Cover art for El Fusilado by Chumbawamba
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El Fusilado Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Listen close to this crooked mouth
For my story I will tell–o
I lived in Mexico by the name of Wenseslao Moguel–o
Left my home in Santiago
The heart of the city of Merida
Served with my brothers and sisters all
For the army of Pancho Villa

[Chorus]
Stand me straight against the nearest wall
Line up your bravest soldiers oh
Ten good shots, I'll take them all

They call me El Fusilado

[Verse 2]
The Federales captured me
Bound up my arms with wire
Officer came he says, “Take your aim –
Steady your guns and fire!”
Bullet holes all across my chest
Ripped up my shirt and my body–o
Heart beat on through the silenced guns
To the rhythm of life inside me–o


[Chorus]
Stand me straight against the nearest wall
Line up your bravest soldiers oh
Ten good shots, I'll take them all
They call me El Fusilado
[Verse 3]
Fell to the ground, the officer came
One last shot to the head­–o
Heard through the pain as he walked away
And left me there for dead–o
All went quiet so I crawled away
I wasn't giving up to the glory
Ten good shots, I took them all
And lived to tell my story

[Chorus]
Stand me straight against the nearest wall
Line up your bravest soldiers oh
Ten good shots, I'll take them all
They call me El Fusilado

[Chorus]
Stand me straight against the nearest wall
Line up your bravest soldiers oh
Ten good shots, I'll take them all
They call me El Fusilado

[Chorus]
Stand me straight against the nearest wall
Line up your bravest soldiers oh
Ten good shots, I'll take them all
They call me El Fusilado

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About

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Genius Annotation

Wenseslao Moguel (c. 1890 – c. 1975[1]) was a Mexican who was captured on March 18, 1915 and suspected of taking part in the Mexican Revolution. he was sentenced to death and shot eight or nine time before being left for dead, after a head shot an close range.

He survived his injuries, and was found unconscious among the bodies of his comrades. He was given the nickname ‘El Fusilado’ meaning ‘The Executed One’. He appeared on Ripley’s ‘Believe it or not’ radio show in 1937.

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