Guantanamera – English Lyrics

• By: Wyclef Jean, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Celia Cruz, Jeni Fujita

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the vibrant fusion of cultures in Wyclef Jean's 'Guantanamera.' This song is a fantastic entry point for English speakers to explore the Spanish language through its iconic chorus and the legendary voice of Celia Cruz. You can learn key Spanish phrases and experience the beautiful blend of hip-hop and classic Cuban music, making language learning both enjoyable and culturally enriching. The song's unique mix of storytelling and musical styles makes it a timeless piece to appreciate.

[English]

♪ Azucar ♪

("Guantanamera" by Wyclef Jean ft. Ms. Lauryn Hill,)

(Celia Cruz, Jeni Fujita)

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ We out here in Miami just shinin' ♪

♪ Guajila, Guantanamera ♪

♪ Worldwide ♪

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ 'Bout to bring it to you in stereo ♪

♪ Guajila, Guantanamera ♪

(frightening string music)

- So this guitar player,

who fall in love with Guantanamera,

he fall in love with the wrong girl.

'Cause Borracho Muchacho (horror sound effect)

had his eye on the muchacha.

And he wanted to turn her into a bad girl, man.

Well, Borracho and his boys, (growling)

they find the guitar player, (frightening music)

(woman screaming)

they hold him down, (glass shattering)

they cut off his hand. (screaming)

Guitar player would never play a guitar again.

- Wyclef Gene, front and center.

You're bailed out.

- That was then.

This is now.

("Guantanamera" by Wyclef Jean ft. Ms. Lauryn Hill,)

(Celia Cruz, Jeni Fujita)

♪ Welcome to the carnival ♪

♪ The arrival ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ Spanish Harlem ♪

♪ Oahh-eee-ohh ♪

♪ Boogie Down Bronx ♪

♪ Oahh-eee-ohh ♪

♪ Manhattan ♪

♪ Oahh-eee-ohh ♪

♪ Back to Staten ♪

♪ Oahh-eee-ohh ♪

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ Hey yo I'm standing at the bar with a Cuban cigar ♪

♪ Guajira, guantanamera ♪

♪ Hey, yo, I think she's eyeing me from afar ♪

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ Guajira, guantanamera ♪

♪ Yo, I wrote this in Haiti, overlooking Cuba ♪

♪ I asked her what's her name, she said, Guantanamera ♪

♪ Remind me of an old latin song, my uncle used to play ♪

♪ On his old forty-five when he used to be alive ♪

♪ She went from a young girl, to a grown woman like a virgin ♪

♪ So she sex with no average man ♪

♪ Peep the figure, move like a caterpillar ♪

♪ Fly like a butterfly, let your soul feel her glide ♪

♪ Pac Woman, better yet Space Invader ♪

♪ If your name was Chun-Li, we'd be playin' Street Fighter ♪

♪ Penny for your thoughts, a nickel for your kiss ♪

♪ A dime if you tell me that you love me, come on ♪

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ Hey yo I'm standing at the bar with a Cuban cigar ♪

♪ Guajira, guantanamera ♪

♪ Hey, yo, I think she's eyeing me from afar ♪

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ Guajira, guantanamera ♪

♪ Soy una mujer sincera ♪

♪ Do you speak English? ♪

♪ De donde crece la palma ♪

♪ Can I buy you a drink ♪

♪ Soy una mujer, sincera ♪

♪ De donde crece la palma ♪

♪ You killin' me ♪

♪ Y antes de morir, yo quiero ♪

♪ Cantar mis versos del alma ♪

♪ Te quiero mama, te quiero ♪

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ Hey yo I'm standing at the bar with a Cuban cigar ♪

♪ Guajira, guantanamera ♪

♪ Hey, yo, John Forte, I think she's eyeing me from afar ♪

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ Guajira, guantanamera ♪

♪ Yo, she was a rose in Spanish Harlem ♪

♪ She was a rose ♪

♪ Mamacita, beg your pardon ♪ ♪ In Spanish Harlem ♪

♪ Make stakes at a faster rate than she fornicates ♪

♪ Pure traits of genius, goddess of Black Venus ♪

♪ Crab, angry cause they can't get between us ♪

♪ To no seleccion, smooth complexion ♪

♪ The lexicon of Lexington, parents came from Cuba ♪

♪ Part Mexican, pure sweet, dimes fell to her feet ♪

♪ She like Movado, and shook her hips like Delgado ♪

♪ And broke, down from the grounds to Apollo ♪

♪ And then some, she took her act sent it to dim sum ♪

♪ And waited patiently while the businessmen come ♪

♪ Call late on purpose, got even politicians nervous ♪

♪ And made plans to infiltrate the street secret service ♪

♪ This gentle flower, fertility was her power ♪

♪ Sweet persona, Venus Flytrap primadonna ♪

♪ Que sera, que sera, she turned dinero to dinera ♪

(glass shattering)

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ Hey yo I'm standing at the bar with a Cuban cigar ♪

♪ Guajira, guantanamera ♪

♪ Hey, yo, I think she's eyeing me from afar ♪

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ Guajira, guantanamera ♪

♪ Ha ha ♪

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ Hey yo I'm standing at the bar with a Cuban cigar ♪

♪ Guajira, guantanamera ♪

♪ Hey, yo, I think she's eyeing me from afar ♪

♪ Guantanamera ♪

♪ Guajira, guantanamera ♪

♪ Ha ha ♪

♪ A boy like that ♪

♪ He'd kill your brotha, kill him ♪

♪ That's right, he kill your brotha ♪

♪ Miami ♪

♪ To the NYC ♪

♪ To New Jersey ♪

♪ Come on ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Guantanamera /ˌɡwɑːntɑːnəˈmɛrə/ B1	noun - A Cuban woman from Guantánamo, also the title of a famous Cuban song.
shinin' /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/ A2	verb - To emit light; to be bright and attractive.
stereo /ˈstɛrioʊ/ A2	noun - A system for playing recorded music with two or more speakers for a three-dimensional effect.
frightening /ˈfraɪtənɪŋ/ A2	adjective - Causing fear or anxiety.
Borracho /bɔˈrɑːtʃoʊ/ B1	noun - A drunken person, especially a man.
muchacha /muːˈtʃɑːtʃə/ A2	noun - A young woman or girl.
shattering /ˈʃætərɪŋ/ B1	verb - To break something into pieces with a loud noise.
carnival /ˈkɑːrnɪvəl/ A2	noun - A festive celebration with parades, music, and dancing.
Cuban /ˈkjuːbən/ A1	adjective - Relating to Cuba or its people.
cigar /sɪˈɡɑːr/ A1	noun - A tightly rolled bundle of tobacco for smoking.
afar /əˈfɑːr/ B1	adverb - At a distance; far away.
overlooking /ˌoʊvərˈlʊkɪŋ/ B1	verb - To look down on from above; to have a view of.
latin /ˈlætɪn/ A1	adjective - Relating to the people, culture, or language of ancient Rome or its descendants.
caterpillar /ˈkætərˌpɪlər/ A2	noun - The larval stage of a butterfly or moth.
butterfly /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/ A1	noun - A flying insect with large wings that are often brightly colored.
infiltrate /ɪnˈfɪltreɪt/ B2	verb - To enter or gain access to a group or organization secretly.

Key Grammar Structures

• ♪ She went from a young girl, to a grown woman like a virgin ♪

  ➔ Past tense + Past participle (gone from... to...)

  ➔ The phrase 'went from... to...' uses the past tense 'went' with the prepositions 'from' and 'to' to describe a transformation or change over time.

• ♪ If your name was Chun-Li, we'd be playin' Street Fighter ♪

  ➔ Past perfect continuous (would have been playing)

  ➔ The conditional phrase 'we'd be playin' uses the past perfect continuous to imagine a hypothetical situation in the past.

• ♪ A dime if you tell me that you love me, come on ♪

  ➔ Conditional sentence (if... will)

  ➔ The conditional sentence 'if you tell me... I will...' expresses a possible outcome based on a certain condition.

• ♪ Soy una mujer sincera ♪

  ➔ Present tense (I am)

  ➔ The present tense 'soy' is used to describe a current state or characteristic.

• ♪ Y antes de morir, yo quiero ♪

  ➔ Present tense in a temporal clause (before dying, I want)

  ➔ The present tense 'quiero' is used in a temporal clause to express a desire that occurs before a future event.

• ♪ She was a rose in Spanish Harlem ♪

  ➔ Past tense (was)

  ➔ The past tense 'was' is used to describe a past state or condition.

• ♪ Make stakes at a faster rate than she fornicates ♪

  ➔ Comparative adverb (faster than)

  ➔ The comparative adverb 'faster than' is used to compare the rate of two actions.

• ♪ To no seleccion, smooth complexion ♪

  ➔ Adjective order (opinion before size/age/shape/color/origin/material/purpose)

  ➔ The adjective order 'smooth complexion' follows the typical English order, where opinion adjectives come before other types.