(formerly posted at the Wikipedia entry for Pedro Navaja, since removed)


Rubén Blades: Pedro Navaja
(1978)
 
    
Lyrics in English:

    Round the corner of the old neighborhood I saw him go,
    with the familiar gait that bullies have
    his hands always deep inside the pockets of his coat
    so that nobody knows which one holds the dagger

    he uses a wide brim hat, tilted to one side
    sporting sneakers, to fly when in danger
    dark shades so nobody knows what he's staring at
    and a golden tooth that shines when he laughs

    three blocks away from that corner, a woman
    strides the whole curb for the fifth time
    and inside a store she goes to have a drink and forget
    that the day moves slow, and she has no customers to attend

    a car moves slowly through the avenue
    it has no marks but everyone knows it's the police
    Pedro Navaja, his hands always inside his coat
    looks and smiles, and his golden tooth shines again

    he looks to one side and looks to the other, not a soul is seen
    and running, silently, he crosses the street
    and at the same time, on the other side is the woman
    mumbling 'cause she made no money for food

    as she walks, she draws a gun from her old coat
    to save it inside her purse, so it won't bother
    a .38 special "Smith & Wesson"
    that she keeps always, to rid her from all evil

    and Pedro Navaja, the dagger in his hand, jumped on her
    the golden tooth, shining the whole avenue
    and as he laughed, the dagger plunged relentlessly
    when suddenly a gunshot bursted out like a cannon...

    and Pedro Navaja, fell on the curb as he saw the woman
    with the gun in her hand, and mortally wounded telling him:
    "I thought: today is not my day, I'm on a bad streak.
    But Pedro Navaja, you're worse: you're worthless"

    And believe me guys, even though noise was made, nobody came out
    nobody was curious, no questions were made, nobody cried
    just a drunkard stumbled upon the two bodies
    took the gun, the dagger, the money and went off
    and stumbling along the way, he went along singing out of tune
    the chorus I've brought you, that tells you the message of my song
    "life brings you surprises, surprises are brought by life, O God!"
    Pedro Navaja, the corner thug, the one who kills by steel, by steel ends

    "life brings you surprises, surprises are brought by life, O God!"
    wrongdoing fisherman, the hook you threw
    and instead of a herring a shark you brought...
    "life brings you surprises, surprises are brought by life, O God!"
    five million stories, New York city has
    "life brings you surprises, surprises are brought by life, O God!"
    as grandma said: "he who laughs the last, laughs the most"

    "life brings you surprises, surprises are brought by life, O God!"
    when destiny is written, not even iron will can change it
    if you were born to be a hammer, from heaven it showers nails...
    "life brings you surprises, surprises are brought by life, O God!"

    Ghetto of thugs, be careful in the curb, take care my buddy
    he who does not run, flies...

    "life brings you surprises, surprises are brought by life, O God!"
    as in a Kafka novel, the drunkard turned at the corner...
    "life brings you surprises, surprises are brought by life, O God!"

    "life brings you surprises, surprises are brought by life, O God!"
    The moral of this story Pedro Navaja, is that nobody knows who he's serving...
    "life brings you surprises, surprises are brought by life, O God!"