"La Cucaracha" (Spanish: "The Cockroach") is a traditional Spanish folk corrido that became popular in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. It has additionally become a verse played on car horns.
Contents |
The origins of "La Cucaracha" are obscure, with some versions of the lyrics discussing events that took place during the conclusion of the Granada War in 1492 (see section below).[1] One of the earliest references to the song comes from the verses of Mexican writer and political journalist, José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi's 1819 novel, La Quijotita y su Prima where it is suggested that:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Un capitán de marina | A naval captain |
| que vino en una fragata | who came in a frigate |
| entre varios sonecitos | among various tunes |
| trajo el de "La Cucaracha."[2] | brought the one about "La Cucaracha." |
Whatever its origin, it would be during the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th century that "La Cucaracha" would see the first major period of verse production as rebel and government forces alike invented political lyrics for the song. So many stanzas were added during this period that today it is associated mostly with Mexico.[3]
The lyrics consist of independent satirical verses fit to the traditional melody, and are often improvised to provide contemporary political or social commentary. In this way, "La Cucaracha" is similar to "Yankee Doodle," "The Burning of the School," or "On Top of Old Smoky." As lyrics are improvised according to the needs of the moment,[3] they provide a rough chronology to the song.
The most traditional Spanish version is as follows:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| La cucaracha, la cucaracha, | The cockroach, the cockroach, |
| ya no puede caminar | can't walk anymore |
| porque no tiene, porque le faltan | because it doesn't have, because it's lacking |
| las dos patitas de atrás. | the two little feet from the rear. |
Numerous "official" versions of the last line of this verse exist, including "Una pata par(a) andar. (A leg to walk on.)" and "La patita principal. (The front leg.)." The stanza makes no explicit reference to historical events, and as such is more or less undatable; however, several early (pre-Revolution) lyrics exist that do record such events and as such it is possible to roughly approximate their ages. In Francisco Rodríguez Marín's book "Cantos Populares Españoles", for example, he records several verses that deal with the Reconquista wars (1492) against the Moors in Spain:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| De las patillas de un moro | From the sideburns of a Moor |
| tengo que hacer una escoba, | I must make a broom, |
| para barrer el cuartel | to sweep the quarters |
| de la infantería española.[1] | of the Spanish infantry. |
Other early stanzas detail such incidents as the Carlist Wars (1833–1876) and the French intervention in Mexico (1861).[4]
The Mexican Revolution was a period of great political upheaval during which the majority of the stanzas known today were written. Political symbolism was a common theme in these verses, and explicit and implicit references were made to events of the war, major political figures, and the effects of the war on the civilians in general. Today, few pre-Revolution verses are known, and the most commonly quoted portion of the song[3] is the two Villist anti-Huerta[4] stanzas:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| La cucaracha, la cucaracha, | The cockroach, the cockroach, |
| ya no puede caminar | can't walk anymore |
| porque le falta, porque no tiene | because it doesn't have, because it's lacking |
| marihuana pa' fumar. | marijuana to smoke. |
| Ya murió la cucaracha | The cockroach just died |
| ya la llevan a enterrar | now they take her to be buried |
| entre cuatro zopilotes | among four buzzards |
| y un ratón de sacristán. | and a mouse as the sexton. |
Common to Revolutionary songs, this version contains hidden political meanings, and was popular among Villist soldiers. In this version, the cockroach represents President Victoriano Huerta, a notorious drunk who was considered a villain and traitor due to his part in the death of revolutionary President Francisco Madero. Due to the multi-factional nature of the Mexican Revolution, competing versions were also common at the time, including the Huertist, anti-Carranza stanza:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Ya se van los carrancistas, | And the Carrancistas, |
| ya se van haciendo bola, | are on full retreat, |
| ya los chacales huertistas | and the Huertistan jackals |
| se los trayen de la cola. | will catch and imprison them. |
An example of two Zapatist stanzas:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Oigan con gusto estos versos | Hear with pleasure these verses, |
| escuchen con atención, | listen carefully: |
| ya la pobre cucaracha | now the poor cockroach |
| no consigue ni un tostón. | doesn't even get a tostón. |
| Todo se ha puesto muy caro | Everything has been very expensive |
| con esta Revolución, | in this Revolution, |
| venden la leche por onzas | selling milk by the ounce |
| y por gramos el carbón. | and coal by the gram. |
Among Mexican civilians at the time, "La Cucaracha" was also a popular tune, and there are numerous examples of non-aligned political verses. Many such verses were general complaints about the hardships created by the war, and these were often written by pro-Zapatistas. Other non-aligned verses contained references to multiple factions in a non-judgmental manner:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| En el norte vive Villa | In the north lives Villa, |
| en el sur vive Zapata | In the south lives Zapata |
| lo que quiero es venganza | What I want is revenge |
| por la muerte de Madero. | For the death of Madero. |
Apart from verses making explicit or implicit reference to historical events, hundreds of other verses exist. Some verses are new and others are ancient; however, the lack of references and the largely oral tradition of the song makes dating these verses difficult if not impossible. Examples follow:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Cuando uno quiere a una | When a man loves a woman |
| y esta una no lo quiere, | but she doesn't love him back, |
| es lo mismo que si un calvo | it's like a bald man |
| en la calle encuentra un peine. | finding a comb in the street. |
| Mi vecina de enfrente | My neighbor across the street |
| se llamaba Doña Clara, | used to call herself Doña Clara, |
| y si no se hubiera muerto | and if she hadn't died |
| aún así se llamaría. | that's what she would still call herself. |