LEARN LYRICS

SONG MEANING

Juan Luis Guerra teams up with Colombian rocker Juanes to turn the bustling calle – the street – into a musical newsroom. Through playful metaphors and tongue-in-cheek one-liners, they report how kisses can buy mornings, lies wear contact lenses, and taxes flirt at the free-trade zone. Beneath the humor beats a serious headline: politics is dressed in luxury while everyday life keeps getting narrower, tougher, faster. The chorus sums it up with a Caribeño shrug and a bit of urgency: “La calle está dura… el que no corre vuela.”

The song is a lively check-up on society and on ourselves. Between references to Tchaikovsky, Valentino shoes, and sci-fi nights, the singers remind us that clichés, favoritism, and hollow promises crowd our daily walk. Yet the final question – “¿Cuál es la raíz cuadrada de mí mismo?” – flips the camera inward, inviting listeners to search for their own square root, their true essence, amid the street noise. It is social critique wrapped in merengue-rock joy, leaving you dancing while you rethink your place in the world.

ARTIST BIO

Juan Luis Guerra is a celebrated Dominican musician, singer, composer, and record producer known for his influential role in popularizing merengue and bachata music around the world. Born in Santo Domingo in 1957, he graduated from Berklee College of Music and has since crafted a distinctive style blending traditional Dominican rhythms with jazz, salsa, and Latin pop.

With a career spanning over four decades, Guerra has sold more than 15 million records globally and earned numerous accolades including 28 Latin Grammy Awards and three Grammy Awards. His poetic lyrics and innovative fusion have made hits like "Ojalá Que Llueva Café" and "Bachata Rosa" timeless classics that continue to captivate audiences internationally.

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