Lyrics in English and Spanish, with the song explained

Macarena Song Lyrics

The Macarena lyrics most people know are from the Bayside Boys remix of August 1995: English verses, sung by Patty Alfaro, around the Spanish chorus that Los del Rio recorded in 1993. That version spent 14 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1996. The English lyrics come first below. After them, the Spanish original is translated line by line, and the song is explained.

Last updated . The full Spanish original on its own is on the Macarena lyrics in Spanish page, and the translation with notes on the slang and the places is the annotated Macarena translation.

Cover of the Bayside Boys Macarena European CD single

Macarena Song Lyrics in English (Bayside Boys Remix)

This is the version most people know. In their remix released in August 1995, the Bayside Boys (Mike Triay and Carlos de Yarza) added English verses, originally sung by Patty Alfaro, around the Spanish chorus by Los del Rio. These are the lyrics to the hit that topped the charts in 1996.

Chorus

Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Hey Macarena!

Verse 1

When I dance they call me Macarena
And the boys they say que soy buena
They all want me, they can't have me
So they all come and dance beside me
Move with me, chant with me
And if you're good I'll take you home with me

Chorus

Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Hey Macarena!

Verse 2

Now don't you worry about my boyfriend
The boy whose name is Vitorino
I don't want him, couldn't stand him
He was no good so I... (ha ha ha)
Now come on, what was I supposed to do?
He was out of town and his two friends were so fine

Chorus

Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Hey Macarena!

Verse 3

Come and find me, my name is Macarena
Always at the party, con las chicas que son buenas
Come join me, dance with me
And all you fellows chant along with me

Chorus (repeat to fade)

Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Hey Macarena!

That is the version of the Macarena you hear at weddings and ballgames. It is not the song Los del Rio first recorded, though. Their 1993 original is entirely in Spanish, and its verses tell a different, more specific story about Macarena. If you know the English words and want to know what the Spanish ones say, keep reading.

Los del Rio: Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix), official video

The Spanish Chorus Explained

The chorus is the one part that never changed. Los del Rio sing it on the 1993 original, and the Bayside Boys kept their recording of it for the remix. Its first line, dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena, means "give your body joy, Macarena." The second line says her body is meant for joy and good things. It is a cue to dance, which is why the moves line up with it.

The remix verses are not a translation of the Spanish ones. A few Spanish phrases stay inside the English, such as "que soy buena" (that I am good) and "con las chicas que son buenas" (with the girls who are good). The words that a dictionary gets wrong, like dale, pa' and cosa buena, are explained one by one on the annotated translation page.

The Spanish Lyrics Translated Line by Line

These are the chorus and the three verses of the 1993 Los del Rio original, with an English translation next to each line. The verses are where the story of Macarena, her boyfriend Vitorino and his two friends comes from. The Spanish text on its own is on the Macarena lyrics in Spanish page, and the notes on the slang, the places and the pronunciation are on the annotated Macarena translation.

Spanish Original

English Translation

Chorus

Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena

Give your body joy, Macarena

Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena

Because your body is meant for giving it joy and good things

Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena

Give your body joy, Macarena

Hey Macarena!

Hey Macarena!

Verse 1 (The Infidelity)

Macarena tiene un novio que se llama, que se llama de apellido Vitorino

Macarena has a boyfriend whose last name is Vitorino

Que en la jura de bandera del muchacho

And during the boy's military swearing-in ceremony

Se la dio con dos amigos

She got together with two of his friends

Verse 2 (Her Ambitions)

Macarena suena con El Corte Ingles

Macarena dreams of El Corte Ingles

Que se compra los modelos mas modernos

Where she buys the most modern styles

Le gustaria vivir en Nueva York

She would like to live in New York

Y ligar un novio nuevo

And hook up with a new boyfriend

Verse 3 (Marbella and the Movida)

Macarena, Macarena, Macarena, que te gustan los veranos de Marbella

Macarena, Macarena, Macarena, you love the summers of Marbella

Macarena, Macarena, Macarena, que te gusta la movida guerrillera

Macarena, Macarena, Macarena, you like the guerrilla scene

Quick Facts About the Macarena

Original Artists
Los del Rio
Remix By
Bayside Boys (August 1995)
Original Release
1993 (Spanish version)
Weeks at #1
14 (Billboard Hot 100, 1996)
Original Language
Spanish
Copies Sold
Over 11 million

What the Macarena Is About

The Macarena is about a young woman from Andalusia named Macarena. In the original Spanish verses, her boyfriend Vitorino is away at his military oath ceremony, and she spends the time with two of his friends. Then she daydreams about shopping, moving to New York, and finding someone new.

The chorus is the part everyone knows. It tells Macarena to enjoy herself and treat her body well, which is why it works as a dance cue. The English verses in the Bayside Boys remix drop most of the story and have Macarena talk about herself at a party instead.

For the different ways people read her story, see our page on the Macarena song meaning.

Original vs. Bayside Boys Remix: How the Lyrics Changed

Los del Rio released the Macarena in 1993, sung entirely in Spanish. In August 1995 the Bayside Boys, Miami producers Mike Triay and Carlos de Yarza, kept the Spanish chorus, replaced the Spanish verses with new English ones, and put the whole song over a dance beat. The English verses are new lyrics, not a translation, which is why the two versions tell the story so differently.

AspectOriginal (1993)Remix (1995)
Released1993August 1995
Made byLos del RioBayside Boys (Mike Triay and Carlos de Yarza), with Los del Rio's chorus
LanguageEntirely SpanishEnglish verses, Spanish chorus
Musical styleRumba rhythmElectronic dance beat
Story detailNames Vitorino and his two friendsMentions the boyfriend and his friends only in passing
Point of viewA narrator tells Macarena's storyMacarena speaks to the listener
Places mentionedEl Corte Ingles, New York, MarbellaNone; the verses are set at a party
Chart peakHit in Spain and Latin AmericaNumber one on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks in 1996

Dropping the Spanish story and the local references made the remix easy to sing along to anywhere, while the Spanish chorus kept the sound of the original. Our page on the Bayside Boys Macarena remix covers how it was made and its 1996 chart run.

Questions About the Macarena Lyrics

What do the Macarena lyrics mean in English?

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The Macarena tells the story of a woman named Macarena who cheats on her boyfriend Vitorino with two of his friends while he is away on military service. The chorus "Dale a tu cuerpo alegria" translates to "Give your body joy," an invitation to dance and celebrate life.

Is the Macarena chorus in English?

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No. The chorus is in Spanish in every version, including the Bayside Boys remix that American radio played in 1996. It is the chorus Los del Rio recorded in 1993, and its first line, "Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena," means "Give your body joy, Macarena." Only the remix verses are in English, and even those keep a few Spanish phrases.

What language is the Macarena in?

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The original 1993 Macarena is entirely in Spanish. The Bayside Boys remix, released in August 1995, keeps the Spanish chorus and adds English verses, originally sung by Patty Alfaro. That mix of Spanish and English is the version that reached number one in 1996.

Who wrote the Macarena lyrics?

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The original Macarena was written by Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruiz Perdigones of the Spanish duo Los del Rio, and released in 1993. The English verses were added by the Bayside Boys, Mike Triay and Carlos de Yarza, in their remix released in August 1995.

Who sang the English version of the Macarena?

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Patty Alfaro, a studio singer, sang the English verses on the Bayside Boys remix. Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruiz Perdigones of Los del Rio still sing the Spanish chorus, because the Bayside Boys built the remix around the original recording. Carla Vanessa later sang the English parts live.

Are the English verses a translation of the Spanish lyrics?

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No. The Bayside Boys wrote new English lines in which Macarena talks about herself at a party. The Spanish verses by Los del Rio describe her from the outside: her boyfriend Vitorino, his two friends, shopping at El Corte Ingles and summers in Marbella. The English verses keep Vitorino's name and hint at the same story without spelling it out.

What does "Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena" mean?

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"Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena" translates literally to "Give your body joy, Macarena." It is the chorus line and serves as an invitation for the character Macarena, and by extension the listener, to let loose, dance, and enjoy life.

Why are the Macarena lyrics considered controversial?

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Despite being played at children's parties and school dances worldwide, the lyrics tell a story of infidelity. Macarena cheats on her boyfriend with two of his friends while he is away serving in the military. Most English-speaking audiences never realized this because the original verses are in Spanish and the dance overshadowed the narrative.

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