Español

Les voy a recordar el tiempo pasado
cuando Palermo fue Maldonado
y yo en la gran Nacional
trabajé de mayoral.

Y voy a recodar algunos detalles
que sucedían siempre en la calle,
cuando con su cadenero
al tranvía algún carrero
quería pasar.

Dale que dale, dale más ligero
a ver quién sube el repecho primero
y orgulloso el conductor
lo pasaba al percherón.

Dale que dale, dale más ligero
y atrás dejaban al pobre carrero
repitiendo al mayoral
si le sobra deme un real.

(Instrumental)

Yo soy del Buenos Aires de ayer, compañero,
cuando en las tardes el farolero
con su escalera apurado
la sección iba a alumbrar.

Después con su pregón familiar el sereno
marcaba hora tras hora el tiempo
luego el boletín cantado
dando así por terminado
un día más.

Dale que dale, dale más ligero
total ahora ya no está el carrero
ni el bromista conductor
ni el sereno y su pregón.

Dale que dale, dale más ligero
total tampoco existe el farolero
dale y dale sin parar
hasta que me hagas llorar.

(Instrumental)

English

I’m going to take you back to days gone by,
when Palermo was still called Maldonado,
and I, aboard the great "Nacional" line,
worked as a tram conductor.

And I’ll recall a few details for you—
scenes that played out daily in the streets—
when a cart driver,
with his lead horse,
would try to race our tramcar.

Giddy-up, giddy-up—drive her faster now!—
let’s see who makes it up the hill first!
And proudly, the tram driver
would overtake that mighty Percheron.

Giddy-up, giddy-up—drive her faster still!—
leaving the poor cart driver behind us,
as he called out to the conductor:
"If you’ve got a spare coin, throw me a dime!"

(Instrumental)

I belong to the Buenos Aires of yesterday, my friend—
when, in the fading afternoon light, the lamplighter,
ladder in hand and in a hurry,
would go out to illuminate his district.

Later, with his familiar street cry, the watchman
would mark the passage of time, hour after hour;
then came the sung news bulletin,
bringing to a close—just like that—
one more day.

Giddy-up, giddy-up—drive her faster now!—
after all, the cart driver is gone now,
as is the joking tram driver,
and the watchman with his street cry.

Giddy-up, giddy-up—drive her faster still!—
for the lamplighter, too, exists no more;
drive on and on without stopping...
until you bring tears to my eyes.

(Instrumental)

Español

Les voy a recordar el tiempo pasado
cuando Palermo fue Maldonado
y yo en la gran Nacional
trabajé de mayoral.

Y voy a recodar algunos detalles
que sucedían siempre en la calle,
cuando con su cadenero
al tranvía algún carrero
quería pasar.

Dale que dale, dale más ligero
a ver quién sube el repecho primero
y orgulloso el conductor
lo pasaba al percherón.

Dale que dale, dale más ligero
y atrás dejaban al pobre carrero
repitiendo al mayoral
si le sobra deme un real.

(Instrumental)

Dale que dale, dale más ligero
a ver quién sube el repecho primero
y orgulloso el conductor
lo pasaba al percherón.

Dale que dale, dale más ligero
y atrás dejaban al pobre carrero
repitiendo al mayoral
si le sobra deme un real.

(Unsung part)

Yo soy del Buenos Aires de ayer, compañero,
cuando en las tardes el farolero
con su escalera apurado
la sección iba a alumbrar.

Después con su pregón familiar el sereno
marcaba hora tras hora el tiempo
luego el boletín cantado
dando así por terminado
un día más.

Dale que dale, dale más ligero
total ahora ya no está el carrero
ni el bromista conductor
ni el sereno y su pregón.

Dale que dale, dale más ligero
total tampoco existe el farolero
dale y dale sin parar
hasta que me hagas llorar.

English

I’m going to take you back to days gone by,
when Palermo was still called Maldonado,
and I, aboard the great "Nacional" line,
worked as a tram conductor.

And I’ll recall a few details for you—
scenes that played out daily in the streets—
when a cart driver,
with his lead horse,
would try to race our tramcar.

Giddy-up, giddy-up—drive her faster now!—
let’s see who makes it up the hill first!
And proudly, the tram driver
would overtake that mighty Percheron.

Giddy-up, giddy-up—drive her faster still!—
leaving the poor cart driver behind us,
as he called out to the conductor:
"If you’ve got a spare coin, throw me a dime!"

(Instrumental)

Giddy-up, giddy-up—drive her faster now!—
let’s see who makes it up the hill first!
And proudly, the tram driver
would overtake that mighty Percheron.

Giddy-up, giddy-up—drive her faster still!—
leaving the poor cart driver behind us,
as he called out to the conductor:
"If you’ve got a spare coin, throw me a dime!"

(Unsung part)

I belong to the Buenos Aires of yesterday, my friend—
when, in the fading afternoon light, the lamplighter,
ladder in hand and in a hurry,
would go out to illuminate his district.

Later, with his familiar street cry, the watchman
would mark the passage of time, hour after hour;
then came the sung news bulletin,
bringing to a close—just like that—
one more day.

Giddy-up, giddy-up—drive her faster now!—
after all, the cart driver is gone now,
as is the joking tram driver,
and the watchman with his street cry.

Giddy-up, giddy-up—drive her faster still!—
for the lamplighter, too, exists no more;
drive on and on without stopping...
until you bring tears to my eyes.