Ilegal Lyrics in English by Grupo Recluta
Get ready to hear a powerful story in Grupo Recluta's "Ilegal"! This song takes us on a journey with someone who leaves everything behind for a better life. It opens with a classroom roll call, but our main character isn't there, saying, "Yo ya no estoy presente, profesora. Aquí me encuentro, en el desierto con demora" [I am no longer present, teacher. Here I am, in the desert with delay]. It really sets the scene for the tough path ahead.
He talks about the dangerous border crossing, going from twenty people to five, and the coyote saying there are "faltan tres horas" [three hours left]. It's a vivid picture of the struggle. He works hard in the fields, even sleeping in a train car, all for his family back home. He says, "Para el mundo, un ilegal. Para mamá, un niño valiente" [For the world, an illegal. For mom, a brave child], which really hits you. He wants to put his family name, Contreras, high up, showing that the dream is worth all the effort, even if "No llueven billetes" [money doesn't rain] in the North.
