Did you know that one version of «La Cucaracha» refers to cannabis?

You probably know the song La Cucaracha (not to be confused with La Carioca of the City of Fear), performed by many musicians, including Louis Armstrong, himself stoner notorious.

Originally, La Cucaracha is a walk on a cockroach, the Spanish translation of cucaracha, who loses one of his legs, making it difficult to move the little beast. The song's verses have evolved over time, and have repeatedly been used to depict political and social conditions through satire. One of the most famous versions of La Cucaracha is (inevitably) about cannabis.

La Cucaracha is often mentioned in history or language courses, when studying the Mexican Revolution. The song's origins are unclear, but its use during the Mexican Revolution is attributed to one man: Pancho Villa.

Pancho Villa was one of the most important figures of the Mexican revolution. His version of La Cucaracha is one of the best known and evokes the marihuana :

La cucaracha, la cucaracha
Ya no puede caminar
Porque no tiene
porque le falta
Marihuana que fumar

Translation:

The cockroach, the cockroach
Can no longer walk
Because he no longer
Because it lacks
Smoking marijuana

There are several legends surrounding this version, including that the «cockroach» referred to the Mexican dictator of the time, Victoriano Huerta, who was known for his heavy consumption of alcohol and weed.

The term roach, also comes from the song La Cucaracha (cockroach in English). The song is about a stoner who's lost his weed and can't get it right, like a cockroach missing a leg.

Whatever its origin or interpretation, this version has gone beyond Spanish culture. In particular, it was featured in some episodes of Speedy Gonzalez, with his cousin Nonchalanté Rodriguez (Slowpoke Rodriguez in VO), or in church songs.