''La cárcel de Cananea'' (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: "''

Cananea Cananea is a city in the Mexican state of Sonora, Northwestern Mexico. It is the seat of the Municipality of Cananea, in the vicinity of the U.S−Mexico border. The population of the city was 31,560 as recorded by the 2010 census. The pop ...

jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...

''") is a

corrido The corrido () is a popular narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaquero lifestyle, and other socially relevant topics. Corridos were widely popular ...

(Mexican ballad) written in 1917 commemorating the Cananea Strike that took place in the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

mining town of

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

, in June 1906. It has been produced in numerous versions, including one by

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

Title: La cárcel de Cananea, Composer/Artist: Linda Ronstadt
on her album ''

Canciones de mi padre ''Canciones de Mi Padre'' (Spanish for "Songs of My Father", or "My Father's Songs") is American singer Linda Ronstadt's first album of Mexican traditional Mariachi music. History The album was released in late 1987 and immediately became a glob ...

'', released in 1987.

English translation

''I am going to recount to you all what happened to me,'' (2x)
''They've taken me prisoner for being an oft-played

fighting cock A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...

.'' (2x) ''I went to

Agua Prieta Agua Prieta (English: ''Dark Water'', Opata: ''Bachicuy'') is a town in Agua Prieta Municipality in the northeastern corner of the Mexican state of Sonora. It stands on the Mexico–U.S. border, adjacent to the town of Douglas, Arizona. The mun ...

to see who would recognize me,'' (2x)
''And at eleven o'clock that night, the police apprehended me.'' (2x) ''The officers* grabbed me in the gringo style,'' (2x)
''Like a wanted fugitive, all of them with pistols in their hands.'' (2x) ''The jail of

is situated up on a

mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by ...

,'' (2x)
''Where I was "processed" because of my careless blunder.'' (2x) ''A farewell I do not give because I do not carry it here.'' (2x)
''I leave it to the

Holy Child The Christ Child, also known as Divine Infant, Baby Jesus, Infant Jesus, the Divine Child, Child Jesus, the Holy Child, Santo Niño, and to some as Señor Noemi refers to Jesus Christ from his nativity to age 12. The four canonical gospels, ...

and the Lord of Mapimí.'' (2x) (*) In different versions of the song, the word "officers" is "''gendarmes''" or "''sheriffes''". In the previous verse, the word "police" is always "''policía''".

External links

*A short audio clip provided by the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

can be hear
here
*A longer audio clip of the same track can be hear

References

Mexican music Spanish-language songs 1917 songs Songwriter unknown {{1910s-song-stub