She is currently portraying the role of the matriarch Lydia Margarita del Carmen Inclán Maribona Leyte-Vidal de Riera in the 2017 Netflix remake of One Day at a Time.
Moreno is one of the few artists to have won all four major annual American entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. She is also one of 23 people who have achieved what is called the Triple Crown of Acting, with individual competitive Academy, Emmy and Tony awards for acting; she and Helen Hayes are the only two who have achieved both distinctions. She has won numerous other awards, including various lifetime achievement awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor.
West Side Story
Rita Moreno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Island of tropical breezes.
Always the pineapples growing,
Always the coffee blossom blowing.
Puerto Rico, You ugly island,
Island of tropic diseases.
Always the hurricanes blowing,
And the money owing,
And the babies crying,
And the bullets flying.
I like the island Manhattan.
Smoke on your pipe and put that in!
Girls sans Rosalia:
I like to be in America!
O.K. by me in America!
Everything free in America
For a small fee in America!
I like the city of San Juan.
I know a boat you can get on.
Hundreds of flowers in full bloom.
Hundreds of people in each room!
Girls sans Rosalia:
Automobile in America.
Chromium steel in America.
Wirespoke wheel in American,
Very big deal in America!
I'll drive a Buick through San Juan
If there's a road you can drive on.
I'll give my cousins a free ride.
How you get all of them inside?
Immigrants goes to America.
Many hellos in America.
Nobody knows in American,
Puerto Rico's in America!
I'll bring a T.V. to San Juan.
If there's a current to turn on!
I'll give them new washing machine.
What have they got there to keep clean?
I like the shores of America.
Comfort is yours in America.
Knobs on doors in American,
Wall-to-wall floors in America!
When I will go back to San Juan.
When you will shut up and get gone!
Everyone there will give big cheer!
Everyone there will have moved here
The lyrics to Rita Moreno's "West Side Story" highlight the stark contrast between the beauty and prosperity of Puerto Rico and the harsh realities faced by its people. In the first verse, Moreno sings about the lovely island of Puerto Rico, with its tropical breezes and abundant fruits and plants. However, in the second verse, Moreno sings about the struggles faced by Puerto Ricans, including disease, poverty, and violence. She then contrasts this with the perceived glamour of America, with its modern amenities and freedom. Moreno's character longs to be in America, where everything is "free" (though she notes that there is a small fee), and she dreams of bringing American luxuries like televisions and washing machines to Puerto Rico.
Overall, the song portrays a complicated relationship between Puerto Rico and America, one that is shaped by both admiration and frustration. While Puerto Ricans may long for the freedoms and comforts of America, they must also contend with the harsh realities of living in a US territory, where they do not have full access to the same rights and opportunities as American citizens.
Line by Line Meaning
Puerto Rico, You lovely island,
Puerto Rico, a beautiful island with tropical breezes in the air and pineapples growing, and coffee blossoms blooming.
Puerto Rico, You ugly island,
Puerto Rico, an island with disease, hurricanes, and a growing population, and also owing money, crying babies, and flying bullets.
I like the island Manhattan.
Smoke on your pipe and put that in!
New York City is where I belong, and don't try to convince me otherwise.
Girls sans Rosalia:
I like to be in America!
O.K. by me in America!
Everything free in America
For a small fee in America!
I enjoy living in America because everything is available, as long as you can pay for it.
I like the city of San Juan.
I know a boat you can get on.
Hundreds of flowers in full bloom.
Hundreds of people in each room!
I enjoy San Juan as well, and I know a way to get there by boat, where I'll find plenty of people and flowers.
Girls sans Rosalia:
Automobile in America.
Chromium steel in America.
Wirespoke wheel in American,
Very big deal in America!
Cars in the US have all the fancy gadgets and features, from chromed steel to wirespoke wheels, making them a big deal here.
I'll drive a Buick through San Juan
If there's a road you can drive on.
I'll give my cousins a free ride.
How you get all of them inside?
I'll take my Buick down to San Juan if there's a road, and I'll even give my family a ride, but it might be a tight fit.
Immigrants goes to America.
Many hellos in America.
Nobody knows in American,
Puerto Rico's in America!
People come to America for new opportunities and to be greeted with many hellos, but many may not realize that Puerto Rico is part of the US.
I'll bring a T.V. to San Juan.
If there's a current to turn on!
I'll give them new washing machine.
What have they got there to keep clean?
I'll bring a TV and a washing machine to San Juan if there's electricity, but it makes me wonder what they have there to keep clean.
I like the shores of America.
Comfort is yours in America.
Knobs on doors in American,
Wall-to-wall floors in America!
I love the beaches in America and the comfortable living, including things like knobs on doors and wall-to-wall carpeting.
When I will go back to San Juan.
When you will shut up and get gone!
Everyone there will give big cheer!
Everyone there will have moved here
When I do eventually return to San Juan, you won't be there to bother me, and everyone there will have already moved to America to join me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NEIL DIAMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NViave
Lyrics :
I like to be in America
Okay by me in America
Everything free in America
For a small fee in America
Buying on credit is so nice
One look at us and they charge twice
I have my own washing machine
What will you have though to keep clean?
Skyscrapers bloom in America
Cadillacs zoom in America
Industry boom in America
Twelve in a room in America
Lots of new housing with more space
Lots of doors slamming in our face
I'll get a terrace apartment
Better get rid of your accent
Life can be bright in America
If you can fight in America
Life is alright in America
If you're a white in America
Lalala...America
America
Lalala...America
Here you are free
And you have pride
As long as you stay on your own side
Free to be anything you choose
Free to wipe tables and shine shoes
Everywhere grime in America
Organized crime in America
Terrible time in America
You forget I'm in America
I think I'd go back to San Juan
I know a boat you can get on (bye bye)
Everyone there will give big cheer
Everyone there will have moved here
@Yetres
I just hate it when I'm arguing with my girlfriend and then I start singing and doing interpretive dance.
@RETROGEMS
Yetres That sounds fun, LOL.
@ashlynnheller8400
That sounds like something my boyfreind will say in the future.
@summyb
You should win the award for the best comment EVER about a YouTube video. I love this!
@magdalenamikili4723
lovely :)
@sirknight4981
Are you Puerto Rican?
@rai2522
nothing will ever be more iconic than anita's flowy purple dress
@sophiabrown8791
Hi
@CeeGeeZ
👋‼😎
@phillipsmom6252
Dorothy’s Ruby Red Slippers 👠