Chumbawamba’s “El Fusilado” Lyrics Meaning

“The Executed One” is the Spanish translation for “El Fusilado”, and the nickname given to Wenseslao Moguel, the man who this song is about. The singers take their time to narrate their version of the story from this man’s perspective.

The first verse recounts his background and how he was thought to have served in the rebel army of Pancho Villa, the leader of the Constitutionalist Army. In the chorus, the narrator describes how after Moguel was captured, he was tied to a wall, with up to ten gun shots fired at him. He goes on to talk about how an officer gave him a final shot to his head to ensure that he was dead, yet he managed to crawl away when everyone left.

To the amazement of all, Moguel survived all the gunshot wounds and lived to tell the story, earning the titular nickname. In 1937, he appeared on Robert Ripley’s Believe it or Not radio show.

Release Date of “El Fusilado”

This track was written by English rock band Chumbawamba. It was the fifth track on their 2008 album, The Boy Bands Have Won. It was officially released on March 3, 2008.

Wenseslao Moguel

Moguel is described as one of the luckiest men to have ever lived. He was captured in March 1915 after he was alleged to have participated in the Mexican Revolution. Without trial, the former Mexican soldier was sentenced to death and was shot at least eight times. He was also shot in the head at close range in order to make sure he was actually dead. Until now, there’s no concrete report as to how he survived. However, it is believed that he crawled to a nearby church where he was treated until he recovered.

The punishment he went through nonetheless disfigured his face.