The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
See the vegetable man in the
Vegetable van with the horn that's honking
Like a mariachi band in the middle of the street
People gather around put a dollar in the can
Ay wey, qué onda? tj cowboys hang around
Sleeping on the side walk with a burger king
Crown never wake them up mas cerveza till
The rooster crows vatos vergallos
Qué onda guero?
Qué onda guero?
Mano blancos roll with crowbars sing
Rancheras on cheap guitars abuelitas with
Plastic bags walking to church with their
Spanish candles dirty boracho says "qué putas?
Andelay joto, your popsicles melting"
Run better run da doo run run in the midnight sun
Guero where you going? Qué onda guero?
Rampart boys with loaded rifles guatemalan
Soccer ball instant replays mango ladies
Vendedoras at a bus stop
Sing a banda macho chorus
Qué onda guero?
A donde
Vayas?
Vegetable van with the horn that's honking
Like a mariachi band in the middle of the street
People gather around put a dollar in the can
Ay wey, qué onda? tj cowboys hang around
Sleeping on the side walk with a burger king
Crown never wake them up mas cerveza till
The rooster crows vatos vergallos
Qué onda guero?
Qué onda guero?
Mano blancos roll with crowbars sing
Rancheras on cheap guitars abuelitas with
Plastic bags walking to church with their
Spanish candles dirty boracho says "qué putas?
Andelay joto, your popsicles melting"
Run better run da doo run run in the midnight sun
Guero where you going? Qué onda guero?
Rampart boys with loaded rifles guatemalan
Soccer ball instant replays mango ladies
Vendedoras at a bus stop
Sing a banda macho chorus
Qué onda guero?
A donde
Vayas?
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I think Que Unda Guero is supposed to mean "Where are you going, white boy?"
it means something like "Wazzup blond boy?"
Well, a couple of things. Guero does not exactly mean "white boy". It is a term reserved for Mexican - actual white boys are never called gueros. A guero is a light-skinned Mexican, so if you are being called a guero in a Mexican neighborhood, it is actually inclusive, meaning that you are accepted in the neighborhood. So the character in the song (Beck?) is so familiar that, although he is not, he is accepted as a "white Mexican". This doesn't however, mean that he is liked, just that he is there.
More importantly, que onda does NOT mean "where are you going?" it means "what is happening?" or "what is going on?"
This is a great LA song, and makes me yearn for my years in the Echo and Boyle Heights. It's perfect.
"dirty boracho says 'qué putas? andelay joto your popsicles melting'"
i found this line really funny, because it's a lot dirtier than most of beck's songs. the spanish translates as "what, bi****s? hurry up, (gay), your popsicle's melting." of course the popsicle's a phallic symbol. i'm not quite sure what it's got to do with the song, but it provides a nice antithesis for the 'little grandmas' in churches. maybe it's just another facet of life in this neighborhood that beck is describing in the song?
Let's go to Captain Cork, they got the new Yanni cassette...
dances It's like an entire Mexican street festival compressed into under 4 minutes.
I heard "Guero" meant "white homie." Hm...I might be wrong though. But I made a t-shirt that says "'Que Onda Guero?' - Beck" Pretty damn funny, if you ask me.
Yani cassette. ha ha ha!
In response to Ales321...
I think the song is excellent and way too fun :) It sounds as though beck is using his words to make a picture like he so often does.... Walking through LA seeing all the people and situations that he describes using english and spanish lyrics to describe actions/reactions and perceptions. The song feels warm and fun. Like walking through a neighborhood where, though from outsider's glance may seem odd for you to be in, feels like home to you...
captain1356 is dead on -- thanks for taking a stand on THINKING.
and by the way, even without SPanish knowledge, people should be able to tell what que onda means by the intonation and the context of the rest of the song) re vatos vergallos -- I think it's vatos (dudes) VER (see) gallos (roosters) If I'm right, that would mean either dudes being so drunk they're seeing roosters OR dudes drinking all night until the roosters start up, as referenced by till the rooster crows, mas cerveza..
haha i lovee this song..
i soo understand cause i live around the neighborhood .. deep streets of LA..
"aya en la pico y vermont"
"im taking a ceramic class at LACC"
LACC= los angeles community college..
but anyways love it..
correction as some ppl keep saying que onda means "whats going on, what's happening"
like "what's the mood" i guess
haha
si hablo espanol :]