La Cucaracha
Encyclopedia
"La Cucaracha" 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.
in 1492 (see section below). 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:
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.
," "The Burning of the School
," or "On Top of Old Smoky
." As lyrics are improvised according to the needs of the moment, they provide a rough chronology to the song.
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
:
Other early stanzas detail such incidents as the Carlist Wars
(1833–1876) and the French intervention in Mexico
(1861).
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 is the two Villist
anti-Huerta
stanzas:
Common to Revolutionary song
s, 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:
An example of two Zapatist
stanzas:
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 people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
corrido
Corrido
The corrido is a popular narrative song and poetry form, a ballad, of Mexico. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for peasants, and other socially important information. It is still a popular form today, and was widely popular during the Mexican Revolution and Nicaraguan...
that became popular in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
during the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
. It has additionally become a verse played on car horns.
Origins
The origins of "La Cucaracha" are obscure, with some versions of the lyrics discussing events that took place during the conclusion of the Granada WarGranada War
The Granada War was a series of military campaigns between 1482 and 1492, during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, against the Nasrid dynasty's Emirate of Granada...
in 1492 (see section below). One of the earliest references to the song comes from the verses of Mexican writer and political journalist, José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi
José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi
José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi , Mexican writer and political journalist, best known as the author of El Periquillo Sarniento , reputed to be the first novel written in Latin America....
'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." | brought the one about "La Cucaracha." |
Whatever its origin, it would be during the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the 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.
Lyrics
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 DoodleYankee Doodle
"Yankee Doodle" is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years' War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today and is the state anthem of Connecticut...
," "The Burning of the School
The Burning of the School
"The Burning of the School" is a parody of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", known and sung by schoolchildren throughout the United States and in some locations in the United Kingdom....
," or "On Top of Old Smoky
On Top of Old Smoky
"On Top of Old Smoky" is a traditional folk song and a well-known ballad of the United States which, as recorded by The Weavers, reached the pop music charts in 1951....
." As lyrics are improvised according to the needs of the moment, they provide a rough chronology to the song.
Pre-Revolution lyrics
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
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
wars (1492) against the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
:
| 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. | of the Spanish infantry. |
Other early stanzas detail such incidents as the Carlist Wars
Carlist Wars
The Carlist Wars in Spain were the last major European civil wars in which contenders fought to establish their claim to a throne. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the Carlists — followers of Infante Carlos and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and...
(1833–1876) and the French intervention in Mexico
French intervention in Mexico
The French intervention in Mexico , also known as The Maximilian Affair, War of the French Intervention, and The Franco-Mexican War, was an invasion of Mexico by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain...
(1861).
Revolutionary lyrics
The Mexican RevolutionMexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the 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 is the two Villist
Pancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
anti-Huerta
Victoriano Huerta
José Victoriano Huerta Márquez was a Mexican military officer and president of Mexico. Huerta's supporters were known as Huertistas during the Mexican Revolution...
stanzas:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| La cucaracha, la cucaracha, | The cockroach, the cockroach, |
| ya no puede caminar | can't walk anymore |
| porque no tiene, porque le falta | 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 song
Revolutionary song
Revolutionary songs are political songs that advocate or praise revolutions. They are used to boost morale, as well as for political propaganda or agitation. Amongst the most well-known revolutionary songs are "La Marseillaise" and "The Internationale". Many protest songs can be considered...
s, this version contains hidden political meanings, and was popular among Villist soldiers. In this version, the cockroach represents President Victoriano Huerta
Victoriano Huerta
José Victoriano Huerta Márquez was a Mexican military officer and president of Mexico. Huerta's supporters were known as Huertistas during the Mexican Revolution...
, 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
Victoriano Huerta
José Victoriano Huerta Márquez was a Mexican military officer and president of Mexico. Huerta's supporters were known as Huertistas during the Mexican Revolution...
, anti-Carranza
Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza de la Garza, was one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution. He ultimately became President of Mexico following the overthrow of the dictatorial Huerta regime in the summer of 1914 and during his administration the current constitution of Mexico was drafted...
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
Liberation Army of the South
The Liberation Army of the South was an armed group formed and led by Emiliano Zapata that took part in the Mexican Revolution. The force was commonly known as the Zapatistas....
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 Tostones Tostones or patacones are a popular side dish in many Latin American countries. The dish is made from sliced green plantains cut either length-wise or width-wise and are twice fried... . |
| 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 Pancho Villa José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals.... , |
| en el sur vive Zapata | In the south lives Zapata Emiliano Zapata Emiliano Zapata Salazar was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution, which broke out in 1910, and which was initially directed against the president Porfirio Díaz. He formed and commanded an important revolutionary force, the Liberation Army of the South, during the Mexican Revolution... |
| lo que quiero es venganza | What I want is revenge |
| por la muerte de Madero. | For the death of Madero Francisco I. Madero Francisco Ignacio Madero González was a politician, writer and revolutionary who served as President of Mexico from 1911 to 1913. As a respectable upper-class politician, he supplied a center around which opposition to the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz could coalesce... . |
Other verses
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. |
Media
Performers of the song
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- The Gumm Sisters, featuring Judy GarlandJudy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
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(1966) - as "La Cucaracha a Go-Go" - Big Walter HortonBig Walter HortonWalter Horton, better known as Big Walter Horton or Walter "Shakey" Horton, was an American blues harmonica player. A quiet, unassuming and essentially shy man, Horton is remembered as one of the premier harmonica players in the history of blues...
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- Los Machucambos (1960s)
- Los Locos del Ritmo
- Mills BrothersMills BrothersThe Mills Brothers, sometimes billed as The Four Mills Brothers, were an American jazz and pop vocal quartet of the 20th century who made more than 2,000 recordings that combined sold more than 50 million copies, and garnered at least three dozen gold records...
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- The Baja Marimba Band
- Charlie ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
- The SkatalitesThe SkatalitesThe Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone". They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period...
(1964) - as "Ska-Racha" - Slowpoke Rodriguez
- Doug SahmDoug SahmDouglas Wayne Sahm , was an American musician from Texas. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he was a child prodigy in country music, but became a significant figure in blues rock and other genres. Today Sahm is considered one of the most important figures in what is identified as Tejano music...
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- ZebdaZebdaZebda is a French music group from Toulouse known for its political activism and its wide variety of musical styles. The group, which was formed in 1985, consisted of seven musicians of diverse nationalities, and the themes of much of their music involved political and social justice, the status...
- The Alley Hinges (2000) - "The Cucaracha Of Death"
- Kumbia KingsKumbia KingsKumbia Kings was a Latin Grammy-winning Mexican cumbia group from Corpus Christi, Texas created by A.B. Quintanilla. Their music encompasses the styles of cumbia , hip hop and R&B. They produce songs in both Spanish and English. The band's producers from the beginning have been A.B. Quintanilla III...
(2002) - Orphei DrängarOrphei DrängarOrphei Drängar is a Swedish male choir and singing society founded in 1853, based in Uppsala and one of the two notable singing societies traditionally affiliated with the university there...
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- Theme song to show - Riders In The Sky
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- within their track "Hypocrites" from their first demo "The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny" - ChingonChingonChingon or chingón may refer to:*Chingon, a band started by director Robert Rodríguez*Chingón, a Mexican slang word for "badass"...
(2004) - as "Cuka Rocka" - MilvaMilvaMaria Ilva Biolcati , known as Milva, is an Italian singer, actress and television personality. She is also known as 'La Rossa', , due to the colour of her hair, and additionally as the 'Panther of Goro', which stems from the Italian press having nicknamed the three most popular Italian female...
External links
- What are the words to "La Cucaracha"? on The Straight Dope
- Version with several references to the Mexican Revolution
- complete lyric
- Sheet Music for Wind Orchestra: Parts & Scores