Mexican revolutionary hero Pancho Villa had a carriage that was always breaking down on his endless journeys around the northern desert. His troops nicknamed the bulky carriage "La Cucaracha" ("cockroach") and made up this little ditty about how the carriage "ya no puede caminar" (can't get around any more). Who could imagine that it would become a world-famous tune?
"La cucaracha, la cucaracha, ya no puede caminar, porque no tiene, porque le falta Marijuana que fumar. Ya murio la cucaracha, ya la llevan a enterrar, entre cuatro zopilotes y un raton de sacristan. Con las barbas de Carranza, voy a hacer una toquilla, pa' ponersela al sombrero de su padre Pancho Villa. Un panadero fue a misa, no encontrando que rezar, le pidio a la Virgen pura Marijuana pa' fumar. Una cosa me da risa: Pancho Villa sin camisa; ya se van los carrancistas porque vienen los villistas." Etc, etc (there are about 30 verses...).
Or, in English: "La cucaracha, that little cockroach, O his home he'll never leave, because to travel without a real roach to smoke, he just can't conceive. Heard the cockroach kicked the bucket, and the funeral packed the house. He was buried with four buzzards, right next to the sexton's mouse. With the chin hairs of Carranza, I will weave a lovely band, for the hat of Pancho Villa, yes, our leader oh so grand. When this baker went to mass, he didn't have a single prayer, so he prayed the blessed Virgin, fill his pot pipe up to there. Biggest laugh that I've had ever, Pancho Villa without shirt on. Carrancistas run for cover, that's why Pancho Villa's men won."
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