The Tenth World Songtext

von Joni Mitchell

Baila mi rumba
Batela, goza y mira mama
Baila, mira mama
Batela, goza, mira eh
Rumbando bello es que yo voy
Bailala bailala bailala
Bailala baila baila
Eh eh mama
[??????]
Baila baila my rumbo[?]
Ele eh ele eh
Bailala bailala baila
Din din baragadin dan dan [this is onomatopoeia]
Baila baila baila baila
Venezolano en Nueva York
En California y en todos lados
Te la traigo
Para que vos...para que gozes gozes cosa buena
Gozes con todo el mundo
El africano y todo el mundo
Bailala
Bailala
Bailala
Bailala
Bailala
Gringos!
Izquierdo! Izquierdo! Vamos, oye!
[onomatopoeic sounds, interjections, sighs, whistling, bits of dialogue among the musicians that sound like instructions or encouragement to keep on playing and dancing]
Me voy
Me voy
Me voy
Me voy
Me voy
Me voy
Me voy
Me voy
[More chanting and onomatopoeia]

[Translation]
Dance to my rumba
Beat it [maybe a drum?], enjoy, look mama [maybe meaning "look at me and learn the steps"]
Dance, look mama
Beat it, enjoy, look
Dancing the rumba beautifully. That's how I go
Hey hey mama
Dance to it, dance
Dance
Dance this way [This a tentative translation, the expression I hear is actually unidiomatic]
Dance to it, dance
A Venezuelan in New York [maybe referring to himself]
In California and everywhere
I bring it to you [the rumba]
So that you will enjoy a good thing
Enjoy it with the rest of the world
With the African and the rest of the world
Dance to it
Gringos! [This is funny. "Gringo" is a pejorative way that some South Americans have to refer to Anglo-Saxons. It's clear that some Americans are actually dancing to the music in the studio and receiving instructions from the singer, including this veiled semi-insult. Was Joni there too?]
Left! Left! [maybe meaning use your left foot now]
I say, Come on!
I'm going now! [Or it could also be I'm "coming"!]