Mojado Lyrics in English by Ricardo Arjona, Intocable
Mojado literally translates to "wet", but it has a much deeper meaning in this context. It's a colloquial term for an undocumented immigrant, often one who has crossed a river to enter a new country.
In this powerful song, Ricardo Arjona reclaims the word to tell a story of struggle and nostalgia. He plays on its double meaning, singing that the person is 'mojado por las lágrimas que bota' (wet from the tears he sheds), creating a moving portrait of the human side of immigration.
Ricardo Arjona, who is from Guatemala, tells the story of a man leaving his home for a new country. He packs a few shirts, a hat, and a thousand memories, but also his "ganas de quedarse" [desire to stay] and the dream of the man he hasn't yet become. The song calls him "mojado," a Spanish word that literally means "wet one" but is also a common slang term for an undocumented immigrant. Arjona cleverly plays with this word, saying the man is "mojado por las lágrimas que bota" [wet from the tears he cries] because of his deep longing for home.
This isn't just a sad story; it's a powerful argument. Arjona asks why people need papers to cross borders when the moon can glide over any rooftop "sin permiso alguno" [without any permission]. He describes the feeling of not belonging anywhere: "no es de aquí porque su nombre no aparece en los archivos / Ni es de allá porque se fue" [he's not from here because his name isn't in the files, nor is he from there because he left]. The song ends with a beautiful and bold idea: if we all get a "universal visa" at birth from the "consul of the heavens," why are people persecuted for simply moving from one place to another?
