When you’re dancing to a rhythmic and upbeat foreign language track, the last thing on your mind is to translate the lyrics to get the meaning of the song. However, in some cases it is worth it: believe me, the cheerful and innocent (to the ear of a foreigner) “Macarena” will never be the same for you again.
What beautiful girls of various nationalities sing about at the beginning of the track will be understood by anyone who has studied English at least a little: “They all want me, but they won’t get it, but if you are good enough, I will invite you to my place.” It would seem that nothing strange and unusual – every beauty once said such words. But further – more interesting. Charismatic singers from Los del Rio appeal to the lyrical heroine Macarena, urging her to “enjoy your body, because it was created for this” – this is the same catchy refrain with the legendary “ah-ah”.
But then the perky girls take turns telling the viewer the story of Macarena from their own perspective. It turns out that the heroine has a young man named Vittorino, whom she cannot stand, and therefore she – here the cheerful dancer takes a dramatic pause – cheated on him with two of his friends while he was out of town (at the same time or in turn, not reported).
Then Los del Rio once again repeats to Macarena that she should please her body, after which the bright girls demonstrating their signature dance again call on the unknown handsome man to dance with them – and leave together if he is good enough.
There is another, less known to us, but the original Macarena is completely in Spanish. If you translate it, you will notice that the meaning for the English version has been simplified a bit and made it easier to understand (and carefree dances). It says that Macarena’s lover, already familiar to us Vittorino, gave her an oath of allegiance in the presence of two of his friends – probably the very ones who liked the girl so much in the future.
The performers caustically ask the lyrical heroine if she likes “guerrilla betrayals” – so we guess that her boyfriend left the city not for vacation, but for war. Well, Macarena herself, meanwhile, is having fun with his civil friends and dreams of living in New York, dressing beautifully and finding herself a new (next) lover – probably already in America.
It is not known whether this story is a fiction of the author of the song or whether it has real prototypes, but it is difficult to deny the fact that many young and beautiful girls cheated (and cheat) on their boyfriends and husbands, while they are either fighting against the enemies of the motherland, or simply serving in the army. This is life, nature and a thirst for pleasure – this is what the performers of “Macarena” tell us about.
So funny old men from Los del Rio are not so harmless – you might think that they are promoting a depraved lifestyle among young and beautiful girls. But the popular version of “Macarena” can be perceived in a completely different way – as a hymn to pleasures, joy of life and happiness. This is how this song sounds, and we will always associate it with its visuals: cheerful girls in bright sexy clothes, charming singers and, of course, an incendiary dance that you know by heart. And now you are well acquainted with the lyrics – and it’s up to you to sing along with Los del Rio or not.
