“Te Veo A La Salida” (I’ll See You At The Exit) by Daniela Spalla, English translation of lyrics

“I’ll See You At the Exit” Lyrics
Album: Puro Teatro (Pure Theater), 2020
Style: 1980s-style pop/rock about a forbidden or unconventional relationship. The singer wants to end the secrecy and come out into the open.
Country: Argentina
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

No, ya no quiero soñar con tu sombra
Y tener que olvidarla de día.
Sé que es difícil, lo sé,
Que hay peligro también,
Que es historia prohibida.

No, I don’t want to dream of your shadow
And have to forget it by day.
I know it is difficult, I know,
That there’s danger also,
That it is a forbidden story.

Estás en la otra punta del bar,
Abrazado a las dudas y a la música fuerte,
Toda esta distancia de más, puro teatro, no más,
¿Hasta qué hora tenemos que aguantar?

You are at the other side of the bar,
Hugging your doubts and the music tightly,
All this excess distance, pure theater, no more,
Until what time will we need to stand it?

Porque no puedo más,
Tenerte aquí tan cerca y no poder hablar,
Quemarnos con miradas sin poder gritar,
Esclavos del secreto de este amor
Que arde entre los dos.

Because I can’t anymore,
To have you here so close and not be able to talk,
To burn each other with our eyes and not be able to yell,
Slaves to the secret of this love
That flames between us.

Y me hace mal
Desearnos en silencio a mí me tiene mal,
Dejemos esta cárcel de una vez.
¿Qué importa si nos ven?
¿Qué importa si lo pago en otra vida?
Te veo a la salida.

And it makes me sick,
To desire each other in silence makes me ill,
Let’s abandon this jail once and for all.
What does it matter if they see us?
What does it matter if I pay for it in another life?
I’ll see you at the exit.

No, ya no quiero soñar con tú sombra
Y después desecharla de día.
Sé que es difícil, lo sé,
Que hay peligro también,
Que es historia prohibida.

No, I don’t want to dream of your shadow
And have to forget it by day.
I know it is difficult, I know,
That there’s danger also,
That it is a forbidden story.

Uh uh uh, uh uh, un diluvio de pretextos.
Uh uh uh, uh uh, ¿hasta qué hora?
Dime —
¿Cuánto más habrá que aparentar?

Uh uh uh, uh uh, a deluge of pretexts.
Uh uh uh, uh uh, until what time?
Tell me —
How much more do we need to pretend?

Porque no puedo más,
Tenerte aquí tan cerca y no poder hablar,
Quemarnos con miradas sin poder gritar,
Esclavos del secreto de este amor
Que arde entre los dos.

Because I can’t anymore,
To have you here so close and not be able to talk,
To burn each other with our eyes and not be able to yell,
Slaves to the secret of this love
That flames between us.

Y me hace mal
Desearnos en silencio a mí me tiene mal,
Dejemos esta cárcel de una vez.
¿Qué importa si nos ven?
¿Qué importa si lo pago en otra vida?
Te veo a la salida.

And it makes me sick,
To desire each other in silence makes me ill,
Let’s abandon this jail once and for all.
What does it matter if they see us?
What does it matter if I pay for it in another life?
I’ll see you at the exit.

[Musical interlude]

Me hace mal,
Tenerte aquí tan cerca y no poder hablar,
Quemarnos con miradas sin poder gritar,
Esclavos de este amor.

It makes me sick,
To have you here so close and not be able to talk,
To burn each other with our eyes and not be able to yell,
Slaves to the secret of this love.

Y me hace mal,
Desearnos en silencio a mí me tiene mal,
Dejemos esta cárcel de una vez,
¿Qué importa si nos ven?
¿No ves que me hace mal?

And it makes me sick,
To desire each other in silence makes me ill,
Let’s abandon this jail once and for all.
What does it matter if they see us?
Don’t you see it makes me sick?

Desearnos en silencio a mi me tiene mal
Dejemos esta cárcel de una vez
¿Qué importa si nos ven?
¿Qué importa si lo pago en otra vida?
Te veo a la salida.

To desire each other in silence makes me ill,
Let’s abandon this jail once and for all.
What does it matter if they see us?
What does it matter if I pay for it in another life?
I’ll see you at the exit.

Translation Notes:

Unrelated but this song’s retro style makes me think of Acapulco on Apple TV. That show is set in the 1980s and is a mix of slice-of-life, comedy, and romance. It focuses on the lives and ambitions of the hotel staff at a luxury hotel in Acapulco, Mexico. I highly recommend it for Spanish learners. The show is mainly in English, but it has plenty of scenes with Spanish dialog (English subtitled) throughout. It is a cute and wholesome show that you can watch with family.

Per Abby Hepworth’s review in PureWow (July 26, 2024):

I love a new TV show as much as the next gal, but nothing tops the thrill of discovering a show you’ve never heard of that is already multiple seasons in, allowing for a primo binge-watching opportunity. Such is the case with the Apple TV+ comedy Acapulco, which released its third season in May 2024. Halfway through the season one trailer, which is jam-packed with fun, sun and terrible ‘80s fashion choices, I knew I was in for a delightful ride. Now three seasons deep, I can confirm this lighthearted comedy is the ultimate cure for my summertime sadness.

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Toda esta distancia <de más>, puro teatro, no más,
¿Hasta [qué hora] (tenemos que) {aguantar}?

All this <excess> distance, pure theater, no more,
Until [what time] (will we need to) {stand it}?

The singer is suffering because they and their lover are pretending not to know each other and it is puro teatro (pure theater) for the benefit of people who might be watching them.

---

Porque no puedo más,
Tenerte aquí tan cerca y no poder hablar,
Quemarnos con miradas sin poder gritar,
Esclavos del secreto de este amor
Que arde entre los dos.

Because I can’t anymore,
To have you here so close and not be able to talk,
To burn each other with our eyes and not be able to yell,
Slaves to the secret of this love
That flames between us.

If you are quemando con los ojos (burning with the eyes) or quemando con la mirada (burning with the gaze), it means you are staring intensely at someone. The fire imagery is also appropriate since the singer is in agony over these false appearances they try to keep up. They don’t want to live in a lie anymore.

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Y [me hace mal]
Desearnos en silencio <a mí> {me tiene mal}

And [it makes me sick],
To desire each other in silence {makes <me> ill}

And [it makes me ill],
To desire each other in silence <to me> {it has me ill}

---

Dejemos esta cárcel de una vez.
¿Qué importa si nos ven?
¿Qué importa si lo pago en otra vida?
Te veo a la salida.

Let’s abandon this jail once and for all.
What does it matter if they see us?
What does it matter if I pay for it in another life?
I’ll see you at the exit.

The singer is telling their lover that they should come out into the open with their love. The secrecy is a jail and they don’t need to stay there. They can come out and be happier. There might be societal consequences but they are prepared to face them.