If the song “Macarena” were to start playing right now, many who are able would launch into the usual dance moves. Arms held out, then hands cross, turn, and so on. It’s ingrained since our days of youth. But for being such a staple of childhood, the lyrics are apparently rather raunchy, as one TikTok user – and now the rest of the internet – realized.
“Macarena” features lyrics in both English and Spanish, but both often flew under the radar to the young listeners, who just heard a catchy beat and learned repetitive dance moves. So, when TikTok user @Peakay81 looked into the lyrics and brought viewers with him down memory lane, everyone was stunned. Can you hear the song the same way?
A TikTok user alleges “Macarena” is about a threesome
Despite its ubiquitous status at school dances, “Macarena” has some mature themes woven between its lyrics. The Mirror reported on the TikTok user’s revelation, noting that the video has now been viewed over 1.2 million times since it went live on March 25 to April 12.
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In the video, a young man dissects the lyrics behind the dance number. It starts off innocently, and sometimes even the opposite of a suggested threesome, emphasizing that suitors can’t have the singer – unless they’re good. When it gets to the Spanish portion, the lyrics emphasizing giving your body joy, which falls closer in line with what the TikTok user is suggesting. But a little more research is required to fully unearth the song’s meaning.
The truth was clear the whole time
It’s no secret that many innuendos fly under the radar for young kids when viewing media, even pieces of media aimed at them. Animators and scriptwriters hide dirty jokes in cartoons and the like. “Macarena” can be traced back to 1993 Venezuela and originally featured a woman named Diana. The group Los del Río witnessed the remarkable flamenco dance prowess of Diana Patricia Cubillán Herrera, and one half of the rising act exclaimed one of the lyrics to her. The song was meant to put an emphasis on giving the body “joy,” though the TikTok user further claims it told the story of a woman whose boyfriend has gone off to serve and she’s unfaithful.
It’s the final portion in English that provides close confirmation of these claims. The lyrics go, “But don’t you worry about my boyfriend, he’s a boy whose name is Vitorino. I don’t want him, couldn’t stand him, he was no good so I…” followed by laughter. Then, it concludes, “Now, come on, what was I supposed to do? He was out of town and his two friends were so fine.” Needless to say, this totally reframes the otherwise innocent, fun dance song countless listened to when they were only children. The lyrics don’t specifically say any activities occurred between the three of them together at once, but it’s still a more blatant innuendo than anyone would expect from a childhood staple. Do you know any other pieces of media where you only caught the mature references in adulthood?