“Malo” (Evil) by Bebe, English translation of lyrics

“Evil”
Album: Pafuera Telaraña (Outtahere, Spiderwebs), 2005
Style: Rock/flamenco/hip hop, wispy voice, anti-domestic violence. This artist won a Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2005.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Apareciste una noche fría
Con olor a tabaco sucio y a ginebra,
El miedo ya me recorría
Mientras cruzaba los deditos tras la puerta.

You appeared one cold night
With the smell of dirty tobacco and of Ginebra, [*brand of alcohol]
The fear already ran through me
While I crossed my little fingers behind the door.

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“Tu Nombre” by Coti, feat. Julieta Venegas, English translation of lyrics

“Your Name”
Album: Esta Mañana y Otros Cuentos (This Morning and Other Stories), 2005
Style: Folk rock, romance song about the emotions attached to a lover’s name.
Countries: Argentina; Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Tu nombre es mi dulce castigo,
Mi sangre, mi droga y rubí,
Mi parte de vos, mi destino.
Tu nombre me sabe a jazmín.

Your name is my sweet punishment,
My blood, my drug and ruby,
My piece of you, my destiny.
Your name tastes of jasmine to me.

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“Sin Ti No Soy Nada” by Amaral, English translation of lyrics

“Without You I Am Nothing”
Album: Estrella de Mar (Sea Star), 2002
Style: Emo pop/rock song about desperate love. After the breakup, she does not know what to do with herself.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Sin ti no soy nada,
Una gota de lluvia mojando mi cara,
Mi mundo es pequeño y mi corazón pedacitos de hielo.

Without you I am nothing,
A drop of rain wetting my face,
My world is small and my heart little pieces of ice.

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“Las Estrellas” by Caramelos de Cianuro, English translation of lyrics

“The Stars” Lyrics
Album: Miss Mujerzuela (Miss Ladytart), 2000
Style: Rock love song throwing roses at a romantic partner they think highly of.
Country: Venezuela
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Yo sé que sólo he sido un vagabundo,
Un sinvergüenza, un perro inmundo,
Una bala perdida, una hoja caída.

I know that I have only been a vagabond,
A scoundrel, a filthy dog,
A stray bullet, a fallen leaf.

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“Contra Vientos y Mareas” by Franco De Vita, Chayanne, English translation

“Against Winds and Tides”
Songwriter: Franco De Vita. Sung by: Chayanne
Style: Pop, smooth romantic. Slow lyrics good for beginner Spanish students.
Countries: Venezuela; Puerto Rico

(Note that there are different songs with this title sung by Intocable and Los Bukis.)

Translation:

No me preguntes cómo sucedió
O si sera cierto, tal vez no.
Sólo sé que ahora estoy aquí
Y no hago otra cosa que pensar en ti,
Oh, pensar en ti.

Do not ask me how it happened
Or if it may be true, perhaps not.
All I know is that I am here now
And I do not do anything else but think of you,
Oh, think of you.

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“Días De Verano” (Summer Days) by Amaral, English translation of lyrics

“Summer Days” or “Days of Summer” Song Translation
Album: Pájaros en la cabeza (Birds in my head), 2005
Style: Rock song about feeling like there aren’t enough summer days left to repair a relationship.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube. Those things that look like trees at 0:39 are maguey (agave) stalks.

Translation:

No quedan días de verano para pedirte perdón,
Para borrar del pasado el daño que te hice yo,
Sin besos de despedida y sin palabras bonitas,
Porque te miro a los ojos y no me sale la voz.

There are no summer days left to ask for your forgiveness,
To erase from the past the harm that I did to you,
Without farewell kisses and without pretty words,
Because I look into your eyes and my voice does not come out.

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“Mamá Tierra” by Macaco, English translation of lyrics

“Mother Earth” (2006)
Album: Ingravitto, 2006
Style: Reggae. Earth Day is April 22.
Countries: Spain, Brazil, Venezuela, Cameroon
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Spoken:
———————————————————
You can always close your eyes,
But you can’t close your ears.

Hay una cuestión de, yo diría,
Cómo es, de amor a la tierra, ¿no?
Es decir que somos parte de las raices de donde nacemos.
Entonces pensando en esto se nos ocurre una canción.

There is an issue of, I would say,
How is it, of love for the earth, no?
That is to say that we are part of the roots of where we are born.
So then thinking about this a song occurs to us.
———————————————————

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“Vivir Sin Aire” by Maná, English translation of lyrics

“To Live Without Air”
Album: ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? (Where Will The Children Play?), 1992
Style: Rock
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Cómo quisiera… Poder vivir sin aire.
Cómo quisiera… Poder vivir sin agua.
Me encantaría… Quererte un poco menos.

How I would love… To (be able to) live without air.
How I would love… To (be able to) live without water.
It would delight me… To love you a bit less.

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“Antes Que Ver El Sol” by Coti, English translation of lyrics

“Before Seeing the Sun” Lyrics
Album: Coti, 2003
Style: Pop/rock song about waiting for a romantic interest to show interest back.
Country: Argentina
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Ah, ah ah ah, ah…

Si te vas, se me va a hacer muy tarde
Y además, sólo intento cuidarte.
¿Ay cuándo, mi vida, cuándo
Va a ser el día que tu pared desaparezca?

If you leave, it is going to get very late for me
And what’s more, I only intend to take care of you.
Oh when, my love, when
Is it going to be the day that your wall disappears?

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“Te Lloré un Río” (I Cried You A River) by Maná, English translation of lyrics

“I Cried You A River”
Album: ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? (Where Will The Children Play?), 1992
Style: Slow rock song about heartbreak, acceptance, and moving on.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Yo aquí llorándote un río,
Mandándome al olvido,
Qué cosa más injusta, amor.

Me here crying you a river,
Sending myself to oblivion,
What a most unjust thing, my love.

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“El Hijo del Pueblo” by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation of lyrics

“The Town Son”
Composer: José Alfredo Jiménez
Style: Ranchera about poverty with dignity.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Es mi orgullo haber nacido
En el barrio más humilde,
Alejado del bullicio
(Y) de la falsa sociedad.

It is my pride to have been born
In the most humble neighborhood,
Away from the hustle and bustle
(And) from the false society.

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“Hermanita” by Aventura, English translation (anti-domestic violence song)

“Dear Sister” Lyrics
Album: Love & Hate, 2003
Style: Bachata, sorrowful. It’s a sad song about a man seeing his sister suffer domestic violence. He sings about his observations, how he fears for her, and how he wishes she left the monster.
Country: USA (New York); Dominican Republic
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Cómo pasan los años. Ayer eramos niños.
Mami y papi luchaban por nuestro porvenir.
Tú cuidabas de mí; hoy yo velo por ti.
Hermanita, te adoro. Sé que no eres feliz.

How the years pass. Yesterday we were children.
Mom and Dad struggled for our future.
You took care of me; today I stay awake for you.
Sister, I adore you. I know you are not happy.

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