This delightful work is part of the Canconiero Musical de Palacio, a compilation of musical works performed at the Spanish court of Ferdinand and Isabella and their children. As Encina was a dramatist, it seems likely that this song was performed as part of a play.

The song opens by imitating the call of the cuckoo, and immediately makes it clear that this is not a ornithological study, as it wanrs, "Be careful that you don't become one, too!" (Cuckoos, of course, were a symbol of adultery, as cuckoo lay their eggs in other birds' nests. To be cuckood is to be cuckolded.) The verses of the song are appropriately swaggering, with the occasional play on rhythms to keep them from becoming monotonous, and the refrain, imitating the cuckoo, is surprisingly delicate in contrast.

"Cuckoo, cuckoo! Be careful that you don't become one, too. Buddy, you need to know that even the best of women is wild for sex, so make sure you satisfy yours. Cuckoo, cuckoo! Buddy, you have to be cautious at all times of getting horned [the sign of a cuckolded man], if your woman goes out to piss, make sure you go with her. Cuckoo, cuckoo!"

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