Carmelita

As November rolls in, with the first rain falling
The cowboys gather in front of the old house
They'll check the fields, see if the grass is grown in, hey
The ranch hand is the first to get dressed
Riding his beautiful, fast horse
And heads out thinking of the farmer's daughter, hey

He rides through the scrub, rolling on the saddle
Dodging thorns, cat's claw, and the rough terrain
Singing verses thinking of the beauty of the girl, hey
Saying in his song: Oh, gentle and pretty cow
Instead of a bell, there's a lovely ribbon
Her name is Rosa do Prado, tied to Carmelita, hey

When the cowboys gather in front of the old house
A smooth-voiced guy starts singing a tune
That makes the farmer's daughter fall in love right away, hey
Carmelita, when she sees her true love
All dressed in leather, starts to panic
Mom, let me ride off on the cowboy's horse, hey

The cowboy, feeling sick, throws his gear on the bed
Out in the fields, the cattle bellow as if calling for him
At the corral gate, the calves are all mooing, hey

He says: When I die, put in my coffin
My leather outfit, chaps, hat, and vest
So I can play with Saint Peter at the rodeo parties, hey
Don't forget to add the spurs and the hat
The picture of the horse I always called Xexéu
So I can play with Saint Peter at the rodeos in heaven, hey

He says: When I die, I don't want tears or crying
I want my leather hat and a red shirt
With pretty letters: He was the King of the Rodeos, hey
I end by saying goodbye to the mountains and plateaus
To the rocky hills across this whole Brazil
To the corrals and the drinks of all the ranchers, hey