El Manicero
Los Cuatro De Belen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trumpet
Hablado: Negrita llegó el manicero
Maní caserita maní, maní, maní
Si te quieres por el pico divertir
Cómprame un cucuruchito de maní
Que calientico y rico está
Ya no se puede pedir más
¡Ay! caserita no me dejes ir
Porque después te vas a arrepentir
Y será muy tarde ya
Trumpet
Maní, maní, maní
Calientico maní
Tres Cubano
Trumpet
Hablado: Ay na ma muchacho
Dáme de tu maní
Esta noche no voy a poder dormir
Sin comerme un cucurucho de maní
Trumpet
Cuando la calle sola está
Casera de mi corazóóóóón
Trumpet
El manicero entona su pregón
Y si la niña escucha su cantar
Llamará de su balcóoóón.
Trumpet
Hablado: ¿Y si no me compra?
/ Si no me compra, mi manicito, ¡Ay! yo me muero / (4)
Eeeeh, si no me compra me muero
/ Rico maní /
Rico maní pa rumbiar
/ Rico maní /
Rico maní pa guarachar/
Rico maní /
Rico maní pa gozá
/ Rico maní /
Oye que se formo la rumba mamá
/ Rico maní /
/Belen/ (5)
/ Rico maní /
/Belen/ (2) Ya tú lo ve
/ Rico maní /
De la habana mi maní
/ Rico maní /
Oye, de Marianao mi maní
/ Rico maní /
Que viene de Colombia mi maní
/ Rico maní /
Maní, maní
/ Rico maní /
Maní. Maní, Maní
/ Rico maní /
Maní
/ Rico maní /
De Belen mi maní
/ Rico maní /
Trumpet
/ Rico maní / (6)
Me voy. Hablado: y se va el manicero
Me voy. Hablado: y se fué el manicero
The song, El Manicero, is about a peanut vendor or Manicero who walks the streets singing a tune to attract customers to buy his peanuts. The opening lines, "Maní, maní, maní," is the call he uses to get the attention of people, and the song goes on to describe the taste and warmth of the peanuts he sells. The lyrics also have a flirtatious element as the Manicero tries to persuade a woman to buy his peanuts and not let him go, promising that she will regret it if she does.
The song is sung in a call-and-response style, with the singer using a trumpet to punctuate certain sections. The lyrics are simple but effective, and the catchy melody has made the song popular all around the world. The song was written in 1928 by Moisés Simóns, a Cuban composer, and has since been covered by many different artists in various languages.
Line by Line Meaning
Maní, maní, maní
The manicero is announcing his arrival selling maní, and is inviting people to purchase it.
Trumpet
Musical interlude.
Hablado: Negrita llegó el manicero
The manicero is greeting a woman named Negrita, who seems to be a regular customer.
Maní caserita maní, maní, maní
The manicero is emphasizing that his maní is homemade and delicious, and is urging people to buy it.
Si te quieres por el pico divertir
The manicero is suggesting that his maní is a fun treat for people to enjoy.
Cómprame un cucuruchito de maní
The manicero is offering to sell people a small bag of his maní.
Trumpet
Musical interlude.
Que calientico y rico está
The manicero is highlighting that his maní is warm and delicious.
Ya no se puede pedir más
The manicero is suggesting that his maní is the ultimate snack and people should not ask for anything else.
¡Ay! caserita no me dejes ir
The manicero is pleading with a customer not to let him go without buying maní, as she will regret it later.
Porque después te vas a arrepentir
The manicero is warning the customer that if she does not buy his maní, she will regret it later.
Y será muy tarde ya
The manicero is emphasizing that if the customer does not buy his maní, she will miss out and it will be too late.
Trumpet
Musical interlude.
Maní, maní, maní
The manicero is once again advertising his maní.
Calientico maní
The manicero is repeating that his maní is warm and delicious.
Tres Cubano
Musical interlude.
Trumpet
Musical interlude.
Hablado: Ay na ma muchacho
The manicero is commenting on a catchy rhythm that he is playing, and is urging people to dance.
Dáme de tu maní
The singer is asking the manicero to give him maní.
Esta noche no voy a poder dormir
The singer is suggesting that he will stay up all night because he is craving maní.
Sin comerme un cucurucho de maní
The singer cannot fall asleep without eating some of the manicero's maní.
Trumpet
Musical interlude.
Cuando la calle sola está
The manicero is most active when the street is quiet and people are buying.
Casera de mi corazóóóóón
The manicero addresses a woman that he is fond of, and whom he hopes will buy his maní.
Trumpet
Musical interlude.
El manicero entona su pregón
The manicero is announcing his presence with a distinctive song, which he remembers from his hometown.
Y si la niña escucha su cantar
The manicero hopes that if a young woman hears his song, she will be enticed into buying his maní.
Llamará de su balcóoóón.
The manicero is making a play on words, saying that if the woman is impressed by his maní, she will call out to him from her balcony.
Trumpet
Musical interlude.
Hablado: ¿Y si no me compra?
The manicero is asking what he should do if a potential customer does not want to buy his maní.
/ Si no me compra, mi manicito, ¡Ay! yo me muero / (4)
The manicero is saying that if people do not buy his maní, he will not be able to survive as a seller.
Eeeeh, si no me compra me muero
The manicero is reiterating his warning that he is depending on customers buying his maní to survive.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
Rico maní pa rumbiar
The manicero is suggesting that his maní is perfect for dancing.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
Rico maní pa guarachar/
The manicero is suggesting that his maní is perfect for the guaracha music style.
Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
Rico maní pa gozá
The manicero is suggesting that his maní is perfect for having fun.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
Oye que se formo la rumba mamá
The manicero is saying that a party is starting because of his maní.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
/Belen/ (5)
The manicero is giving a shout out to a place called Belen.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
/Belen/ (2) Ya tú lo ve
The manicero is emphasizing that people in Belen already know how good his maní is.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
De la habana mi maní
The manicero is telling people that his maní is from Havana.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
Oye, de Marianao mi maní
The manicero is telling people that his maní is from a place called Marianao.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
Que viene de Colombia mi maní
The manicero is telling people that his maní comes from Colombia.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
Maní, maní
The manicero is once again advertising his maní.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
Maní. Maní, Maní
The manicero is once again advertising his maní.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
Maní
The manicero is once again advertising his maní.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
De Belen mi maní
The manicero is telling people that his maní comes from Belen.
/ Rico maní /
The manicero is repeating the quality of his maní, that it is rich and delicious.
Trumpet
Musical interlude.
/ Rico maní / (6)
The manicero is emphasizing once again that his maní is rich and delicious.
Me voy. Hablado: y se va el manicero
The manicero is announcing his departure and letting people know that he is leaving.
Me voy. Hablado: y se fué el manicero
The manicero has left the area and is no longer selling maní.
Writer(s): Moises Simon
Contributed by Reagan T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.