Song Meaning
The narrator seems to be addressing someone whose family disapproves of their own drinking, implying the narrator is doing it because of them. The opening lines paint a picture of social judgment: "Que diran los de tu casa / Cuando mi miran tomando" (What will your family say / When they see me drinking?). This sets up a conflict between the narrator's actions and the perceived opinions of the other person's household, suggesting a clandestine or disapproved-of relationship.
The core tension lies in the narrator's defiant embrace of their drinking habits, even when faced with criticism. They counter the disapproval with a passionate defense of their "borracheras" (drunken spells), calling them "lindas" (lovely) and "bellas" (beautiful). This isn't just about escaping reality; it's a deliberate choice to find pleasure or solace in intoxication, despite the social cost and the other person's potential disapproval, as hinted by "tus deprecios" (your despises).
The repeated refrain "Y andale..." acts as a forceful, almost impatient, command to move forward or get on with it, underscoring the narrator's determination. It punctuates their justifications and dismisses potential worries. The imagery of "seco mi chaco en mi higuera floreando" (drying my corn in my fig tree blooming) is particularly striking, juxtaposing a mundane, perhaps difficult, agricultural task with the unexpected beauty of a blooming fig tree, mirroring how the narrator finds beauty in their "borracheras" amidst potential hardship or disapproval.
This defiance makes the lyrics resonate. The narrator isn't just passively accepting a situation; they are actively choosing their own form of enjoyment, even if it's unconventional or frowned upon. The contrast between the external judgment and the internal pleasure derived from drinking creates a potent, self-assured declaration of personal freedom, however self-destructive it might appear to outsiders.
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