“Little Coin” Lyrics
Album: Treinta Días (Thirty Days), 2013
Style: Alternative, energetic, cheerful song praising humble lifestyles. This is a song about not needing money to be happy, about valuing humility, and about how living within one’s means is healthier than over-spending to impress others. Good vocals by lead singer La Marisoul and accordion play by Jose “Pepe” Carlos.
Country: USA (Los Angeles, CA)
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
Translation:
Bonito tu trajecito, ¿cuánto das por la apariencia?
Bonito tu cochecito, ¿no te pesa en la conciencia?
Very nice, your little outfit; how much for that appearance?
Very nice, your little car; doesn’t it weigh on your conscience?
Brillante tu anillito; te pasaste de la cuenta.
Muy fancy tu relojito; es de downtown, no me mientas.
Very shiny, your little ring; you overstepped your means. [*alt. …you passed your bill limit]
Very fancy, your little watch; it’s from downtown, don’t lie to me.
Tu vida se ve oscura sin el brillo en la moneda.
Nada, nada se te luce si no es nuevo de la tienda.
Your life looks dark without the shine of a coin.
Nothing, nothing is flaunted on you if it isn’t new from the store.
Y yo que tengo poquito, me alcance para la fiesta.
Me rio y no necesito…
And I, who have little, have enough for the party. [*alcanzar, v. = to reach; to have enough]
I laugh and I don’t need…
Chorus:
—————————————————————-
Ni millones, ni pantalones de piel que cuesten más
Que la quincena; eso trae problemas.
Not millions, nor leather pants that cost more
Than a (two week) paycheck; that brings problems. [*quincena = lit. 15 day period]
No quiero ni mansiones ni vacaciones bebiendo en alta mar.
Eso trae problemas.
Eso no cura la pena.
I don’t want mansions or vacations drinking at high seas.
That brings problems.
That does not cure sorrows.
—————————————————————-
Yo tengo una casa humilde pero llena de esperanza.
Yo tengo una bicicleta que me lleva a donde vaya.
I have a humble house but (it is) full of hope.
I have a bicycle that takes me wherever (I want to go).
La luna es mi compañera cuando las luces se apagan.
El sol brilla más que el oro cuando abro mi ventana.
Soy libre y no necesito…
The moon is my companion when the lights are shut off.
The sun shines more than gold when I open my window.
I am free and I do not need…
[Chorus: “Ni millones, ni pantalones de piel que cuesten más que la quincena…“]
Translation Notes:
Bonito tú trajecito, ¿cuánto das por la apariencia?
Very nice, your little outfit, how much for that appearance?
Pretty, your little outfit, how much (do you give/pay) for the appearance? [*lit.]
The phrase ¿cuánto das por _________? (how much for _______?) is used when requesting an estimate from a vendor, sometimes as a precursor to haggling the price.
dar (verb) = to give
—
Brillante tu anillito, te pasaste de la cuenta. [*idiom]
Very shiny, your little ring, you overstepped your means.
Very shiny, your little ring, you passed your bill limit. [*alt.]
cuenta [f. noun] = calculation; account; check, bill
pasar [verb] = to pass
pasar la cuenta = to send the bill
pasarse de la cuenta = to overspend; to overstep one’s means; to rack up a higher bill than one should
—
Muy fancy tu relojito; es de downtown, no me mientas.
Very fancy, your little watch; it’s from downtown, don’t lie to me.
Saying it is from downtown here means it is a knock-off that was bought from a cheap store or street vendor downtown.
—
Yo tengo una bicicleta que me lleva a donde vaya.
I have a bicycle that takes me wherever (I want to go).
a donde vaya = wherever I go/roam
Another similar phrase is a donde sea (wherever, lit. wherever it be)
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