La Cucaracha
Mariachi Silvestre Vargas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Porque no tiene porque le falta
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
Ya no puede caminar
Porque no tiene, porque le falta
Marihuana, que fumar
Ya no puede caminar
Porque no tiene, porque le falta
Marihuana, que fumar
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
Porque no tiene, porque le falta
The lyrics of La Cucaracha are telling the story of a cockroach who is unable to walk because it is missing something, namely marijuana to smoke. The song is a parody of Mexico's leaders during the revolution who were believed to be corrupt and influenced by the Americans. The word "cucaracha" is used in Mexican slang to describe a corrupt politician or someone who is untrustworthy.
The repetition of the phrase "la cucaracha" in each verse reinforces this message, as the cockroach is seen as symbolic of the corrupt politicians. The lyrics also reference the use of marijuana, which was a popular recreational drug at the time and was believed to be used by Mexico's leaders.
The song has become a particularly popular folk song in Mexico, with many variations of the lyrics and countless covers by different artists. It has become a sort of anthem for Mexican culture and has made its way into American and European pop culture as well.
Line by Line Meaning
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
The cockroach, the cockroach
Porque no tiene porque le falta
Because it doesn't have, because it's missing
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
The cockroach, the cockroach
Ya no puede caminar
It can no longer walk
Porque no tiene, porque le falta
Because it doesn't have, because it's missing
Marihuana, que fumar
Marijuana to smoke
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
The cockroach, the cockroach
Ya no puede caminar
It can no longer walk
Porque no tiene, porque le falta
Because it doesn't have, because it's missing
Marihuana, que fumar
Marijuana to smoke
La cucaracha, la cucaracha
The cockroach, the cockroach
Porque no tiene, porque le falta
Because it doesn't have, because it's missing
Writer(s): Traditional
Contributed by Chloe N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.