Cuban guitarist and singer Eliades Ochoa was born in Cuba on June 22, 1946.… Read Full Bio ↴Cuban guitarist and singer Eliades Ochoa was born in Cuba on June 22, 1946. He started playing the guitar when he was only six years old. He began his professional career as a singer in the band 'Cuarteto Patria', but playing at the 'Buena Vista Social Club' gave him worldwide fame. Eliades Ochoa, always wearing his trademark cowboy hat, has build up a repertoire in typical Cuban musicstyles as Bolero, afros, son and Guaracha.

Ay Papacito
Eliades Ochoa y el Cuarteto Patria Lyrics

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Yo iba por la carretera
Que va para siboney
Y una guajira sincera
Y de muy buen proceder
Le dijimos compañera
Necesitamos de usted
Y montada en su caballo
Me respondió con el tres

Ay papacito, así no
Ay que me muero
Así no mi papacito
Así no que yo me muero

Camina caballo blanco
Sácame de este arenal

Que me vienen persiguiendo
Por la tierra y por el mar

Así no mi papacito
Así no que yo me muero

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ay Papacito by Eliades Ochoa & Cuarteto Patria narrate a story of a man who is travelling on a road that leads to Siboney, and he meets a sincere and well-mannered guajira woman. He and his fellow travellers ask her for help, and she agrees and rides with them on her horse while playing the tres, a three-stringed guitar. As they continue their journey, the woman realizes that they are being pursued and begs the man to change their route. She sings out to her horse to help her out of the sandy ground and to escape their pursuers. She then repeats her earlier plea to the man to change course to avoid capture, as death would be preferable to capture.

The song's lyrics reflect the everyday trials and tribulations of country life in Cuba, where situations can become dangerous and require quick thinking and action to evade trouble. The use of the "tres" guitar in the song is a nod to the Afro-Cuban rhythms and influences that are prevalent in Cuban music. The woman's plea, "Ay Papacito, así no," and the repeated phrase "Así no que yo me muero," translates to "Oh daddy, not like this" and "Not like this, or I'll die." This phrase is used to show the woman's urgency and fear in a way that is relatable to the audience. Overall, the song's lyrics showcase the captivating narrative skill of Cuban songwriters and the beauty of traditional Cuban music.

Line by Line Meaning

Yo iba por la carretera
I was traveling along the road

Que va para siboney
That leads to Siboney

Y una guajira sincera
And a sincere peasant woman

Y de muy buen proceder
Of very good behavior

Le dijimos compañera
We said to her, 'Companion'

Necesitamos de usted
We need you

Y montada en su caballo
And mounted on her horse

Me respondió con el tres
She responded with the tres (a type of guitar)

Ay papacito, así no
Oh baby, not like that

Ay que me muero
Oh, I'm dying

Así no mi papacito
Not like that, my baby