“Simply Friends” Lyrics
Album: SEIS (Six), 2021
Style: Mariachi about a lovestruck person wanting to know if their crush is interested in a relationship, or if they will stay simply friends.
Countries: Chile, Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Translation:
Oye, dame una señal,
La posibilidad de hacerlo a mi modo.
Dale, no seas cohibido,
Quiero algo contigo,
Más que ser amigos.
Hey, give me a sign,
The possibility of doing things my way.
Come on, don’t be shy,
I want something with you,
More than being friends.
Dime si alguna vez
Por la timidez,
Ocultaste algo.
Tell if some time
Due to timidness,
You hid something.
Vas, puedes ser honesto,
Deja yo hago el resto,
Me encargo de todo.
Go on, you can be honest,
Let me do the rest,
I’ll take care of everything.
Déjame amarte o por lo menos que lo intente.
No es casualidad quererte, no es un accidente.
Let me love you or at least let me try.
Loving you is not random chance, it’s not an accident.
Besarnos en Obregón con Insurgentes,
O podemos ser amigos simplemente.
Kissing each other at (Álvaro) Obregón and Insurgentes [*Mexican cross streets],
Or we can be simply friends.
Anda, cuéntale a la gente
Qué es lo que se siente
Que te quieran tanto.
Go on, go tell people
What it feels like
To be loved so much.
Vamos, puedes ser honesto,
Deja yo hago el resto,
Me encargo de todo.
Come on, you can be honest,
Let me do the rest,
I’ll take care of everything.
Déjame amarte o por lo menos que lo intente.
No es casualidad quererte, no es un accidente.
Let me love you or at least let me try.
Loving you is not random chance, it’s not an accident.
Besarnos en Obregón con Insurgentes,
O podemos ser amigos simplemente.
Kissing each other at (Álvaro) Obregón and Insurgentes,
Or we can be simply friends.
Déjame amarte, o por lo menos que lo intente.
No es casualidad quererte, no es un accidente.
Let me love you or at least let me try.
Loving you is not random chance, it’s not an accident.
Besarnos en Obregón con Insurgentes,
O podemos ser amigos simplemente.
Kissing each other at (Álvaro) Obregón and Insurgentes,
Or we can be simply friends.
Aunque no quiero ser tu amiga solamente.
Though I do not want to be your friend only.
Translation Notes:
Besarnos en Obregón con Insurgentes,
Kissing each other at (Álvaro) Obregón and Insurgentes [*Mexican cross streets]
This line refers to an intersection in Mexico City, Avenida Álvaro Obregón and Avenida de los Insurgentes Sur (Google Maps link).
The intersection names refer to Mexican history. Álvaro Obregón was a general during the Mexican Revolution and later became the 46th Mexican president. Insurgentes means insurgents, referring to the people who fought in the Mexican War for Independence (early 1800s) or later battles in the Mexican Revolution (early 1900s).
However, Mon Laferte uses this intersection because she used to live in Mexico City and associates it with kissing. Per her interview with Berenice Bautista in August 2021:
“Es súper chilangaza (capitalina) la canción porque menciono de la esquina de (Álvaro) Obregón con Insurgentes”, dijo sobre estas avenidas que se cruzan en la colonia (barrio) Roma de la Ciudad de México. “Antes vivía por la Roma y esa esquina es como muy icónica porque todo mundo pasa por ahí, los chavitos (jovencitos) que están luego en la glorieta (de Insurgentes) pasan por ahí y se besuquean”.
My translation:
“The song is super Mexican Districto Federal-ish (Mexican capital centered) because I mention the intersection of (Álvaro) Obregón and Insurgentes”, she said about these avenues that cross in the Roma district (barrio) in Mexico City. “I used to live by Roma and those cross streets are really iconic because everyone passes by there, the kids (youth) who hang out in the roundabout (at Insurgentes) go by there and make out.”
—
No es casualidad quererte, no es un accidente.
Loving you is not random chance, it’s not an accident.
Loving you is not coincidence, it’s not an accident. [*alternative]
It’s no fluke loving you, it’s not an accident. [*alternative]
—
Did you notice the gender-flip in the music video?
The song uses female pronouns for the singer (Mon Laferte) and male adjectives for her crush. The music video switches genders of the lovestruck person and tells the story of a guy wondering if his male crush might be interested in more. It adds an additional dimension to the first line, “hey, give me a sign”. At the end of the music video, we do get a sign that the crush is reciprocated! I’m happy for you, gay music video guys.
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