Saying he’s more marked up than a bus station bathroomQue anda más rayado que un baño de la central
Bus stationCentral camionera
Don’t do that to your bodyNo hagas eso con tu cuerpo

Come on, tell me what you seeA ver, dime tú que le hallas
You think you look good all covered in ink?Tú crees que te ves muy bien andando lleno de rayas
No matter how hard I try, kid, I just can’t understand youPor más que quiero, muchacho, yo no te puedo entender
It seems like you got tattooed even from over thereSe me hace que te tatuaste hasta ya del over there

Why’d you get tattooed?Por qué te tatuatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get inked?Por qué te pintatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get marked up?Por qué te rayatis
Just becausePos nomás
You really messed yourself upYa te desgraciatis
You stupid fat assYou stupid fat ass

Why’d you get tattooed?Por qué te tatuatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get inked?Por qué te pintatis
Just becausePos nomás
Why’d you get marked up?Por qué te rayatis
Just becausePos nomás
You really messed yourself upYa te desgraciatis
You stupid fat assYou stupid fat ass