
Lila Downs
La cucaracha lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 2003
- Genre
- Cumbia
- Length
- 4:41
La cucaracha
The cockroach
La cucaracha que ya no puede caminar
The cockroach that can no longer walk
Porque no tiene, porque le falta
Because it has none, because it's missing
La marihuana, marihuana que fumar
The marijuana, marijuana to smoke
En la misa y en la feria
In the church and at the fair
Todo el mundo ya lo sabe
Everyone already knows it
Los que llegan al gobierno
Those who come to power
Porque se puede comprar
Because it can be bought
Del partido comunista
From the communist party
Ya no queda casi nada
There's hardly anything left
Ahora todos van buscando
Now everyone is searching
Como hacerse millonadas
For how to make millions
La cucaracha
The cockroach
La cucaracha, muchacha
The cockroach, girl
La cucaracha
The cockroach
La cucaracha
The cockroach
Fue la junta de naciones
It was the meeting of nations
A poner en sus opiniones
To express their opinions
Todos no estaban de acuerdo
Not everyone agreed
Cuándo y dónde bombardear
When and where to bomb
Se sientan los presidentes
The presidents take their seats
En la silla del gobierno
In the government chair
Luego mandan a la guerra
Then they send to war
A la gente de su pueblo
The people of their town
La cucaracha
The cockroach
Ay, la cucaracha
Oh, the cockroach
La cucaracha
The cockroach
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
The cockroach, the cockroach
Que ya no puede caminar
It can no longer walk
Porque no tiene, porque le falta
Because it doesn't have, because it lacks
La marihuana que fumar
The marijuana to smoke
La marihuana que fumar
The marijuana to smoke
Guaracha, muchacha, que vamo' a guarachar
Guaracha, girl, let's dance the guaracha
Va una cucaracha que quiere comerciar
Here comes a cockroach that wants to trade
Toca, loca ábreme la boca
Play, crazy, open my mouth
Búscame una coca que no quiero trabalear
Find me a coke, I don't want to work too hard
Mica, rica para zapatear
Mica, rich one, for tapping my feet
Pido a Victor Jara no me vaya a doblegar
I ask Victor Jara not to bend me
Chama, chama al Ché Guevara
Hey girl, call Che Guevara
Una petición, una cucaracha
A request, a cockroach
Por culpa y omisión
For blame and omission
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
The cockroach, the cockroach
Que ya no puede caminar
That can no longer walk
Porque no tiene, porque le falta
Because it doesn't have, because it's lacking
La marihuana que fumar
The marijuana to smoke
La marihuana que fumar
The marijuana to smoke
Todos se pelean la silla
Everyone fights for the chair
Que les deja mucha plata
That leaves them a lot of cash
En el norte Pancho Villa
In the north, Pancho Villa
Y en el sur viva Zapata
And in the south, long live Zapata
Ya murió la cucaracha
The cockroach is dead now
Ya la llevan a enterrar
They're already taking it to bury
Entre cuatro zopilotes
Among four vultures
Y un ratón de sacristán
And a sacristan mouse
La cucaracha
The cockroach
La cucaracha
The cockroach
Ay, la cucaracha, señores
Oh, the cockroach, gentlemen
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- cucaracha
- cockroachA2
- entre
- amongA1
- junta
- assemblyC1
- boca
- mouthA2
- porque
- becauseB1
- tiene
- hasA1
- falta
- lackB1
- marihuana
- marijuana
- fumar
- smokeA1
- misa
- massB1
About this song
Lila Downs is a Mexican-born singer-songwriter and performer. She makes Indigenous Mexican-rooted music that blends North American jazz and Latin American folk, and is known for albums such as Ofrenda and for receiving Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.