Guantanamera
L. Frank Lyrics
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Guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Yo soy un hombre sincero
Y antes de morirme quiero
Echar mis versos del alma
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Yo he visto el águila herida
Volar al azul sereno
Yo he visto el águila herida
Volar al azul sereno
Y morir en su guarida
La víbora del veneno
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Yo quiero cuando me muera
Sin patria pero sin amo
Yo quiero cuando me muera, compadre
Sin patria pero sin amo
Tener en mi tumba un ramo
De flores y una bandera
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Cubano soy y le canto
Al lugar donde nací
Entre palmeras crecí
Y hoy vivo en la gran ciudad
Pero el día que yo me muera
En Cuba me han de enterrar
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
Guantanamera
Guajira guantanamera
The song "Guantanamera" is a famous folk song from Cuba, which originated from a poem written by José Martí. L. Frank's version of the song is a tribute to Martí, and it speaks to the Cuban's love for their country even after being away for an extended period. The first two stanzas of the song talk about the singer being a truthful man who was born amidst the palm trees, and he wants to share his soulful poetry with the world before he dies.
The song's third and fourth stanzas talk about a wounded eagle flying away and dying in its nest due to the venomous viper. This could symbolize the political turmoil in Cuba and how a noble cause can die because of misguided intentions. The final stanza talks about the singer's desire to be buried back in Cuba without any masters or country, just a flag and some flowers on his grave. The song's message ultimately highlights the patriotism and love for Cuba that Cuban exiles and diaspora feel, even if they are away from their country.
Line by Line Meaning
Guantanamera
This is the chorus of the song, and it refers to a woman from Guantánamo, Cuba, which is in the eastern part of the country.
Guajira guantanamera
The word 'guajira' means 'peasant woman' in Spanish, so this line can be interpreted as 'peasant woman from Guantánamo, Cuba.'
Yo soy un hombre sincero
I am a sincere man.
De donde crece la palma
I am from where the palm grows, which is a reference to Cuba where palm trees are common.
Y antes de morirme quiero
And before I die, I want.
Echar mis versos del alma
To pour out my soulful verses, which means to express my innermost thoughts and feelings through poetry.
Yo he visto el águila herida
I have seen the wounded eagle.
Volar al azul sereno
Flying in the calm blue sky.
Y morir en su guarida
And die in its home or nest.
La víbora del veneno
The snake of venom.
Yo quiero cuando me muera
When I die, I want.
Sin patria pero sin amo
Without a homeland, but without a master.
Tener en mi tumba un ramo
To have a bouquet on my grave.
De flores y una bandera
Of flowers and a flag, which is a way of expressing his love for Cuba even after death.
Cubano soy y le canto
I am Cuban and I sing to it.
Al lugar donde nací
To the place where I was born.
Entre palmeras crecí
I grew up among palm trees, implying he is from a rural area.
Y hoy vivo en la gran ciudad
And today I live in the big city, suggesting he moved from his hometown to the city.
Pero el día que yo me muera
But the day that I die.
En Cuba me han de enterrar
They will bury me in Cuba, reflecting his attachment to his homeland.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Spirit Music Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Peter Seeger, Julian Orbon, Hector Angulo, Jose Fernandez Diaz, Fernandez Diaz Jose
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind