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Chan Chan
Buena Vista Social Club Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí

De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí

De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí

El cariño que te tengo
No te lo puedo negar
Se me sale la babita
Yo no lo puedo evitar

Cuando Juanica y Chan Chan
En el mar cernían arena
Como sacudía el jibe
A Chan Chan le daba pena

Limpia el camino de pajas
Que yo me quiero sentar
En aquel tronco que veo
Y así no puedo llegar

De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí

De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí

De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí

De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí

De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí

De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí

Overall Meaning

The song "Chan Chan" by Buena Vista Social Club tells the story of a man who is traveling from Alto Cedro to Marcané, Cueto, and Mayarí. The lyrics repeat the journey several times, emphasizing the man's determination to reach his destination. Along the way, he expresses his deep affection for someone, saying that he cannot deny his love for them and that he cannot help but be overcome with emotion when he thinks of them.


The lyrics also tell a story about two people, Juanica and Chan Chan, who are sifting sand on the beach. When the wind blows the sail of their boat, Chan Chan feels sad and guilty because he cannot help with the work. The man traveling to Marcané, Cueto, and Mayarí is looking for a place to rest and relax, but he struggles to find it because the road is blocked by straw.


Overall, the song is a mixture of romantic yearning and the joys and struggles of everyday life. The repetition of the journey and the mention of specific places adds a sense of groundedness and realism to the lyrics, while the imagery of the sand and the boat on the beach adds a touch of poetry.


Line by Line Meaning

De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané
I am traveling from Alto Cedro to Marcané


Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí
I arrive at Cueto and then continue my journey to Mayarí


El cariño que te tengo
The love I have for you


No te lo puedo negar
I cannot deny it to you


Se me sale la babita
I am so overwhelmed by this love that I can't help drooling


Yo no lo puedo evitar
I just cannot control it


Cuando Juanica y Chan Chan
When Juanica and Chan Chan


En el mar cernían arena
Were sifting sand in the sea


Como sacudía el jibe
How the jibe was shaking


A Chan Chan le daba pena
It made Chan Chan feel sad


Limpia el camino de pajas
Clear away the straw from the path


Que yo me quiero sentar
Because I want to sit down


En aquel tronco que veo
On that log that I see


Y así no puedo llegar
But I cannot get there


De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
I am traveling from Alto Cedro to Marcané


Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí
I arrive at Cueto and then continue my journey to Mayarí


De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
I am traveling from Alto Cedro to Marcané


Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí
I arrive at Cueto and then continue my journey to Mayarí


De alto Cedro voy para Marcané
I am traveling from Alto Cedro to Marcané


Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí
I arrive at Cueto and then continue my journey to Mayarí




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Maximo Francisco Repilado Munoz

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@Wil_Dasovich

Man Cuba is something special...a history full of tragedy, but a rich in culture!

@harrycallahan5345

Oh yes, the Music is legendary

@LuisFDeAguiar

That's pure true...

@platosbeard4449

@@MN-kp2lm Spot on. The criminal economic blockade imposed by the US rogue state has not broken the wonderful Cuban spirit. Viva la Revolucion!

@skyybeats

@@hyteth2107 like no one mentioned the US. every single country had a tragic history but we are talking about cuba. nothing else so anyone that mentions US Shut the fuck up.

@jgoco1

African heritage

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@JazzMatazz20

orishas here. from italy the cuban, mexican,spanish,portugese music goes beyond the standards

@pedrokuvua8763

Nostálgico, abraço from Angola 🇦🇴

@androcu

No importa cuando leas esto, está canción es un temazoooo! Viva la cultura cubana y la libertad. No más dictadura 🇨🇺

@doctorironniggazumba

De hecho. Es necesario poner fin a la dictadura imperialista que impone el criminal bloqueo a Cuba

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