In the village there's an old man
In the village there's an old man
who they call Uncle Canya:
he wears a hat and a black shirt,
he wears a hat and a black shirt,
and a woolen scarf
Only three times has Tio Canya
been to Valencia:
the first when he started military service,
and the second when he married his wife.
The third time he swore
That he wouldn't even return to urinate there
Because nobody there paid any respect
to a man who came from the country
Seven times he joined the queue
Seven times he joined the queue
To present some papers
for not knowing how to express himself
for not knowing how to express himself
in the language of the foreigners
He put up with all the teasing
the bitter words
and went back to the village
Uncle Canya, uncle Canya
You don't have the keys to your home
Put a new lock on
or the roof will smoke
Uncle Canya, uncle Canya
You don't have the keys to your home
Put a new lock on
or the roof will smoke
Uncle Canya had a son
Uncle Canya had a son
whom they call Uncle Canya
he wears a hat and a black shirt,
he wears a hat and a black shirt,
and a woolen scarf
Uncle Canya remembers well,
when they took him to school
seven years old, face washed well
open eyes, new shirt
But he opened his eyes much more
Uncle Canya's little guy
when he heard that teacher
speaking in that weird way
Every day that passes,
every day that passes,
his shoulders were shrinking
in fear that the teacher
in fear that the teacher
would ask him a question
He suffered punishments and scolding
Not daring to open his mouth
and he hated school
Uncle Canya, uncle Canya
You don't have the keys to your home
Put a new lock on
or the roof will smoke
Uncle Canya, uncle Canya
You don't have the keys to your home
Put a new lock on
or the roof will smoke
The journals of the street tell of
The journals of the street tell of
Some grandchildren Uncle Canya had
Who are doctors in Valencia
Who are doctors in Valencia
Professors and literate people
when they come to the countryside in the summer
Visit Uncle Canya
and the poor old man hears them
Talking in Castillian
But even more recent journals
Explain that Uncle Canya
Now has very young great-grandchildren
Who bring joy to his face
They never speak in Castillian
They never speak in Castillian
As their parents did
Instead they speak like the people from the village
Instead they speak like the people from the village
The language of Uncle Canya
Come back to life, Uncle Canya
with carers, if you need them
because you have to return to Valencia
Uncle Canya, uncle Canya
You don't have the keys to your home
Put a new lock on
Because you still have time today
Uncle Canya, uncle Canya
You don't have the keys to your home
Put a new lock on
Because you still have time today