Carnaval del Barrio
Producers
Carnaval del Barrio Lyrics
Hey! Hey!
What’s this tontería that I’m seeing on the street?
I never thought I’d see the day…
Since when are Latin people scared of heat?
When I was a little girl
Growing up in the hills of Vega Alta
My favorite time of year was Christmas time!
Ask me why!
[CARLA, spoken]
Why?
[DANIELA]
There wasn’t an ounce of snow
But oh, the coquito would flow!
As we sang the Aguinaldo
The carnaval would begin to grow!
Business is closed, and we’re about to go…
Let’s have a carnaval del barrio!
[PIRAGUA GUY]
¡Wepa!
[Community groans]
¡Carnaval del barrio!
¡Carnaval del barrio!
Carnaval…
[PIRAGUA GUY]
¡Carnaval!
[DANIELA]
Del barrio…
[PIRAGUA GUY]
¡Barrio!
[DANIELA]
Carnaval…
[SONNY/PIRAGUA GUY/GRAFFITI PETE]
¡Carnaval!
[DANIELA]
Del barrio…
[SONNY/PIRAGUA GUY/GRAFFITI PETE]
¡Barrio!
We don’t need electricidad!
Get off your butt, ¡avanza!
Saca la maraca, bring your tambourine
Come and join the parranda
[PIRAGUA GUY]
¡Wepa!
[DANIELA/CARLA/
PIRAGUA GUY/GROUP 1]
Carnaval…
¡Del barrio!
Carnaval...
¡Del barrio!
[DANIELA/CARLA/
PIRAGUA GUY/SONNY/GROUP 1]
Carnaval…
¡Del barrio!
Carnaval…
[GROUP 2]
¡Carnaval!
¡Barrio!
¡Carnaval!
Barrio!
Carnaval!
Barrio!
¡Carnaval!
¡Del barrio!
[CARLA]
Oh, me, me, me! Dani I have a question
I don’t know what you’re cantando
[DANIELA]
Just make it up as you go!
We are improvisando!
Lai le lo lai lo le lo lai!
You can sing anything!
[CARLA]
What?
[DANIELA]
Carla, whatever pops into your head
Just so long as you sing!
[CARLA]
Uh… My mom is Dominican-Cuban
My dad is from Chile and P.R. which means:
I’m Chile-Domini-Curican...
But I always say I’m from Queens!
[PIRAGUA GUY]
¡Wepaaa!
[DANIELA/CARLA/
PIRAGUA GUY/SONNY/GROUP 1]
Carnaval…
¡Del barrio!
Carnaval…
¡Del barrio!
[COMMUNITY]
¡Carnaval!
¡Barrio!
¡Carnaval!
¡Del barrio!
[VANESSA]
Why is everyone so happy?
We’re sweating and we have no power!
I gotta get out of here soon
This block’s getting worse by the hour!
You can’t even go to a club with a friend
Without having somebody shove you!
[DANIELA]
Ay, por favor
Vanessa, don’t pretend that Usnavi’s your friend
We all know that he looooove you!
[COMMUNITY]
Ohhhh!!
[CARLA]
Wow, now that you mention that sexual tension is easy to see!
[VANESSA]
Yo, this is bogus!
[DANIELA]
Haven’t you noticed you get all your coffee for free?
[Community cheers]
[DANIELA/CARLA/
PIRAGUA GUY/SONNY]
Carnaval…
¡Del barrio!
Carnaval…
¡Del barrio!
[COMMUNITY]
¡Carnaval!
¡Barrio!
¡Carnaval!
¡Del barrio!
[NEIGHBOR]
Here comes Usnavi!
[USNAVI]
Yo! Yo! Yo, y-y-yo-yo!
Now, now, everyone gather ‘round, sit
Down, listen, I got an announcement
Wow, it involves large amounts, it’s
Somewhere in the range of ninety-six thousand!
Atención, I’m closin’ shop!
Sonny, grab everybody a soda-pop!
Yo, grab a bottle, kiss it up to God
‘Cause Abuela Claudia just won the lotto!
Abuela Claudia won the lotto!
We’re bookin’ a flight for D.R. tomorrow!
[COMMUNITY]
Oh my gah!
[COMMUNITY (EXCEPT VANESSA & SONNY)]
Alza la bandera
¡La bandera Dominicana!
Alza la bandera
¡La bandera Puertoriqueña!
Alza la bandera
¡La bandera Mexicana!
Alza la bandera
¡La bandera Cubana!
[PIRAGUA GUY]
¡Pa’ribba esa bandera!
¡Álzala donde quiera!
¡Recuerdo de mi tierra!
[PIRAGUA GUY/USNAVI]
¡Me acuerdo de mi tierra!
¡Esa bonita bandera!
¡Contiene mi alma entera!
Y cuando yo me muera
¡Entiérrame en mi tierra!
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
[Dance break]
[DANIELA]
Everything changes today!
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
[DANIELA/CARLA]
Usnavi’s on his way!
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
[DANIELA/CARLA]
Off to a better place!
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
[DANIELA/CARLA]
Look at Vanessa’s face!
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
[BENNY]
Everything changes today!
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
[BENNY]
Goodbye, Mr. Rosario!
[USNAVI]
Okay!
[BENNY]
I’m taking over the barrio!
[USNAVI/DANIELA/CARLA]
We’re getting out of the barrio!
[DANIELA]
Hey, Mr. Benny: have you seen any horses today?
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
[BENNY]
What do you mean?
[DANIELA]
I heard you and Nina went for a roll in the hay!
[ALL]
Hey! Ohhhh…
[WOMEN]
Benny and Nina
Sitting in a tree!
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
¡Qué bochinche!
Nina and Benny!
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
[MEN]
Benny and Nina
Sitting in a tree!
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
¡Qué bochinche!
Nina and Benny!
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
[SONNY]
Hold up
[SONNY/GRAFFITI PETE]
Wait a minute!
[SONNY]
Usnavi’s leavin’ us for the Dominican Republic?
And Benny went and stole the girl
That I’m in love with?
She was my babysitter first!
[GRAFFITI PETE]
Hoo!
[SONNY]
Listen up, is this
What y’all want?
We close the bodega
The neighborhood is gone!
They selling the dispatch
And they closing the salón
And they’ll never turn the lights back on, ‘cause—
[SONNY/VANESSA]
We are powerless, we are powerless!
[SONNY]
And y’all keep dancin’ and singin’ and celebratin’
And it’s gettin’ late and this place disintegratin’ and—
[SONNY/VANESSA]
We are powerless, we are powerless!
[USNAVI]
Alright, we’re powerless, so light up a candle!
There’s nothing going on here that we can’t handle!
[SONNY]
You don’t understand, I’m not trying to be funny!
[USNAVI]
We’re gonna give a third of the money to you Sonny!
[SONNY]
What?
[USNAVI]
Yeah, yeah…
[SONNY]
For real?
[USNAVI]
Yes!
Maybe you’re right, Sonny, call in the coroners!
Maybe we’re powerless, a corner full of foreigners
Maybe this neighborhood’s changing forever
Maybe tonight is our last night together, however!
How do you want to face it?
Do you wanna waste it, when the end is so close you can taste it?
Y’all could cry with your head in the sand
I’m a fly this flag that I got in my hand!
[PIRAGUA GUY]
¡Pa’rriba esa bandera!
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
[PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA]
¡Álzala donde quiera!
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
[USNAVI]
Can we raise our voice tonight?
Can we make a little noise tonight?
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
[PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA/CARLA]
¡Esa bonita bandera!
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
[PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA/CARLA]
¡Contiene mi alma entera!
[COMMUNITY]
Hey!
[USNAVI]
In fact, can we sing so loud and raucous
They can hear us across the bridge in East Secaucus?
[PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA/
CARLA/SONNY/MEN]
¡Pa’rriba esa bandera!
¡Álzala donde quiera!
[COMMUNITY]
¡Carnaval del
Barrio!
[USNAVI]
From Puerto Rico to Santo Domingo
Wherever we go, we rep our people and the beat go…
[PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA/
CARLA/MEN]
¡Esa bonita bandera!
¡Contiene mi alma entera!
[COMMUNITY]
Carnaval del
Barrio
[USNAVI]
Vanessa, forget about what coulda been
Dance with me, one last night, in the hood again
[DANIELA/CARLA]
¡Wepa!
[Vanessa and Usnavi slowly begin to dance.]
[COMMUNITY]
¡Carnaval del barrio!
¡Carnaval del barrio!
[DANIELA]
¡Pa’rriba esa bandera!
¡Oye!
Y cuando yo me muera
Entiérrame en mi tierra
¡Del barrio!
Alza la bandera!
Adios!
Adios!
Adios!
[COMMUNITY]
¡Carnaval del barrio!
¡Carnaval del barrio!
¡Del barrio!
Alza la bandera
La bandera Dominicana!
Alza la bandera
¡La bandera
Puertoriqueña!
Alza la bandera
¡La bandera Mexicana!
[COMMUNITY]
Alza la bandera
La bandera
La bandera
La bandera
La bandera
¡Alza la bandera!
Hey!
About
It’s the morning of July 4th and everyone is sitting around exhausted, except for Daniela. She reports that Con Edison says it will be at least 24 hours until the power comes back on, and exhorts everyone to get organized in cleaning up and celebrating. Usnavi comes with news – Abuela Claudia has won the lottery and Usnavi is leaving for the D.R. (Dominican Republic).
The song is a celebration of the different cultures and backgrounds of the neighborhood – Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Cuba – but also of July 4th, the USA’s patriotic holiday. The immigrant experience is also quintessentially American, which is a very typical theme in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning