Guantanamera
Wyclef Jean Feat. Celia Cruz Jenni Fujita & Lauryn Hill Lyrics

Spanish Harlem!
This is a shoutout to the New York neighborhood of Spanish Harlem

Boogie Down Bronx!
This is a shoutout to the Bronx neighborhood

Manhattan!
This is a shoutout to the Manhattan borough

Back to Staten!
This is a shoutout to the Staten Island borough

Guantanamera
The title of the song, which refers to a woman named Guantanamera

Hey yo I'm standing at the bar with a, Cuban cigar
The singer is at a bar smoking a Cuban cigar

Guajira, Guantanamera
A guajira is a type of Cuban song, and the singer is referencing it along with Guantanamera

Hey, yo, I think she's eyeing me from afar
The artist believes that Guantanamera is looking at him from a distance

Yo, I wrote this in Haiti, overlooking Cuba
The artist is saying that he wrote this song in Haiti, which is close to Cuba

I asked her what's her name, she said, 'Guantanamera'
The artist asked the woman what her name was, and she replied with 'Guantanamera'

Remind me of an old latin song, my uncle used to play
The singer is saying that Guantanamera reminds him of an old Latin song that his uncle used to play

On his old forty-five when he used to be alive
The uncle used to play the song on his old 45 record player when he was alive

She went from a young girl, to a grown woman
Guantanamera grew up from a young girl to a woman

Like a Virgin, so she sex with no average man
Despite being sexually active, Guantanamera does not settle for mediocre men

Peep the figure, move like a caterpillar
The singer is impressed with Guantanamera's curves and the way she moves

Fly like a butterfly, let your soul feel her glide
Guantanamera moves gracefully like a butterfly, and the artist is encouraging others to appreciate her beauty

Pac Woman better yet Space Invader
The artist is comparing Guantanamera to the popular video game character, Pac-Man or Space Invaders

If your name was Chun-Li, we'd be playin' Street Fighter
The singer is referencing the video game Street Fighter and saying he would want to play against Guantanamera if she were a character from the game

Penny for your thoughts, a nickel for your kiss
The singer is offering to pay Guantanamera for her thoughts and a kiss

A dime if you tell me that you love me
The artist is willing to pay more if Guantanamera expresses her love for him

Soy una mujer, sincera
Guantanamera is saying 'I am a sincere woman' in Spanish

Do you speak English?
The artist is asking Guantanamera if she can speak English

De donde crecen las palmas
'De donde crecen las palmas' means 'Where the palms grow' in Spanish

Can I buy you a drink?
The artist is offering to buy Guantanamera a drink

You killin me
The singer is expressing that Guantanamera is making him feel overwhelmed or infatuated

Y antes de morir, yo quiero
Guantanamera is saying 'And before I die, I want'

Cantar mis versos del alma
Guantanamera wants to sing the verses of her soul, which could mean expressing her true emotions

Te quiero mama, te quiero!
Guantanamera is saying 'I love you mom, I love you!' in Spanish

She was a rose in Spanish Harlem, mamacita beg your pardon
The artist is saying that Guantanamera was a valuable and beautiful woman from Spanish Harlem

Make stakes at a faster rate then she fornicates
The singer is saying that Guantanamera is good at gambling and makes bets quickly

Pure traits of genius, Goddess of Black Venus
The singer is praising Guantanamera's intelligence and beauty

Crab n*ggaz angry cause they can't get between us
The artist is saying that other men are jealous of him being with Guantanamera

To no sele-xion, smooth complexion
The artist is saying that Guantanamera does not discriminate and has a smooth complexion

The lexicon of Lexington, parents came from Cuba
The artist is referencing the street named Lexington and the fact that Guantanamera's parents are from Cuba

Part Mexican, pure sweet, dimes fell to her feet
Guantanamera is of Mexican heritage, very attractive, and men are drawn to her

She like Movado, and shook her hips like Delgado
The artist is comparing Guantanamera to the singer Movado and saying she moves her hips like dancer Delgado

And broke niggaz down from the Grounds to Apollo
The singer is saying that Guantanamera can make any man give in to her charms, even in locations like the Project apartment complex or the Apollo Theater

And then some, she took her act sent it to dim sum
The singer is saying that Guantanamera took her show and sent it all the way to a dim sum restaurant

And waited patiently while the businessmen come
Guantanamera patiently awaited men like businessmen to come and admire her

Call late on purpose, got even politicians nervous
The artist is saying that Guantanamera would purposely call men late at night to put them on edge, even powerful politicians

And made plans to infiltrate the street secret service
The artist is saying that Guantanamera was ready to take on the role of a secret agent in the streets

This gentle flower, fertility was her power
The singer is saying that despite Guantanamera being gentle, she was able to attract men, possibly due to her fertility

Sweet persona, Venus Flytrap primadonna
The singer is praising Guantanamera's sweet demeanor, but also referencing the Venus Flytrap, a plant that attracts and devours insects

Que sera que sera she turned dinero to dinera
The phrase 'que sera sera' means 'whatever will be, will be' in Spanish. The artist is saying that Guantanamera can turn money (dinero) into even more money (dinera)