America
Ariana DeBose Lyrics
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You lovely island
Island of tropical breezes
Always the pineapples growing
Always the coffee blossoms blowing
And the money owing
And the babies crying
I like the island Manhattan (I know you do)
Smoke on your pipe and put that in!
I like to be in America!
OK by me in America!
Everything free in America
For a small fee in America!
Buying on credit is so nice
One look at us and they charge twice
I have my own washing machine
What do you have, though, to keep clean?
Skyscrapers bloom in America
Cadillacs zoom in America
Industry boom in America
Twelve in a room in America
Lots of new housing with more space
Lots of doors slamming in our face
I'll get a terrace apartment
Better get rid of your accent
Life can be bright in America
If you can fight in America
Life is all right in America
If you're all-white in America
La-la-la-la-la
America
America
La-la-la-la-la
America
America
Here you are free and you have pride
Long as you stay on your own side
Free to do anything you choose
Free to wait tables and shine shoes
Everywhere grime in America
Organized crime in America
Terrible time in America
You forget I'm in America
I think I go back to San Juan
I know a boat you can get on (bye-bye)
Everyone there will give big cheer! (Hey!)
Everyone there will have moved here (ooh)
The song "America" by Ariana DeBose from the musical "West Side Story" is a powerful commentary on the American dream and the immigrant experience. It highlights the sharp contrast between the promise of America and the harsh reality faced by many new immigrants. The song opens with a nod to Puerto Rico, a beautiful tropical island with pineapples growing and coffee blossoms blowing. However, it quickly juxtaposes this idyllic image with the harsher realities of the island, including the debt owed and the sound of crying babies.
The song then contrasts life in Puerto Rico with life in America. The upbeat melody and catchy chorus suggest that America is a land of boundless opportunity and freedom. However, the lyrics reveal a more complex picture, one in which everything can be bought for a price, and where credit and appearance often matter more than substance. The references to skyscrapers and Cadillacs suggest the glamour and wealth of American cities, but the line "Twelve in a room in America" highlights the overcrowding and poverty faced by many new immigrants. The song builds to a powerful finale, one in which the singer notes that life can be bright in America, "If you can fight in America." The lines "Life is all right in America, if you're all-white in America" suggest that even in a land of freedom and opportunity, racism remains a stubborn reality.
Overall, "America" offers a nuanced and powerful portrait of the American dream from the perspective of immigrants. It highlights both the opportunities and challenges that face new arrivals to this land of promise.
Line by Line Meaning
Puerto Rico
A mention of the location of the upcoming events in the song
You lovely island
An introduction to Puerto Rico as a picturesque and beautiful place
Island of tropical breezes
A praise for Puerto Rico's climate and nature
Always the pineapples growing
An appreciation for Puerto Rico's agricultural abundance
Always the coffee blossoms blowing
An appreciation for Puerto Rico's coffee production
And the money owing
A reference to the country's debt crisis
And the babies crying
A bleak reminder of Puerto Rico's economic distress
And the people trying
A message of solidarity with the people of Puerto Rico
I like the island Manhattan (I know you do)
An indication of the artist's preference for mainland USA rather than Puerto Rico
Smoke on your pipe and put that in!
A playful way of telling Puerto Ricans to accept the artist's opinion
I like to be in America!
An expression of the singer's excitement for being in America
OK by me in America!
A statement of approval for life in America
Everything free in America
A misconception about the cost of living in America
For a small fee in America!
An ironic remark about the reality of paying for goods and services in America
Buying on credit is so nice
An appreciation for the convenience of credit purchases in America
One look at us and they charge twice
A reference to the discrimination faced by many Puerto Ricans in America
I have my own washing machine
An indication of the artist's newfound ownership and independence
What do you have, though, to keep clean?
A rhetorical dig at Puerto Ricans for not having personal washing machines
Skyscrapers bloom in America
An observation about the modernity and development of America
Cadillacs zoom in America
A reference to the luxurious lifestyle available to some Americans
Industry boom in America
An acknowledgement of America's economic success and productivity
Twelve in a room in America
A stark reminder of the cramped living conditions for many Puerto Ricans in their new home
Lots of new housing with more space
An optimistic view of the availability of better housing in America
Lots of doors slamming in our face
A pessimistic view of the prejudice faced by some immigrants
I'll get a terrace apartment
A hopeful statement about the singer's future plans
Better get rid of your accent
A warning about the negative consequences of having an accent in America
Life can be bright in America
An optimistic view of life in America
If you can fight in America
A word of caution about the often challenging nature of life in America
Life is all right in America
An endorsement of life in America
If you're all-white in America
An acknowledgement of the pervasive racial bias in America
La-la-la-la-la
A nonverbal vocalization in the song often used as a fill-in since it doesn't carry any meaning
America
An expression of excitement towards America - essentially used as an exclamation
Here you are free and you have pride
A statement of belief towards America as the land of freedom and dignity
Long as you stay on your own side
A caveat that for immigrants to enjoy freedom and dignity, they must continue to operate within their cultural identity
Free to do anything you choose
An enthusiastic endorsement of the perceived degree of agency provided in America
Free to wait tables and shine shoes
An ironic contrast compared with the previous line, essentially saying that the American Dream is not a reality for everyone
Everywhere grime in America
An acknowledgement of the downside of industrialization and rapid urbanization
Organized crime in America
A reference to the mafia and the society-altering negative impact it has had on certain communities
Terrible time in America
A disillusionment with the American Dream; a reference to the long-standing oppression that has been built into American society over time
You forget I'm in America
A reminder to those that lose sight of the struggle Puerto Ricans may face when trying to assimilate into American society
I think I go back to San Juan
A realization that Puerto Rico would be the better option, given their expectations of a better life
I know a boat you can get on (bye-bye)
A pragmatic example of just how possible it is to return home to Puerto Rico whenever they'd want to
Everyone there will give big cheer! (Hey!)
A promise of a warm welcome home - and also promising to treat the immigrants better
Everyone there will have moved here (ooh)
An ironic observation of the reality that many Puerto Ricans move back to Puerto Rico, just to discover that others have moved in to fill the space they might have left vacant.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@muppetrowlf1473
I’m not suggesting anything about you.
Nobody went to see it. Isn’t that enough. The WOKE attitudes that Spielberg designed this around are the real reason. The World at large is quite rightly offended by the mock offence perceived by young, ignorant audiences that give birth to these pointless remakes.
No subtitles, no reference to Puerto Rican birth rates. Dear god!
A great comment below an article in Vanity Fair that wrongly blamed Covid for the box office. The comment said “ Keep making Woke movies Hollywood, and see how the riches decline”.
I went to see Top Gun Maverick and the Cineplex was bursting with bald, overweight 50 odd year old television pilots.
The Covid/ age demographic argument is ridiculous.
Hollywood hasn’t got a clue what it’s doing now. I think Martin Scorsese acknowledges that.
@Ngamotu83
This shows perfectly how Ariana DeBose is a triple threat. She can sing. She can dance. She can act. Ariana was born to play Anita.
@m.syauqiabdurahman2798
Yeah
No wonder a lot of people say she is the front runner for supporting actress
@Ngamotu83
@@calidofrio13 Your point being, what exactly?
@Ngamotu83
@@calidofrio13 What does that have to do with anything?
@ArtGeek2817
@@calidofrio13 because the ability to speak Spanish is the only thing that makes someone Latina go away with that gatekeeping nonsense . She is Afro Latina and Puerto Rican . She was perfect for this Part because that and being a true triple threat that means she can sing, acting , dance because it a musical. And she was on Broadway for 10 years before doing the movie.
@Ngamotu83
@@calidofrio13 You're making no sense.
In all your smug hope of wanting to one-up someone on YouTube, you forget that acting is all about learning lines, regardless of the language. A lot of actors learn lines in a language they can't speak.
The fact Ariana DeBose can act, let alone dance and sing, not to mention that she is Latino, means she is perfect for the role of Anita.
@jenc968
And she just won a well deserved Oscar!! Absolutely thrilled for her, she killed it as Anita!
@browncoatkevin
May her career continue on a wonderfully upward trajectory.
@WilandTarafan
Rita Moreno praised her for this on the set of the movie and Ariana said she was honored. Who wouldn’t get honored to be praised by and EGOT winner who played Anita many years ago
@batirtzeurkiaga1716
🤍🖤🤎💜💙💚💛🧡❤️