The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #5841   Message #34086
Posted By: Jon W.
04-Aug-98 - 07:15 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: La Cucaracha
Subject: RE: Lyric's Needed:
A very rough and literal translation (unknown words left in Spanish):

CHORUS: The cockroach, the cockroach, is now unable to walk,
because she has none, she lacks, marijuana to smoke.

1. From the beard of Caranza I'm going to make a toquilla (possibly a war-token?) to put on the hat of his father, Pancho Villa

2. The cockroach is already dead, they took her to be buried between four zopilotes and a rat of sacristan.

3. One thing that makes me laugh is Pancho Villa without a shirt. The followers of Caranza are already leaving because the followers of Villa are coming.

4. A panadera (possibly baker?) went to Mass, having nothing to laugh about. He asked the Pure Virgin for marijuana to smoke.

5. When a man loves a woman and she doesn't love him, it's the same as when a bald man finds a comb on the street.

6. Girls are gold, married women are silver, widows are copper, and old ladies are tin.

7. For serapes (a blanket worn as an outer garment) Saltillo; Chihuahua for soldiers; for women, Jalisco;for love, everywhere.

8. You need an automobile to make the journey to the place where they sent Zapata's convention (probably political party).

Remember, humor doesn't translate and to really understand this song you need to know the history of the Mexican revolution (circa 1910). Pancho Villa, Caranza, and Zapata were leaders of rival factions. Obviously the political verses are mixed in with general (no pun intended) verses.