America
Chita Rivera Marilyn Cooper Reri Grist and Shark Girls Lyrics

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Puerto Rico
You lovely island
Island of tropical breezes
Always the pineapples growing
Always the coffee blossoms blowing

Puerto Rico
You ugly island

Island of tropic diseases
Always the hurricanes blowing
Always the population growing (¡sí, Anita!)
And the money owing (¡es verdad!)
And the babies crying (¡cállate!)
And the bullets flying (¡eso!)
I like the island Manhattan
Smoke on your pipe and put that in

I like to be in America
O.k. By me in America
Ev'rything free in America
For a small fee in America (¡ándale!)

I like the city of San Juan

I know a boat you can get on

Hundreds of flowers in full bloom

Hundreds of people in each room

Automobile in America
Chromium steel in America
Wire-spoke wheel in America
Very big deal in America
(Ándale, pero suavecito con los chiquititos aquí!)

I'll drive a Buick through San Juan

If there's a road you can drive on

I'll give my cousins a free ride

How you get all of them inside?

Immigrant goes to America
Many hellos in America
Nobody knows in America
Puerto Rico's in America

(¡Ándale Anita!)

I'll bring a T.V. To San Juan

If there's a current to turn on

I'll give them new washing machine

What have they got there to keep clean?

I like the shores of America
Comfort is yours in America
Knobs on the doors in America
Wall-to-wall floors in America (jajaja)

(Otra vez, ahora la segunda)

When I will go back to San Juan

When you will shut up and get gone? (¡eso!)

Everyone there will give big cheer

Everyone there will have moved here (¡es verdad!)

Overall Meaning

The song "America" by Chita Rivera is a lively representation of the contrasts between Puerto Rico and America. It has two contrasting verses that portray two different perspectives of Puerto Rico. The first verse glorifies the beauty of the island and its nature. Still, the second verse portrays the lands' issues and problems, revealing poverty, violence and, of course, a colonial past, eventually leading people to immigrate to America to escape their problems.

The song posits the singer's preference for the United States and Manhattan over Puerto Rico, where life is depicted as chaotic and out of control, with tensions, gunshots, and babies crying. By contrast, the United States is represented as the land of opportunity, with a booming automobile industry, free-market economy, and affordable living. The song pushes stereotypes on Puerto Ricans' chaotic and violent nature while lauding American life's comforts, which may have been the objective of European propaganda to make Americans embrace the colonialism of Puerto Rico.

As for the song's context, West Side Story's soundtrack features "America" and was composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Rivera performed the song for the original Broadway production in 1957, delighting audiences with her passionate, dynamic dance moves that incorporated flamenco rhythms. This song has been performed and covered numerous times by different artists and is still as relevant today with America still being a symbol of hope and a place of opportunity for immigrants around the world.

Line by Line Meaning

Puerto Rico
The singer is addressing Puerto Rico.

You lovely island
Puerto Rico is a beautiful island.

Island of tropical breezes
The island has a pleasant climate.

Always the pineapples growing
Pineapples are a common crop on the island.

Always the coffee blossoms blowing
Coffee is a popular crop on the island.

You ugly island
The singer is contrasting the previous lines with a harsher interpretation of the island.

Island of tropic diseases
The island has a higher occurrence of diseases.

Always the hurricanes blowing
The island is frequently hit by hurricanes.

Always the population growing (¡sí, Anita!)
The population of the island is increasing.

And the money owing (¡es verdad!)
There is a lot of debt on the island.

And the babies crying (¡cállate!)
There are many crying babies on the island.

And the bullets flying (¡eso!)
There is a lot of violence on the island.

I like the island Manhattan
The singer prefers the city of Manhattan.

Smoke on your pipe and put that in
The singer is speaking confidently.

I like to be in America
The singer prefers America over Puerto Rico.

O.k. By me in America
The singer is accepting of America.

Ev'rything free in America
There are many freedoms in America.

For a small fee in America (¡ándale!)
Not everything is free in America, but it is still preferred.

I like the city of San Juan
The singer also likes the city of San Juan.

I know a boat you can get on
The singer knows of a boat to get to San Juan.

Hundreds of flowers in full bloom
There are many flowers in San Juan.

Hundreds of people in each room
There are many people in San Juan.

Automobile in America
Cars are prevalent in America.

Chromium steel in America
Cars have high-quality steel in America.

Wire-spoke wheel in America
Cars have fancy wheels in America.

Very big deal in America
Cars are an important status symbol in America.

(Ándale, pero suavecito con los chiquititos aquí!)
The singer wants to be careful about how she talks about cars.

I'll drive a Buick through San Juan
The singer will use her car to travel around San Juan.

If there's a road you can drive on
The singer hopes there will be roads in San Juan.

I'll give my cousins a free ride
The singer will offer her family a ride in her car.

How you get all of them inside?
The singer is wondering how all of her family members will fit in her car.

Immigrant goes to America
Immigrants often come to America.

Many hellos in America
There are many friendly people in America.

Nobody knows in America
Many things are unknown in America.

Puerto Rico's in America
The singer is acknowledging that Puerto Rico is a part of America.

(¡Ándale Anita!)
Anita is being urged to agree with the singer.

I'll bring a T.V. To San Juan
The singer will bring a TV to San Juan.

If there's a current to turn on
The singer hopes there will be electricity in San Juan.

I'll give them new washing machine
The singer will bring a new washing machine to San Juan.

What have they got there to keep clean?
The singer is questioning what the residents of San Juan have to keep clean.

I like the shores of America
The singer likes the beaches of America.

Comfort is yours in America
There is much comfort in America.

Knobs on the doors in America
There are many different types of doorknobs in America.

Wall-to-wall floors in America (jajaja)
There are wall-to-wall carpets in America, which is amusing to the singer.

(Otra vez, ahora la segunda)
The singer is starting the second verse again.

When I will go back to San Juan
The singer is wondering when she will return to San Juan.

When you will shut up and get gone? (¡eso!)
The singer is being told to stop talking and leave.

Everyone there will give big cheer
The singer believes people will be happy when she returns to San Juan.

Everyone there will have moved here (¡es verdad!)
The singer is acknowledging that many people have moved from San Juan to America.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, CTM Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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