Tío Caimán
Los Guaraguao Lyrics
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Menea la colita,
Tío caimán,
Como una señorita.
Tío caimán
Menea la colota,
Tío caimán
Como una señorota.
Yo tenía mi casa chica
Clavada entre mar y mar
Pero vino la tormenta
Y con ella tío caimán.
De repente el territorio
De sur a norte se abrió
La parcela que allí estaba
Tío caimán se la tragó.
Puso el caimán su bandera
Y la mía me la quitó
Yo le dije: tío caimán,
Eso no lo aguanto yo...
Tío caimán hablaba inglés
Y andaba por todo el mundo
Y en cada sitio que iba
Metía su colmillo inmundo.
Hoy con su cola cortada
Anda loco el tío caimán
Le dieron palos en Cuba
Y le dan palo en Vietnam
(Hoy con su cola cortada
Caimán se cayó al agua
Le dieron palos en Cuba
Y también en Nicaragua.)
Y yo como soy moreno
A mí no me engaña naide
Le daré palo al caimán
A su padre y a su madre.
The lyrics of Los Guaraguao's "Tio Caiman" reflect the story of a man whose life is turned upside down when a hurricane hits his home and brings with it a crocodile known as "Tio Caiman." At first, the man describes the crocodile as a lady-like creature that shakes its tail in a playful manner. However, as the story unfolds, the man realizes that Tio Caiman is a dangerous animal that devours everything in its path. Tio Caiman takes over the man's land, puts up his own flag and takes down the man's, and even speaks English and travels the world with his dirty intentions. The man, however, is determined to fight back against the manipulative and greedy Tio Caiman, using the strength and determination of his Afro-Latino roots.
The song can be seen as a metaphor for imperialism and colonization. The crocodile, Tio Caiman, represents the colonizer who takes over and destroys the land that belonged to the people. The man in the song is symbolic of the colonized people, who must fight back against the invader. The lyrics show that the colonized people are not powerless and have the strength to resist and fight back, using their culture and traditions as tools to combat the oppressor.
Line by Line Meaning
Tío caimán
Introducing the character of Tío Caimán
Menea la colita,
Tío Caimán is waggling his tail, like a lady would do
Tío caimán,
Repeating the character of Tío Caimán
Como una señorita.
Tío Caimán is waggling his tail in a feminine way
Tío caimán
Repeating the character of Tío Caimán
Menea la colota,
Tío Caimán is waggling his tail suggestively
Tío caimán
Repeating the character of Tío Caimán
Como una señorota.
Tío Caimán is waggling his tail as if he were a flirtatious lady
Yo tenía mi casa chica
The artist had a small house
Clavada entre mar y mar
The house was located between two seas, probably a narrow strip of land
Pero vino la tormenta
A storm came
Y con ella tío caimán.
Along with the storm came Tío Caimán
De repente el territorio
Suddenly, the land
De sur a norte se abrió
Was split from south to north
La parcela que allí estaba
The plot of land that was there
Tío caimán se la tragó.
Tío Caimán swallowed it up
Puso el caimán su bandera
Tío Caimán planted his flag
Y la mía me la quitó
And he took mine away
Yo le dije: tío caimán,
I said to Tío Caimán,
Eso no lo aguanto yo...
I won't stand for this...
Tío caimán hablaba inglés
Tío Caimán spoke English
Y andaba por todo el mundo
And he traveled all around the world
Y en cada sitio que iba
And wherever he went
Metía su colmillo inmundo.
He brought his dirty teeth with him.
Hoy con su cola cortada
Today, with his tail cut off
Anda loco el tío caimán
Tío Caimán is crazy
Le dieron palos en Cuba
They beat him with sticks in Cuba
Y le dan palo en Vietnam
And they beat him in Vietnam
(Hoy con su cola cortada
(Today, with his tail cut off
Caimán se cayó al agua
Caimán fell into the water
Le dieron palos en Cuba
They beat him with sticks in Cuba
Y también en Nicaragua.)
And also in Nicaragua.)
Y yo como soy moreno
And I, being a black man
A mí no me engaña naide
No one can fool me
Le daré palo al caimán
I will beat the caiman with a stick
A su padre y a su madre.
I'll do the same to its parents.
Writer(s): Chang Mari
Contributed by Zoe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.