The song argues that the devil is more useful in a crisis. Why? Because he has made the mistakes. He knows the traps. He recognizes the liar because he used to be one. The song doesn’t glorify evil; it glorifies —the ability to see through the bullshit.
The chorus is blunt: "Y más sabe el diablo por viejo, que por diablo / Por eso respeto al que le ha dao' la calle" Translation: The devil knows more because he’s old, not because he’s the devil. That’s why I respect those who have been "given" by the streets. Mas Sabe el Diablo
This is the heart of the song. In this world, age alone doesn't grant wisdom; grants wisdom. The "devil" here isn't Lucifer with a pitchfork. The devil is the weathered hustler who has seen it all, lost it all, and learned to read people’s souls in an instant. The song argues that the devil is more useful in a crisis
It has become a way of saying: "You think you know because you read it in a book. I know because I bled for it." He knows the traps
One of the most clever lyrical moments is when the duo contrasts the angel and the devil. In pop culture, we root for the angel. In Más Sabe el Diablo , the angel is naive. The angel hasn't been tested.
In many Latin American countries (and the diaspora), there is a cultural reverence for the Viejo Sabio (the Wise Old Man). But in urban sectors, that old man often isn't a scholar; he’s the guy who played the game for thirty years and lived to tell about it.