La Patria Madrina Lyrics in English Lila Downs , Juanes

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song La Patria Madrina by Lila Downs from Spanish to English.

Today I woke up with my eye stuck shut

I already saw hell, I already saw the news

Graves, dead, harm to Mother Nature

Ambition, power and depression grabbed me

Everyone wants a slice of the oil business

And to burn Mother Earth with urgency

To make more cars to spend more money

As if you could buy yourself happiness

And everything dawned, better, better

You are the homeland of all my illusion

Whoever doesn't respect, I'll break their heart

However they paint it for me, I hop to this son

And to whatever rhythm they play me, I dance that song

My machete is this sharp, let them know it well

The devil knows it well whom he appears to

We already drank water from this same jug

Don't burst on me, it's the last stretch

What are the ideals of Latin Americans

My little brothers

The dream of Simón Bolívar

José Martí

Vicente Guerrero

Today I got up and my eyes cleared

Today I planted a corn patch in an old tire from my neighborhood

Even if everything, everything collapses around

I see you the center, like a cannon

This medicine is taken by spoonfuls

Of poisonous words that normally aren't spoken

And it's rinsed with chile, with beer, mezcal and tequila

When I move my body with the flower of your poetry

And everything dawned, better, better

Everything dawned, better, better

You are the homeland of all my illusion

Whoever doesn't respect, I'll break their heart

However they paint it for me, I hop to this son

And to whatever rhythm they play me, I dance that song

My machete is this sharp, let them know it well

The devil knows it well whom he appears to

We already drank water from this same jug

Don't burst on me, it's the last stretch

They took them alive and alive we want them

Latin American of honor

I can't betray my ideal

My homeland comes first

Vicente Guerrero

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SONG MEANING

La Patria Madrina is a foot-stomping battle cry where Mexican powerhouse Lila Downs teams up with Colombian star Juanes to turn grim headlines into fierce resolve. The singers wake up, crust still in their eyes, and are blasted with images of mass graves, wounded nature and the greed of the oil business. Instead of surrendering to depression, they flip the script with the defiant hook "y todo amaneció, mejor" — insisting that dawn can still look brighter if we fight for it, sing for it and even dance for it.

The track personifies Latin America as a protective godmother, a patria madrina whose heart must be defended with machetes, maracas and moral courage. Downs and Juanes expose oil lust, consumer frenzy and political apathy while saluting freedom heroes like Simón Bolívar, José Martí and Vicente Guerrero. They plant corn in a discarded tire, wash down harsh truths with chile, beer, mezcal and tequila, and invite everyone to move their bodies to a rebellious rhythm. Equal parts environmental manifesto, social protest and fiesta, the song reminds us that resistance can be loud, colorful and contagiously hopeful.

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Lila Downs La Patria Madrina Lyrics