Los Lobos: "La Bamba" (1987)

"La Bamba" is a Mexican folk song, originally from the state of Veracruz, best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens, a top 40 hit in the U.S. charts and one of early rock and roll's best-known songs. Valens' version of "La Bamba" is ranked number 345 on Rolling Stone magazine′s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and is the only song on the list not sung in English.

La Bamba has been covered by numerous artists, most notably Los Lobos, whose version reached #1 in the U.S. and UK singles charts in 1987. The music video for Los Lobos' version, directed by Sherman Halsey, won the 1988 MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film.

- Lyrics:

Para bailar la bamba,
Para bailar la bamba,
Se necesita una poca de gracia.
Una poca de gracia pa mi pa ti.
Arriba y arriba
Y arriba y arriba, por ti sere,
Por ti sere.
Por ti sere.
Yo no soy marinero.
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitan.
Soy capitan.
Soy capitan.
Ba-ba-bamba,
Ba-ba-bamba,
Ba-ba-bamba,
Ba...

Para bailar la bamba,
Para bailar la bamba, se necesita una poca de gracia.
Una poca de gracia pa mi pa ti.
Arriba, arriba.
R-r-r-r-r, Ja! Ja!

{Instrumental interlude}

Para bailar la bamba,
Para bailar la bamba,
Se necesita una poca de gracia.
Una poca de gracia pa mi pa ti.
Arriba y arriba
Y arriba y arriba, por ti sere,
Por ti sere.
Por ti sere.
Ba-ba-bamba.
Ba-ba-bamba.
Ba-ba-bamba.