# la cucaracha song **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360 "2013-02-15T03:08:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralphtaff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@ralphtaff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralphtaff)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360/1 "2013-02-15T03:08:06Z")
ok i grew up hearing that song withe the english translation of the cucaracha cannot run ithad a broken transmission,roto el radiater,trantonado el generator(broken generator),???roto or someting was tore. i cant remenber the rest. any help would be great. the best way is to email me in order to get an answer to me as o do not usually return back to sites untill i get something of usefulness from it, me email is deleted thanks for any help you can give me. another old song was about a mother inlaw jumping the wood pile and got the mumps donot remember the rest but it was a cute song that i can remember. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360/2 "2013-02-15T03:14:54Z")
La Cucaracha is one of those “popular” (i.e., nobody can remember who the original author was) which have a ton of different lyrics. In any case, you can search for them and I’ve asked a mod to break your email - you really, really shouldn’t post it in message boards unless you like spam. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360/3 "2013-02-15T03:51:11Z")
If you can’t be bothered to come back to a site where you posted a message, then you have little reason to be here. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360/4 "2013-02-15T04:39:05Z")
But, but, it’s a great scam to fish for email addresses! ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360/5 "2013-02-15T06:01:55Z")
I wanted a link to click, or something to download. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360/6 "2013-02-15T08:25:59Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > I wanted a link to click, or something to download. [Enjoy some authentic Mexican culture.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw14rjui0Es) ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360/7 "2013-02-15T16:42:08Z")
I always heard the song as La cucaracha la cucaracha Ya no puede caminar Porque le falta, porque le falta Marijuana que fumar which translates to The cockroach, the cockroach Can no longer walk Because he doesn’t have, because he doesn’t have Marijuana to smoke. It doesn’t make too much sense, though I was told that La Cucaracha was the name of bar or something similar in Mexico and did not refer to the insect. There is a second verse that starts Algo que me da risa Pancho Villa sin camisa which means something that makes me laugh (is) Panco Villa without his shirt. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360/8 "2013-02-15T16:47:13Z")
Pretty much the same version I know, taught to me by a Spaniard. Only difference was “porque no tiene” to replace one of the faltas, and I think it was “pa’ fumar” the way he taught me the end. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360/9 "2013-02-16T15:07:34Z")
That matches the version taught to me by someone of indeterminate Spaniard status: [What are the words to “La Cucaracha”?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2315/what-are-the-words-to-la-cucaracha) ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360/10 "2013-02-16T16:57:06Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > But, but, it’s a great scam to fish for email addresses! Have we become so jaded, so hardened, so distrustful of our fellow man that we automatically suspect them of being scammers, when they just ask for our email addresses? Just to set an example, I am willing to give him my name, home address, phone and social security number. At least there is one of us here that still retains the milk of human kindness! All you have to do, **ralphtaff** , is send $400 dollars to my good friend General Osmandiah, who needs the money so he can pay the fine that the regime has imposed on all ban accounts above 1 million dollars owned by all lovers of democracy. Then, we can split the money, and you can get my email address at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/la-cucaracha-song/650360/11 "2013-02-16T17:33:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Pretty much the same version I know, taught to me by a Spaniard. Only difference was “porque no tiene” to replace one of the faltas, and I think it was “pa’ fumar” the way he taught me the end. Actually, [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Cucaracha) has the exact version I was taught: > [@](#): > > La cucaracha, la cucaracha, > ya no puede caminar > porque le falta, porque no tiene > marihuana pa’ fumar.