Carnaval del Barrio Lyrics – In the Heights

DANIELA
Hey... Hey...
What's this tonteria that I'm seeing on the street?
I never thought I'd see the day...
Since when are Latin people scared of heat?
When i was a little girl
growing up in the hills of Vega Alta
my favorite time of year was Chrstmas time!
Ask me why!

CARLA
Why?

DANIELA
There wasn't an ounce of snow
But, oh, the coquito would flow
As we sang the aguinaldo
The carnaval would begin to grow!
Business is closed, and we're about to go...
Let's have a carnaval del barrio!

PIRAGUA GUY
Wepa!

DANIELA
Carnaval del barrio!
Carnaval del barrio!
Carnaval...

PIRAGUA GUY
Carnaval!


DANIELA
Del barrio...

PIRAGUA GUY
Barrio!

DANIELA
Carnaval...

SONNY/PIRAGUA GUY
Carnaval!

DANIELA
Del barrio...

SONNY/PIRAGUA GUY
Barrio!

DANIELA
We don't need electricidad
Get off your butt, avanza
Saca la maraca, bring your tambourine
Come and join the parranda

PIRAGUA GUY
Wepa!

DANIELA, THEN COMMUNITY
Carnaval
Del barrio (x4)

CARLA
Ohh, me me me, Dani I have a question
I don't know what you're cantando

DANIELA
Just make it up as you go
We are improvisando:
Lai le lo lai lo le lo lai
You can sing anything

CARLA
Wha?

Carla, whatever pops into your head
Just so long as you sing

CARLA
Ummm...
My mom is Dominican-Cuban
My dad is from Chile and P.R.,
which means:
I'm Chile-...Dominica-Rican!
But I always say I'm from Queens!

PIRAGUA GUY
Wepaaa!

DANIELA THEN COMMUNITY
Carnaval
Del barrio (x2)

VANESSA
Yo!
Why is everyone so happy?
We are sweating and we have no power
I've gotta get out of here soon
This block's getting worse by the hour!
You can't even go to the club with a friend
Without having somebody shove you!

DANIELA
Ay, por favor
Vanessa don't pretend that Usnavi's your friend
We all know that he love you!

COMMUNITY
Ohhhh!!!

CARLA
Wow,now that you mention that sexual tension, it's easy to see!

VANESSA
Yo this is bogus...

DANIELA
Haven't you noticed you get all your coffee for free?

DANIELA THEN COMMUNITY
Carnaval
Del Barrio (x2)

NEIGHBOR
Here comes Usnavi!

USNAVI
Yo, yo, yo y-y-yo-yo
Now, now, everyone gather 'round, sit down, listen,
I got an announcement
Wow, it involves large amounts, it's
Somewhere in the range of 96,000
Atencion, I'm closing shop
Sonny, grab everybody a soda pop!
Yo, grab a bottle, kiss it up to God,
Cuz Abuela Claudia just won the lotto!
Abuela Claudia won the lotto
We're bookin a flight for D.R. tomorrow

COMMUNITY
Oh my gah!
Alza la bandera
La bandera Dominicana
Alza la bandera
La bandera Puertoriquena
Alza la bandera
La bandera Mejicana
Alza la bandera
La bandera Cubana

PIRAGUA GUY
Parriba esa bandera
Alzala donde quiera
Recuerdo de mi tierra

COMMUNITY
Hey!
Hey!

PIRAGUA GUY/ USNAVI
Me acuerdo de mi tierra...
Esa bonita bandera!
Contiene mi alma entera!
Y cuando yo me muera,
Entierrame en mi tierra!

COMMUNITY
Hey!
Hey!

DANIELA
Everything changes today

COMMUNITY
Hey!

DANIELA/ CARLA
Usnavi's on his way

COMMUNITY
Hey!

Off to a better place

COMMUNITY
Hey!

Look at Vanessa's face!

BENNY
Everything changes today...

USNAVI
Hey!

BENNY
Goodbye, Mr. Rosario...

USNAVI
Okay!

BENNY
I'm taking over the barrio!

USNAVI/DANIELA/CARLA
We're getting out of the barrio!

DANIELA
Hey, Mr. Benny, have you seen any horses today?

COMMUNITY
Hey!

BENNY
What do you mean?

DANIELA
I heard you and Nina went for a roll in the-

COMMUNITY
Hay! Hey! Ohhhhh!

WOMEN THEN MEN
Benny and Nina
Sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Que bochinche
Nina and Benny
K-I-S-S-I-N-G

SONNY
Hold up, wait a minute

GUYS
Wait a minute!

SONNY
Usnavi's leavin' us for the Dominican Republic?
And Benny went and stole the girl that I'm in love with?
She was my babysitter first!

GUYS
Whoo!

SONNY
Listen up, this is what ya'll want?
We close this bodega,
The neighborhood is gone!
They selling the dispatch,
They closing the salon
And they'll never turn the lights back on cuz-

WITH VANESSA
We are powerless,
We are powerless!

SONNY
But ya'll keep dancin' and singin' and celebratin'
But it's gettin' late and this place is disintegratin' and-

WITH VANESSA
We are powerless,
We are powerless!

USNAVI
Alright we are powerless, so light up a candle!
There's nothing going on here that we can't handle!

SONNY
You don't understand, I'm not trying to be funny!

USNAVI
We're gonna give a third of the money to you, Sonny!

SONNY
What?

USNAVI
Yeah, yeah...

SONNY
For real?

USNAVI
Yes!
Maybe you're right, Sonny.
Call in the coroners
Maybe we're powerless, a corner full of foreigners.
Maybe this neighborhood's changing forever
Maybe tonight is our last night together, however!
How do you wanna face it?
Do you wanna waste it, when the end is so close you can taste it?
Y'all could cry with your head in the sand
I'm a fly this flag that I got in my hand!

PIRAGUA GUY
Parriba esa bandera

COMMUNITY
Hey!

PIRAGUA GUY
Alzala donde quiera

COMMUNITY
Hey!

USNAVI
Can we raise our voice tonight?
Can we make a little noise tonight?

COMMUNITY
Hey!

PIRAGUA GUY/DANIELA/CARLA
Esa bonita bandera
Contiene mi alma entera

COMMUNITY
Hey!
Hey!

USNAVI
In fact, can we sing so loud and raucous
They can hear us across the bridge in East Seacaucus?

COMMUNITY
Parriba esa bandera!
Alzala donde quiera!
Carnaval Del Barrio...

USNAVI
From Puerto Rico to Santo Domingo
Wherever we go
We rep our people and the beat go...

COMMUNITY
Esa bonita bandera!
Contiene mi alma entera!
Carnaval Del Barrio...

USNAVI
Vanessa, for get about what coulda been
Dance with me, one last night, in the hood again.

DANIELA/CARLA
Wepa!

COMMUNITY
Carnaval del barrio
Carnaval del barrio
Carnaval del barrio

DANIELA
P'arriba esa bandera

WITH COMMUNINTY
Carnaval Del Barrio
Oye!

DANIELA
Y cuando yo me muera
Entierrame en mi tierra!

WITH COMMUNITY
Del barrio
Del barrio

COMMUNITY
Alza la bandera
La bandera Dominicana

WITH DANIELA
Alza la bandera
Alza la bandera

COMMUNITY
La bandera Puertoriquena
Alza la bandera

WITH DANIELA
La bandera Mejicana
Adios, adios, adios

COMMUNITY
Alza la bandera
La bandera
La bandera
La bandera
La bandera
Alza la bandera!

(ALL CHEER)
Last Update: June, 29th 2025