Esta es la historia de un boxeador, de Rubin Carter, acusado de un triple homicidio. El Premio Nobel popularizó su historia con esta polémica canción. A continuación reproduzco la letra de Hurricane Carter de Bob Dylan.
Letra de Hurricane Carter, de Bob Dylan, en inglés
Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night
Enter Patty Valentine from the upper hall
She sees the bartender in a pool of blood
Cries out, «My God, they killed them all!»
Enter Patty Valentine from the upper hall
She sees the bartender in a pool of blood
Cries out, «My God, they killed them all!»
Here comes the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin’ that he never done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin’ that he never done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world
Three bodies lyin’ there does Patty see
And another man named Bello, movin’ around mysteriously
«I didn’t do it, » he says, and he throws up his hands
«I was only robbin’ the register, I hope you understand
And another man named Bello, movin’ around mysteriously
«I didn’t do it, » he says, and he throws up his hands
«I was only robbin’ the register, I hope you understand
I saw them leavin’, » he says, and he stops
«One of us had better call up the cops.»
And so Patty calls the cops
And they arrive on the scene with their red lights flashin’
In the hot New Jersey night
And so Patty calls the cops
And they arrive on the scene with their red lights flashin’
In the hot New Jersey night
Meanwhile, far away in another part of town
Rubin Carter and a couple of friends are drivin’ around
Number one contender for the middleweight crown
Had no idea what kinda shit was about to go down
Rubin Carter and a couple of friends are drivin’ around
Number one contender for the middleweight crown
Had no idea what kinda shit was about to go down
When a cop pulled him over to the side of the road
Just like the time before and the time before that
In Paterson that’s just the way things go
If you’re black you might as well not show up on the street
‘Less you want to draw the heat
In Paterson that’s just the way things go
If you’re black you might as well not show up on the street
‘Less you want to draw the heat
Alfred Bello had a partner and he had a rap for the cops
Him and Arthur Dexter Bradley were just out prowlin’ around
He said, «I saw two men runnin’ out, they looked like middleweights
They jumped into a white car with out-of-state plates.»
Him and Arthur Dexter Bradley were just out prowlin’ around
He said, «I saw two men runnin’ out, they looked like middleweights
They jumped into a white car with out-of-state plates.»
And Miss Patty Valentine just nodded her head
Cop said, «Wait a minute, boys, this one’s not dead»
So they took him to the infirmary
And though this man could hardly see
They told him that he could identify the guilty men
So they took him to the infirmary
And though this man could hardly see
They told him that he could identify the guilty men
Four in the mornin’ and they haul Rubin in
Take him to the hospital and they bring him upstairs
The wounded man looks up through his one dyin’ eye
Says, «Wha’d you bring him in here for? He ain’t the guy!»
Take him to the hospital and they bring him upstairs
The wounded man looks up through his one dyin’ eye
Says, «Wha’d you bring him in here for? He ain’t the guy!»
Here’s the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin’ that he never done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin’ that he never done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world
Four months later, the ghettos are in flame
Rubin’s in South America, fightin’ for his name
While Arthur Dexter Bradley’s still in the robbery game
And the cops are puttin’ the screws to him, lookin’ for somebody to blame
«Remember that murder that happened in a bar?»
Rubin’s in South America, fightin’ for his name
While Arthur Dexter Bradley’s still in the robbery game
And the cops are puttin’ the screws to him, lookin’ for somebody to blame
«Remember that murder that happened in a bar?»
«Remember you said you saw the getaway car?»
«You think you’d like to play ball with the law?»
«Think it might-a been that fighter that you saw runnin’ that night?»
«Don’t forget that you are white.»
«You think you’d like to play ball with the law?»
«Think it might-a been that fighter that you saw runnin’ that night?»
«Don’t forget that you are white.»
Arthur Dexter Bradley said, «I’m really not sure.»
Cops said, «A poor boy like you could use a break
We got you for the motel job and we’re talkin’ to your friend Bello
Now you don’t wanta have to go back to jail, be a nice fellow
Cops said, «A poor boy like you could use a break
We got you for the motel job and we’re talkin’ to your friend Bello
Now you don’t wanta have to go back to jail, be a nice fellow
You’ll be doin’ society a favor
That sonofabitch is brave and gettin’ braver
We want to put his ass in stir
We want to pin this triple murder on him
He ain’t no Gentleman Jim.»
That sonofabitch is brave and gettin’ braver
We want to put his ass in stir
We want to pin this triple murder on him
He ain’t no Gentleman Jim.»
Rubin could take a man out with just one punch
But he never did like to talk about it all that much
It’s my work, he’d say, and I do it for pay
And when it’s over I’d just as soon go on my way
But he never did like to talk about it all that much
It’s my work, he’d say, and I do it for pay
And when it’s over I’d just as soon go on my way
Up to some paradise
Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice
And ride a horse along a trail
But then they took him to the jailhouse
Where they try to turn a man into a mouse
Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice
And ride a horse along a trail
But then they took him to the jailhouse
Where they try to turn a man into a mouse
All of Rubin’s cards were marked in advance
The trial was a pig-circus, he never had a chance
The judge made Rubin’s witnesses drunkards from the slums
To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum
The trial was a pig-circus, he never had a chance
The judge made Rubin’s witnesses drunkards from the slums
To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum
And to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger
No one doubted that he pulled the trigger
And though they could not produce the gun
The D.A. said he was the one who did the deed
And the all-white jury agreed
No one doubted that he pulled the trigger
And though they could not produce the gun
The D.A. said he was the one who did the deed
And the all-white jury agreed
Rubin Carter was falsely tried
The crime was murder «one, » guess who testified?
Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied
And the newspapers, they all went along for the ride
The crime was murder «one, » guess who testified?
Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied
And the newspapers, they all went along for the ride
How can the life of such a man
Be in the palm of some fool’s hand?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn’t help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game
Be in the palm of some fool’s hand?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn’t help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game
Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties
Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise
While Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten-foot cell
An innocent man in a living hell
Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise
While Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten-foot cell
An innocent man in a living hell
That’s the story of the Hurricane
But it won’t be over till they clear his name
And give him back the time he’s done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world
But it won’t be over till they clear his name
And give him back the time he’s done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world
Letra de Hurricane Carter, de Bob Dylan, en español
Disparos de pistola suenan en el bar por la noche
Entra Patty Valentine desde la sala superior
Ve al camarero en una piscina de sangre
Grita, «Dios mío, les han matado a todos»
Aquí llega la historia del Huracán
El hombre a quien las autoridades culparon
Por algo que nunca había hecho
Metido en la celda de una prisión
Pero una vez pudo haber sido
El campeón del mundo
Tres cuerpos bocabajo, ve Patty
Y otro hombre llamado Bello
Misteriosamente inquieto
«Yo no lo hice», dice y levanta las manos
«Sólo estaba robando al caja
Espero que lo entendáis»
«Les vi irse», dice y entonces se para
Uno de nosotros dijo, «Mejor llama a la policía»
Y entonces Patty llama a la policía
Y llegan a la escena
Con las luces rojas encendidas
En la calurosa noche de Nueva Jersey
Mientras, lejos en otra parte de la ciudad
Rubin Carter y un par de amigos
Están dando una vuelta en coche
El aspirante número uno a la corona de peso medio
No tiene idea de que clase de mierda
Estaba a punto de pasar
Cuando un policía le para en una lado de la carretera
Igual que la vez anterior y la vez anterior a esa
Así es como funcionan las cosas en Paterson
Si eres negro
Mejor ni te asomes a la calle
A no ser que quieras llamar la atención
Alfred Bello tenía un compañero
Y tenía una canción para la policía
Él y Arthur Dexter Bradley
Estaban merodeando por ahí
Dijo, «vi dos hombres corriendo
Parecían de peso medio
Se metieron en un coche blanco sin matrícula»
Y Miss Patty Valentine sólo asintió con la cabeza
El policía dijo, «esperad un minuto
Chicos, este no está muerto»
Así que le llevaron a la enfermería
Y aunque el hombre apenas veía
El dijeron que podía identificar a los culpables
Las cuatro de la madrugada, y se llevan a Rubin
Le llevaron al hospital
Y le subieron
El hombre herido mira por su único ojo moribundo
Dice, «para qué le traéis aquí
Si él no es el hombre»
Aquí llega la historia del Huracán
El hombre a quien las autoridades culparon
Por algo que nunca había hecho
Metido en la celda de una prisión
Pero una vez pudo haber sido
El campeón del mundo
Cuatro meses más tardes, los ghettos están en llamas
Rubin está en Sudamérica, luchando por su nombre
Mientras Arthur Dexter Bradley sigue en el juego del robo
Y los policías le apretaban las clavijas
Buscando a alguien a quien culpar
Recuerda que el crimen ocurrió en un bar
Recuerda que dijiste que viste el coche de la huida
Crees que te gusta colaborar con la policía
Piensa que podría haber sido el luchador
Que viste correr anoche
No te olvides de que tu eres blanco
Arthur Dexter Bradley dijo, «realmente, no estoy seguro»
Los policías dijeron
«Un chico pobre como tú podría darse un respiro
Te tenemos por aquel trabajo en el motel
Y estamos hablando con tu amigo Bello
No quieres volver a la cárcel
Sé un buen chico»
Le estarás haciendo un favor a la sociedad
El hijo de perra es valiente y cada vez más lo es más
Queremos meter su culo en chirona
Queremos acusarle de este triple asesinato
No es ningún Gentleman Jim
Rubin podía tumbar a hombre de un puñetazo
Pero a él nunca le gusto hablar de ello demasiado
«Es mi trabajo», decía
«Lo hago por un salario
Y cuando acaba me voy por mi camino»
Hasta algún paraíso
Donde una corriente de truchas corre y el aire es limpio
Y montar a caballo a lo largo del camino
Pero entonces le llevaron a la cárcel
Donde intentan convertir a un hombre en ratón
Las cartas de Rubin estaban marcadas por adelantado
El juicio estaba preparado, nunca tuvo una oportunidad
El juez convirtió a los testigos de Rubin
En borrachos de barriada
Para los tipos blancos que miraban
Él era un vagabundo revolucionario
Y para los tipos negros él era solo un negrata loco
Nadie dudó que el apretó el gatillo
Y aunque no encontraron el arma
El abogado defensor dijo que él era quien lo hizo
Y el jurado completamente banco, estuvo de acuerdo
Rubin Carter fue falsamente juzgado
El crimen fue asesinato en primer grado
¿Adivinas quien testificó?
Bello y Bradley y ambos mintieron flagrantemente
Y los periódicos, todos se apuntaron al viaje
¿Cómo puede la vida de tal hombre
Estar en manos de alguien tan tonto?
Ver que le hicieron una obvia encerrona
No hace más que sienta vergüenza
De vivir en una tierra donde la justicia es un juego
Ahora, todos los criminales en abrigo y corbata
Están libres para beber Martinis y ver el amanecer
Mientra Rubin se sienta como Buda
En una celda de diez pies
Un hombre inocente en un infierno en vida
Si, esa es la historia del Huracán
Pero no acabará hasta que limpien su nombre
Y le devuelvan el tiempo que ha servido
Metido en la celda de una prisión
Pero una vez pudo haber sido
El campeón del mundo
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