It’s ultimately a slave song — or a later evolution of one.
It is thought to have originated in Veracruz, and Veracruz was a (the?) main Mexican slave port, & later a center of mestizo culture.
La Bamba is politics disguised as a peppy pop song. It’s about how to get along/rise when you’re the underdog/underclass (have some style and charm, yo, learn to dance the dance) plus affirmation of your own internal authority. I’m no sailor: I’m the captain.
So all the various translations of 'arriba" apply: both the more literal " above" ‘over’ ‘arriving’ and the looser “come on!”
Thanks for the info! (and your kindness – admittedly I got so enthused about this topic http://http://www.straightdope.com/c…amba-all-about
that I joined Straight Dope just to say something about it … and couldn’t really figure out how to add to an official comment … but maybe didn’t spend enough time sorting that out … thus my incomplete reply)
I just found a much more complete rendition of my answer here:
I didn’t know that, but I do know when my friends sing it at parties and whatnot, they include various verses, which I’ve never heard recorded, and which they seem almost to be ad libbing for humorous effect. For example: Cada vez que me baño
Cada vez que me baño
Se tapa el caño y por eso me baño
Por eso me baño una vez al añoOr something like that–and other things-- so I get the impression it has a folk tradition of people often adding their own verses to be funny.