La Cucaracha
Famous Spanish tune
La Cucaracha is a traditional Spanish folk song, its title meaning "the cockroach." The song exists in countless versions, many with bawdy or political lyrics—during the Mexican Revolution, verses mocked Pancho Villa's enemies as cockroaches too stoned to march.
The melody is instantly recognizable, often heard as a car horn or in Tex-Mex contexts: The ice cream truck played La Cucaracha as it rolled through the neighborhood.
- MexicanOf or from Tenochtitlan's successor
- Mexican Revolution1910s armed political transformation
- folk songTraditional community music
- mariachiMexican folk ensemble
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
Pancho Villa · guitar · cantina · marijuana · bug · insect · sombrero · fiesta · humor · lyrics · traditional · Spanish lyrics · bandito · tequila · accordion · anthem · pest · crawling
- Mexican RevolutionPancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, Zapatistas
- Famous SongsJingle Bells, Silent Night, Amazing Grace, Auld Lang Syne, Ode to Joy
- european folk songsGreensleeves, Danny Boy, Scarborough Fair, Auld Lang Syne, Bella Ciao
La Cucarachalament
Mournful expression of grief
dirge · requiem · funeral march · ballad · elegy
La CucarachaLa Marseillaise
French national anthem
national anthem · The Star-Spangled Banner · God Save the King · Taps · Amazing Grace