What do you think Havana means?

Camila Cabello: Havana Meaning

Album cover for Havana album cover

Song Released: 2017


Havana Lyrics

Hey
Havana, ooh na-na (ay)
Half of my heart is in Havana, ooh-na-na (ay, ay)
He took me back to East Atlanta, na-na-na
All of my heart is in Havana (ay)
There's somethin' 'bout his manners (uh huh)
Havana, ooh na-na (uh)
He didn't walk up...

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  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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     Feb 4th 2018 !⃝

    This song has two layers. Superficially, it's about falling in love with a guy from East Atlanta.

    More deeply, (made clear by the chorus) the man is also a metaphor for Cuba. Telling him that she 'had to go' refers to Cabello having to leave Cuba (when she was 5). She knew it when she 'met him' (i.e. she loved Cuba from the day she was born) and she still 'loved him when she left him'.

    Papa saying he's got 'malo in him' is a reference to her father being against the communist Cuban government.

    She's an exile who had to leave and can never return - thus half of her heart remains in her home country.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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     Dec 14th 2017 !⃝

    I think it's about a woman meeting a man that excited her, most likely a smooth-talking badboy. A summer love.

    Her father says "he has the malo in him". Malo, in Spanish, means 'bad'.

    He didn't walk up with that "how you doing" when he approached her, says there's a lot of women in his life. He made her feel, "oooh-ooooh-ohhhh". He's literally getting her excited and aroused. There is something about his "manners" - he's mysterious, and engaging, a sexy man who is stimulating her mind and senses, and promises passion and adventure. Literally sweeps her away, by taking her to Atlanta.

    However, she leaves him ("has to go"). She says she 'loved him when she left him'. Perhaps he was leading her astray, introducing her to enjoyable (but transgressive) experiences. I think her lover really did have the malo in him, and although he was sexy, passionate, and exciting - he was most likely dangerous, so her 'heart' belongs in Havana, with the man who really deserves it, her Papa.

    The song encapsulates the dilemna of womens' love life. Dependable protectors - and dangerous lovers.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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     Jan 30th 2018 !⃝

    I think its about a girl falling for a guy, in Havana, but having to leave him. But, half of her heart will always be in Havana, where she meet him.

  4. anonymous
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     Nov 26th 2023 !⃝

    here we have the Gordian Knot so no matter..Camila
    succesfully with those schizo lyrrics confused all people making them to think what she wanna say ...what is the meaning of story but here we havent the real one story because of not clear definition ...if you want to feel deeper the song analyzing the words or if you wanna just complete one puzzle the result is same..you bring Camila closer to your life and that is Camilas triumph for sure.And yes the music of this master piece is amazing and the chromatic minor i love it ... remember Suzana,its my prerrogative,she is fresh,fame,etc.Point blank close range....thanx

  5. anonymous
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     Sep 22nd 2023 !⃝

    This song is very good and I liked it. This song is very good and I liked it. This song is very good and I liked it. Hello guys this song is very good and i liked it very much.

  6. anonymous
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     May 20th 2021 !⃝

    This is what I found, according to Songfacts.com it states:
    “Here, Camila Cabello pays tribute to the capital of her home country, Cuba. The pop star moved back and forth between Havana and Mexico City as a child before settling in Miami. She sings about her Cuban heritage and also muses about a former flame she left back in her native land.”

    Camila Cabello explained the track's background to Wonderland magazine:

    "'Havana' is an idea that I had for a song title; a lot of my songs are more dark and emotional. [This is] more summer, upbeat, it's very wind-your-waist tempo, if that makes sense. It's really cool, I did it with Pharrell, it's like a story of me falling in love with this bad boy from Havana."

  7. anonymous
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     Nov 21st 2020 !⃝

    Havana is like a her lost love that even though she has to go her heart will still love and remember the place. I remember Camila saying how much his father needed to sacrifice just to give them a happy life and I think it reflects the song so much that even though her father loves the place where he was born he chose to leave it to give his family a more comfortable life but him and his family will still forever love Havana.

  8. anonymous
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     Jun 2nd 2020 !⃝

    Sounds like a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice taking a chance with a smooth talker ... with a torn between what what she is able to leave and what she is able to risk.

  9. anonymous
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     Aug 16th 2019 !⃝

    i think she wated vitim d from somebody from havana

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  10. anonymous
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     Jan 24th 2019 !⃝

    what does uncle sam mean tho?????//

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  11. anonymous
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     Jan 12th 2019 !⃝

    i think it means, when she was young, she met a guy in havana, but her actual home is east atlanta. so when she saw him, she knew he could bring back the memories of east atlanta. then, her dad said she had to leave him, so half of her heart is in havana, but the guy took her back to east atlanta. it's just my interpreting. it could be wrong. i mean, if we want to know the real, actual meaning, we have to ask camila cabello.

  12. anonymous
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     Oct 27th 2018 !⃝

    i think she fall in love with the guy and he also loves her. when they lives together she feel like havana(heaven). but her father is totally against of their love. he thinks the guy is not as well good as he want, he saw a lots of bad things in him. so he want to leave that place where they belongs to. but she don't want to go with his papa coz her love always push her back to him. there are many girls for him but he loves her only. (this song is exactly related to me. i love him i miss him but i have to leave him meanwhile i love him coz he loves me)

  13. anonymous
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     May 19th 2018 !⃝

    I think Camilla met the guy from East Atlanta at a party,bar,or night club one night in June;). They are told not to be together, but they still are.They both go back to East Atlanta together ,Hence the line "He took me back to East Atlanta, na na na."

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  14. anonymous
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     May 19th 2018 !⃝

    I think Camilla met the guy from East Atlanta at a party,bar,or night club one night in June;). They are told not to be together, but they still are.They both go back to East Atlanta together ,Hence the line "He took me back to East Atlanta, na na na."

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  15. anonymous
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     Mar 23rd 2018 !⃝

    It is a vile song, perhaps, about pimping. What do the words following mean,... "Bump on her bumper like a traffic jam, I was quick to pay that girl like Uncle Sam. Back it on me, shawty cravin on me, Get to diggin o me, She waited on me, Shawty cakin on me, got the bacon on me"? My daughter will not be listening to any of this artist's songs.

  16. anonymous
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     Mar 4th 2018 !⃝

    It's about her connection with her country and her ex lover. Both are not perfect but charming and attractive.

  17. anonymous
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     Mar 2nd 2018 !⃝

    Ok, this is a weird beginning, but you know the movie “Guys and Dolls”? There’s this one part in the story where a church girl from Atlanta falls for a gambler who takes her to Havana. I think that there may be a connection or something, but I don’t know.

  18. anonymous
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     Feb 24th 2018 !⃝

    i think it's about a girl whom in love with a bad boy. so when his papa found out about it, her papa told her to leave him but she refuses to. then her papa forced her to follow him leave the city (and her boyfriend). and yeah, they went to east atlanta.

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