In a town in southernmost sicily In a town in southernmost sicily En una ciudad en el extremo sur de Sicilia Lived a family too proud to be poor Lived a family too proud to be poor Vivía una familia muy orgulloso de ser pobre In the year that fever took father away In the year that fever took father away El año de la fiebre tomó padre lejos They hastened for american shores They hastened for american shores Se apresuraron a las costas americanas Now a mother and her son are standing in line Now a mother and her son are standing in line Ahora, una madre y su hijo están de pie en línea It's a cold day on ellis isle It's a cold day on ellis isle Es un día frío en la isla ellis And they look to the statue of liberty And they look to the statue of liberty Y miran a la estatua de la libertad For the boy we have american life For the boy we have american life Para el niño que tenemos vida americano Ong is a laotian refugee Ong is a laotian refugee Ong es un refugiado laosiano He works in the audio trade He works in the audio trade Trabaja en el comercio audio The smoke from flux is filling his lungs The smoke from flux is filling his lungs El humo de flujo está llenando sus pulmones He's earning minimum wage He's earning minimum wage Él está ganando salario mínimo Spending spare time down on Spending spare time down on Pasar el tiempo libre hacia abajo en San pablo ave San pablo ave San Pablo Ave Once a week gets a woman for the night Once a week gets a woman for the night Una vez por semana se pone a una mujer por la noche And he writes home tales of prosperity And he writes home tales of prosperity Y escribe cuentos de origen de la prosperidad For the boy we have american life For the boy we have american life Para el niño que tenemos vida americano Bob is an unemployed veteran Bob is an unemployed veteran Bob es un veterano desempleado Born and bred in the south bronx Born and bred in the south bronx Nacido y criado en el sur del Bronx He's living off the streets down in east l.a. He's living off the streets down in east l.a. Está viviendo en las calles en este L.A. Residing in a cardboard box Residing in a cardboard box Residir en una caja de cartón Now he plays a little quit and he has a small dog Now he plays a little quit and he has a small dog Ahora toca un poco para dejar de fumar y tiene un perro pequeño Searching for aluminum cans Searching for aluminum cans En busca de latas de aluminio And he hold on tight to his dignity And he hold on tight to his dignity Y agárrate fuerte a su dignidad He was born into american life He was born into american life Nació en la vida americana