Les Casitas del Barrio Alt0

Las casitas del barrio alto
con rejas y antejardín,
una preciosa entrada de autos
esperando un Peugeot.
Hay rosadas, verdecitas,
blanquitas y celestitas,
las casitas del barrio alto
todas hechas con recipol.

Y las gentes de las casitas
se sonríen y se visitan.
Van juntitos al supermarket
y todos tienen un televisor.
Hay dentistas, comerciantes,
latifundistas y traficantes,
abogados y rentistas
y todos visten polycron.

Juegan bridge, toman martini-dry
y los niños son rubiecitos
y con otros rubiecitos
van juntitos al colegio high.
Y el hijito de su papi
luego va a la universidad
comenzando su problemática
y la intríngulis social.

Fuma pitillos en Austin mini,
juega con bombas y con política,
asesina generales,
y es un gángster de la sedición.
Y las gentes de las casitas
se sonríen y se visitan.
Van juntitos al supermarket
y todos tienen un televisor.

Hay rosadas, verdecitas,
blanquitas y celestitas,
las casitas del barrio alto
todas hechas con recipol.

From Paul Baker Hernandez (who assisted with Spanish language songs in Rise Again):
"Malvina Reynolds said she enjoyed it especially because Víctor made her song 'more political' with the addition of the 7th verse above. Victor is making fun of 'El hijito de su papi' - the 'apple of his eye' going off to the university."

From post on Word Reference Forums: "Victor Jara is speaking about a constructive technique used in the richest suburbs of Santiago involving a core of expanded polystyrene, covered with a metallic grid and concrete that allowed for an extreme control in the shape of houses, but that was extremely expensive in the '70s, since it involved, at the time, importing all the polystyrene and paying high importing taxes. This fact alone restricted this constructive technique to those suburbs. "

Wikipedia Entry

Mudcat

Translation(s)

Translation:

here's a rough translation of Victor Jara's version. See my previous comment for the bit about polystyrene. The general referred to was René Schneider.

PRETTY HOUSES
The pretty houses of the rich suburb
Pretty gardens behind their gates
A lovely carport at the side
Just waiting for a Peugeot.
Pretty pink ones, pretty green ones,
Pretty white ones, pretty blue ones
The pretty houses of the rich suburb
All made of polystyrene!

And the people from the houses
They smile as they pay visits
Off they go to the supermarket!
Everyone has a TV.
Some are dentists, some are landlords,
Some are traders in import/export,
Some are lawyers, some are landowners,
And they all wear nylon suits.

The play bridge, they drink martinis
And their kids have little pink faces
And with other little pink kids
Off they go to high school
A little later, Daddy's little boy
He goes to the university
To begin his serious studies
Of the complexities of society.

He smokes cigarettes in his Austin,
He plays with bombs & with politics,
And assassinates generals
He's a gangster of subversion.
And the people from the houses
They smile as they pay visits
Off they go to the supermarket!
Everyone has a TV.

Pretty pink ones, pretty green ones,
Pretty white ones, pretty blue ones
The pretty houses of the rich suburb
All made of polystyrene!