In honour of the Latin American celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I bring you an iconic entomological song that most people will instantly recognize! While the original lyrics were about a disabled cockroach, this song became popular during the Mexican Revolution, with people creating their own lyrics to mirror their political ties. The original lyrics however are pretty fun:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| La cucaracha, la cucaracha, | The cockroach, the cockroach, |
| ya no puede caminar | can’t walk anymore |
| porque no tiene, porque le falta | because it doesn’t have, because it’s lacking |
| las dos patitas de atrás. | its two back legs. |
(Lyrics courtesy of Wikipedia)
I’ve seen many insects which are lacking legs and still mobile, so it’s a little odd that these are the lyrics which started it all. As many urbanites may attest, killing a cockroach is not the simplest task and urban legends maintain that cockroaches will inherit the world following a nuclear holocaust. Perhaps we’ve just been taking the wrong approach this whole time, and removing the back legs is all that’s needed to stop these household pests!
Certainly a catchy tune, and one I’m sure will be infesting my head for the remainder of the day!
This song is available on iTunes – La Cucaracha – Mexican Fiesta
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| La cucaracha, la cucaracha, | The cockroach, the cockroach, |
| ya no puede caminar | can’t walk anymore |
| porque no tiene, porque le falta | because it doesn’t have, because it’s lacking |
| las dos patitas de atrás. | its two back legs. |