“Supermercado” (Supermarket) by Mon Laferte, English translation

“Supermarket” Lyrics Translation
Album: 1940 Carmen, 2021
Style: Alternative rock song about a couple shopping at a supermarket after a fight, avoiding looking at each other, and suffering.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Pasillo 2 me invita a comprar
Cosas que no hacen falta,
Y el alivio comercial, y la risa falsa.

Aisle two invites me to buy
Things that aren’t needed,
And the consumerist relief, and false laughter.

Y es que ya nada es igual.
Me esquiva la mirada.
¿Será que estamos mal
O indefensos?

And it’s just that now nothing is the same.
They are avoiding my gaze.
Are we in a bad place
Or defenseless?

Pasillo 2 descansa un animal,
Un pasajero,
El invitado se queda a cenar,
Pero no quiero.

Aisle two lets rest an animal,
A passenger,
The guest stays for dinner,
But I don’t want that.

Y es que ya no me sabe igual.
Me esquiva la mirada.
¿Será que estamos mal
Y somos indefensos?

And it just doesn’t taste the same to me.
They are avoiding my gaze.
Are we in a bad place
Or defenseless?

Qué inseguridad.
¿Será que el miedo
Nos ha entrenado?

What insecurity…
Could it be that fear
Has trained us?

Qué inestabilidad,
¿Será que nos encontramos
En la oscuridad, y las armas,
Debemos guardarlas?
Qué facilidad de palabras
En el supermercado.

What instability…
Could it be that we find ourselves
In darkness, and the weapons,
Should we put them away?
How easy words come
In the supermarket.

La novedad camina a su final,
Comienza el duelo.
El crédito no alcanza para más,
Es prisionero.

The novelty runs to its end,
And the duel/mourning begins.
The credit doesn’t allow for more,
It is a prisoner.

Y es que ya no me sabe igual.
Me esquiva la mirada.
¿Será que estamos mal
Y somos indefensos?

And it just doesn’t taste the same to me.
They are avoiding my gaze.
Are we in a bad place
Or defenseless?

Qué inseguridad
¿Será que el miedo
Nos ha entrenado?

What insecurity…
Could it be that fear
Has trained us?

Qué inestabilidad.
¿Será que nos encontramos
En la oscuridad, y las armas,
Debemos guardarlas?
Qué facilidad de palabras
En el supermercado.

What instability…
Could it be that we find ourselves
In darkness, and the weapons,
Should we put them away?
How easy words come
In the supermarket.

Y todo va a pasar.
Hoy es un día raro.
Cadena nacional.
Nos vamos de paro cardíaco.

And everything will pass.
Today is a strange day.
National chain.
We are going into cardiac arrest.

Qué inseguridad
¿Será que el miedo
Nos ha entrenado?

What insecurity…
Could it be that fear
Has trained us?

Qué inestabilidad.
¿Será que nos encontramos
En la oscuridad, y las armas,
Debemos guardarlas?
Qué facilidad de palabras
En el supermercado.

What instability…
Could it be that we find ourselves
In darkness, and the weapons,
Should we put them away?
How easy words come
In the supermarket.

Translation Notes:

¿Será que estamos mal
O indefensos?

Are we in a bad place
Or defenseless?

Could it be that we are in a bad place
Or defenseless?

Could it be that we are wrong
And defenseless?

This song is about a couple having a fight at a supermarket and stopping to continue to shop, avoiding continuing the fight, but also reflecting on it. Here, “estamos mal” could be interpreted as “we (plural) are in a bad relationship spot” or “we (plural) are on the outs“. It could also be self-doubt and mean the singular/royal we, wondering if they themselves are wrong in their position on the fight. Were they right to pick a fight?

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Pasillo 2 descansa un animal, un pasajero

Aisle two lets rest an animal, a passenger

This line uses the verb descansar (to rest) as a transitive verb which uses a direct object, which is unusual. It is usually an intransitive verb: yo descanso (I rest), tú descansas (you rest), etc. Here, the fighting couple changes aisles at the supermarket and that helps their mood a little. The “animal” here is their aggressive feelings. Unfortunately, those feelings don’t fully go away:

El invitado se queda a cenar,
Pero no quiero.

The guest stays for dinner,
But I don’t want that.

---

[Y es que] {ya} no me sabe igual.
Me esquiva la mirada.

[And it {just}] doesn’t taste the same to me.
They are avoiding my gaze.

[And it is that] it doesn’t taste the same to me {anymore}.
They/he/she avoid my gaze.

Taste here refers to the singer’s feelings on the relationship. The fight has altered the relationship and it doesn’t “taste” the same anymore. It doesn’t feel the same. Their partner might be sensing the same, since they avoid looking at them.

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Qué facilidad de palabras
En el supermercado.

How easy words come
In the supermarket.

What ease of words
In the supermarket.

This is said with regret, I think. The previous lines were wondering if they should put their weapons away, so I think they regret speaking too quickly and without thinking. They regret something they said earlier during their fight at the supermarket.

Alternatively, after their fight, they are only talking about shopping, and it follows an easy script (“can you get the milk?” and “do we need eggs?” for example). Maybe the focus is on how easy it is to talk at the supermarket specifically, but less easy to talk in other places.

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La novedad camina a su final,
Comienza el duelo.

The novelty runs to its end,
And the duel/mouring/grief begins.

I originally translated this quickly as: “And the grief begins”

But then re-read it and remembered duelo means duel. I like the “duel/mouring” translation by Loopers on LyricsTranslate.com: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/supermercado-supermarket.html-0

The couple’s honeymoon period has ended and they are starting to fight (or “duel”), and at the same time mourn the possible end of their relationship.