Cri-Cri is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic cricket, created by Fr… Read Full Bio ↴Cri-Cri is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic cricket, created by Francisco Gabilondo Soler in 1934 while broadcasting his own musical radio show on Mexico's station XEW.
Cri-Cri is known as the "grillito cantor" or "the singing cricket". He is a character created by Francisco Gabilondo Soler in his childhood and may even be considered "his inner personality"
The character became so famous and gave its author such renown, that it became a second name for Gabilondo. In the mid part of the 20th century he became the most recognizable singer of children's songs in Spanish. Gabilondo's dedication to this segment of the population has been greatly admired, comparable to Walt Disney in his honest approach to making life fun for those who are getting started in life.

Gato De Barrio
Cri-Cri Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Un gatito me decía yo soy de barrio
De un barrio pobre y trabajador
Y me lavo la carita con saliva
Y luego salgo a echarme al sol
Que bonito es mi barrio
Sobre todo en las mañanas
Cuando pasa echando chispas
El camión,

A lueguito por la tarde
Se columpian las campanas
Invitando a todo el mundo
A la oración.

Pa' que es mas que la pura verdad
Que me da de a lazo mi canción
Pa' que es mas que la pura verdad
Cuando toca el guitarrón.

El gatito repitió es imposible
Que yo me fuera de mi cantón
Pues me untaron los bigotes con manteca
Para robarme el corazón
Que bonito es mi barrio
Sobre todo por la noche
Cuando enpiezan los cochinos a roncar
A los lejos por los cerros
Ladran juntos veinte perros
Y no dejan las chicharras de cantar.

Pa' que es mas que la pura verdad
Que me da de a lazo mi canción

Pa' que es mas que la pura verdad
Cuando toca el guitarrón.

Overall Meaning

The song "Gato De Barrio" by Cri-Cri tells the story of a neighborhood cat who proudly proclaims his origins, saying that he is from a poor and hardworking neighborhood. The cat describes his daily routine of washing his face with his own saliva and then basking in the sun. He sings about the beauty of his neighborhood in the morning, when the sparks of the passing truck light up the streets. In the afternoon, the ringing bells invite everyone to prayer. The cat states that his song is more than just the truth because it's something that comes from the heart, and it touches the soul of the listeners, especially when the "guitarrón" is played.

The second verse tells us that the cat knows that it's impossible to leave his canton, where he was born and raised. He remembers how he was almost stolen by some people who greased his whiskers with butter to steal his heart. The cat sings about the beauty of his neighborhood at night when the pigs begin to snore, and twenty dogs bark together in the distance. The cicadas' song is ever-present, reminding him of the calm, beauty, and peacefulness of his barrio. The overall message of the song is that the gato de barrio loves his home and will never want to leave it even though there are struggles there.

Line by Line Meaning

Un gatito me decía yo soy de barrio
A kitten told me that he belongs to a working-class neighborhood.

De un barrio pobre y trabajador
A poor and hardworking community is where he's from.

Y me lavo la carita con saliva
He cleans his face with his tongue.

Y luego salgo a echarme al sol
Afterward, he goes out to soak up some sun.

Que bonito es mi barrio
He finds his neighborhood beautiful.

Sobre todo en las mañanas
Especially in the mornings.

Cuando pasa echando chispas
When a truck passes by, making sparks fly.

El camión,
The truck.

A lueguito por la tarde
Later in the afternoon.

Se columpian las campanas
The church bells swing back and forth.

Invitando a todo el mundo
Inviting everyone.