El Arbolito is a song about the tree of life. The tree is like a family. It begins with a small tree and grows to a full and beautiful tree that flourishes with flowers like a family. These song tells a story of a man that begins as a child, grows up and marries and they have children. It tells the story of sitting in the shade enjoying life with the father and son. The wife gets sick and the tree wilts. Finally, the wife dies from a deceiving disease and the tree dies, (the father) but before it dies, it grows roots, therefore there is a continuation of that tree as the son begins again with his own tree.