tell me pablo
what’s a charango
is it some kind of monkey
like a orangutan
and is it dangerous
well it might be
some kind of snake
that’s gonna bite me
is it a fruit
like a mango
or some kind of mexican food
like chimichanga
do you fry it
in garlic and oil
or do you wrap it
in aluminum foil
is it a dance
like a tango
or a brand of jeans
like wrangler
is it american made
or imported
you know what i make
can i afford it
it’s a town in colorado
no that’s durango
it’s that fella with a big nose
no that’s cyrano
de bergerac
well i don’t know
tell me pablo
what’s a charango

and pablo says . . .
a charango
is a strange looking thing
got the body of an armadillo
and the head of a mandolin
looks like road kill with strings
you play it real fast
with a pick
all you guitar players
gonna get your sorry asses kicked
it takes a real knack
and a supple wrist
to stick that armadillo back
in your chest
and pick it like this . . .
that’s a charango

it ain’t a monkey
that’s an orangutan
no, it ain’t a fruit
that’s a mango
it ain’t no Mexican food
that’s chimichanga
it ain’t a dance
that’s a tango
it ain’t a brand of jeans
that’s wrangler
it ain’t in Colorado
that’s durango
it ain’t that fella with a big nose
who? cyrano de bergerac
so now you know
what’s that?
that’s a charango

©1999 Mike West

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