If I Was President
The story of “If I Was President” starts long before January 2017 when Las Cafeteras’ first version was originally released as a musical form of protest to Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day. There are two previous songs that were likely major influences for “If I Was President”. The first is Mexican folk standard “Señor Presidente” which has long existed as a piece of traditional protest music. The song was recorded by the Son Jarocho group Los Cojolites on their 2008 album No Tiene Fin (Las Cafeteras recorded their own version on their 2017 album Tastes Like L.A.). The other song is Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean’s song by the same title released in 2004 who in his version focused on feeding the poor and ending war. – Latinx Spaces interview
Released: February 20, 2017
Written by Las Cafeteras
Produced by Eugene Toale
Recorded at Bedrock.LA.
Label: Self-released
Format: Digital
Country: USA
Genre: Son Jarocho, Hip Hop, Latin, Funk / Soul, Folk, World, & Country
Listen
Lyrics
Señor President le vengo avisar
No tengo papeles para trabajar
Señor Presidente pregunto porque
Matan al Moreno con piel de café
Si fuera Presidente
Honestamente
Si fuera Presidente
Para mi gente
Si fuera Presidente
Honestamente
Si fuera Presidente
Para mi gente
If I was president
I’d roll up my sleeves
As I face the congregation
First thing I’d do
Is Free Education
And every 3rd Period
Yo, we’d practice meditation
Like a brown Robin Hood
I’d take from the rich and I’d give to the poor
So my little sister ain’t gotta be hungry no more
And my first lady
Would be my Moms
Cause she’d smack me
At the first thought of drone strikes
And dropping bombs
And if I was president
I’d free all my poor black and brown kids
That got caught up in three strikes
And when they get out, they’re getting free bikes
So they could ride to their future
Back to their past
Go to the store get some chips with no GMOs
Because my folks, we got a right to know
And if you don’t know, now you know
Me gusta la lima
Me gusta limón
Pero no me gusta
Tanta corrupción
Si fuera Presidente
Honestamente
Si fuera Presidente
Para mi gente
Si fuera Presidente
Honestamente
Si fuera Presidente
Para mi gente
At my inauguration
I’d burn tobacco at the opening
Give thanks and prayers to creator and all living beings
I’d sit you down with your abuelita
Rewrite history so our kids can see
Where we came from and a new destiny
From Flint to Cali water flowing pure and free
And my department of peace, would melt guns into bike racks
Budget cuts to corporate kickbacks
If I was president, well, there’d still be drama
Takes a village to heal our generational trauma
So, shake your spine
Put your hands up high
We got a different kinda party in the White House tonight
If I was president
Hey, What would you do?
If I was president
Hey, I’d ask you
If you were President
Hey what would you do?
If it was you, you, or you
Me gusta la lima, me gusta limón
Pero no me gusta tanta corrupción
Me gusta la lima, me gusta limón
Pero no me gusta tanta corrupción
Si yo fuera Presidente
Pa’ toda la gente
Si yo fuera Presidente
Pa’ toda la gente
Si yo fuera Presidente
Pa’ toda la gente
Si yoooo…
Me gusta la lima
Me gusta limón
Pero no me gusta tanta corrupción
Me gusta la lima
Me gusta limón
Pero no me gusta tanta corrupción
Me gusta la lima
Me gusta limón
Pero no me gusta tanta corrupción
Me gusta la lima
Me gusta limón
Pero no me gusta tanta corrupción
Me gusta la lima
Me gusta limón
Pero no me gusta tanta corrupción
Me gusta la lima
Me gusta limón
Pero no me gusta tanta corrupción
