October 24, 2011: Songs that Deal with Immigration: Lady Gaga-Americano

Songs that Deal with Immigration: Lady Gaga-Americano

The song's pro immigrants message is told via a love story between Gaga and a girl in LA. The Mother Monster explained to NME: "It was when Prop 9 was overturned in California. The immigration law was passed in Arizona, houses were being raided for immigrants, some of whom had been here for 20 years. America was once the land of the free, and now we're telling everyone to get the f--- out."


Lady Gaga debuted this Mexican-themed footstomper about immigrants at the Estadio Tres de Marzo in Guadalajara, Mexico on May 3, 2011. She performed an acoustic version of the tune in both Spanish and English.

Speaking with Vogue magazine, Gaga explained the song is: "a big mariachi techno-house record, where I am singing about immigration law and gay marriage and all sorts of things that have to do with disenfranchised communities in America.

Mexican music producer Fernando Garibay and DJ White Shadow produced this mariachi-influenced track. It was one of several contributions they made to Born This Way. Gaga told the UK magazine NME: "This was my first proper collaboration with Fernando and White Shadow. Labels had been telling Fernando to tone down his Mexican influences, but here we rally brought them out."

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I met a girl in east L.A.
In floral shorts as sweet as May
She sang in eights in two-barrio chords
We fell in love, but not in court

La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la

I don't sp-, I don't sp-

Ah ah America Americano
Ah ah ah ah ah America Americano
Ah ah ah ah ah America Americano
Ah ah ah ah ah America Americano

Mis canciones son de la re-revolucion
Mi corazon me duele por mi generacion
If you love me we can marry on the west coast
On a Wednesday en el verano en agosto

I don't speak your, I don't speak your language, oh no (la-la-la-la-la-la-la))
I don't speak your, I won't speak your, won't speak
Your Jesus Cristo (la-la-la-la-la-la-la)

Ah ah ah ah ah America Americano
Ah ah ah ah ah America Americano

I will fight for, I have fought for how I love you (la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
I have cried for, I will die for how I care (la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
In the mountains, las campanas estan sonando (la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
Todos los chicos (chicas) y los chicos (chicas) estan besando
(La-la-la-la-la-la-la)

I don't speak your, I don't speak your language, oh no (la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
I don't speak your, I won't speak your Jesus Cristo (la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
I don't speak your, I don't speak your Americano (la-la-la-la-la-la-la)
I don't speak your, I won't speak your Jesus Cristo (la-la-la-la-la-la-la)

Ah ah ah ah ah America Americano
Ah ah ah ah ah America Americano
Ah ah ah ah ah America Americano
Ah ah ah ah ah America Americano

Don't you try to catch me
Don't you try to catch me
No, no, no, no
I'm living on the edge of
Living on the edge of the law, law, law, law

Don't you try to catch me
Don't you try to catch me
No, no, no, no
Don't you try to catch me
Living on the edge of the law, law, law, law