Why don’t you come to your senses? / ¿Por qué no entras en razón?

La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.

While San Geraldo was cooking dinner the other night, I was visiting with him in the kitchen. We do that regularly. “What’s that song?” he asked. “You know the one about the horse?” I immediately recognized the tune when he sang just one word (the only word he knew): “Descanado…”

“You mean Desperado?” I asked. “It’s not about a horse.” I sang the first couple of lines. “Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses? You’ve been out riding fences for so long.” (I sounded quite good.)

He said. “I always thought it was about a horse.”

And now I can’t get the song out of my head. (That’s San Geraldo, the desperado, out front in the photo, with his sister Linda, and a cousin.)

Mientras San Geraldo preparaba la cena la otra noche, yo estaba visitándolo en la cocina. Lo hacemos regularmente. “¿Cuál es esa canción?” preguntó. “¿Conoces el del caballo?” Inmediatamente reconocí la melodía cuando cantó solo una palabra (la única palabra que conocía): “Descanado…”

“¿Te refieres a Desperado?” yo pregunté. “No se trata de un caballo”. Canté las primeras líneas. “Desperado, ¿por qué no entras en razón? Has estado montando vallas durante tanto tiempo”. (Me sonó bastante bien.)

Él dijo. “Siempre pensé que se trataba de un caballo”.

Y ahora no puedo sacarme la canción de la cabeza. (Ese es San Geraldo, el desperado, al frente en la foto, con su hermana Linda y un primo.)

Author: Moving with Mitchell

From Brooklyn, New York; to North Massapequa; back to Brooklyn; Brockport, New York; back to Brooklyn... To Boston, Massachusetts, where I met Jerry... To Marina del Rey, California; Washington, DC; New Haven and Guilford, Connecticut; San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Santa Barbara, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Irvine, California; Sevilla and then Fuengirola, Spain. And now Córdoba.

38 thoughts on “Why don’t you come to your senses? / ¿Por qué no entras en razón?”

  1. I immediately thought of ‘I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name…it feels good to be out and about? I dont know. Hugs!!!!

    1. Kathleen:
      Ugh! That song! That was playing when I was in college and no one ever had a clue what in hell he was talking about. Hugs back!

  2. Oh, shoot! I missed several blog posts. School weeks are too busy.
    I loved the glistening, rainy views of Brooklyn, and those Croquettes at Mesón Salvador… ooooh.
    I’m happy to hear how happy Chuck was to be serenaded 🙂
    Now, off to sing Descanado in my head all day, with horse images 😉

    1. Judy C:
      I’d love to hear the rest of the lyrics of Desanado! 😉
      I’m glad you had some time to catch up. Chuck’s smile was one of “unbridled” joy. So rare to see.

  3. If Desperado/Descanado ear worms me, that’ll be fine. I’ve been hearing Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car ever since the Grammys and it is a great song but it is getting a little tiresome.
    The picture of SG is priceless.
    Ms. Moon

    1. Ms. Moon:
      I love Tracy Chapman and Fast Care is powerful, but I’d be grateful for a different earworm. During one of my bad bouts, that came on the radio when I was driving to work alone and I had to pull off the freeway because I couldn’t see through the tears. I love the song, but it takes me back. SG is priceless!

      1. Mitchell, I was having my very bad day the day after the Grammy’s and I bet I cried at least five times, listening and watching the video of Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs singing that song together.

        1. MaryMoon:
          That is a tough song to get through without at least a little shiver on the best of days.

  4. Old songs often pop into my head for apparently no reason except some obscure association. But good memories almost always accompany them.

    1. Debra:
      Yes! Hope the biopic turns out well. I’m also a fan of both, but especially Linda Ronstadt.

  5. The video was blocked for me, but that’s okay. I didn’t need it to get my ear worm for the day. They’re sure having fun in the photo!

    1. LizBoud:
      Kathleen had the same thought. And oh how that song still makes me crazy. It takes me back to the college years, the rathskeller, shooting pool, and everybody hearing the song and saying “What the…?”

    1. Kirk:
      I never really thought it was about the Old West, although the lyrics have those twangy references. Descanado means “rested” in Spanish… but I’m sure SG didn’t realize that.

  6. Poor SG. He gets his turds wisted…

    Jx

    PS Hate that bloody song, regardless of the version. I still cannot believe The Eagles were as successful as they were.

    1. Jon:
      Yes he does!
      You and I have such different tastes in music (with some overlap). I LOVE this song. I did love The Eagles way back when, but their sound hasn’t aged well with me. However, Linda Ronstadt singing Desperado gets me every time.

  7. Maybe it is about a horse and SG is the only one who has it right. Not even the Eagles know it’s about a horse named Descanado.

    Love,
    Janie

    1. janiejunebug:
      For that matter, maybe SG’s been right about all the song lyrics over the years. Cabaret: “Welcome Fifth Avenue. Welcome.”

        1. janiejunebug:
          I seriously DID have to explain to him what the correct lyrics were. He didn’t seem to find it odd that the MC would be welcoming Fifth Avenue.

  8. It’s pretty cool when one can do a Mondegreen (a mishearing of song lyrics) in another language. There’s many a French song that I’ve “rewritten.” 😉

    1. Walt the Fourth:
      I love the sound of “Mondegreen.” And, yes, English is another language for SG!

    1. Urspo:
      No embarrassment at all. This is how SG lives. IF he knows any lyrics at all, it will only be the very first line. And there’s usually a very entertaining glitch in that.

    1. Sassybear:
      So do I. Remember the song, “Ain’t No Woman LIke the One I Got”? We had a friend who thought it was about aliens. “Ain’t no woman like the one-eyed Gott.”

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