Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“Enchantress”
Album: Sueños Liquidos (Liquid Dreams), 1997
Style: Psychedelic rock about a beautiful enchantress who seduces but is out of reach.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Hay una mujer hermosa,
La más primorosa,
De ojitos negros,
De piel gitana.
There is a gorgeous woman,
The most exquisite,
Of (darling) black eyes,
Of gypsy skin.
“Anthology”
Album: Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos (Bare Feet, White Dreams), 1995
Style: Ballad about the impact of a first love on someone’s life. Shakira sings “Antología” (Anthology) to reflect on the positive impact of a past relationship and everything she learned from it.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube
Para amarte
Necesito una razón
Y es difícil creer
Que no exista una más
Que este amor.
To love you
I need a reason
And it is difficult to believe
That there wouldn’t exist one more
Than this love.
“I Leave”, “I Am Leaving” Song Lyrics
Album: Limón y Sal (Lemon and Salt), 2006
Style: Indie, breakup and farewell song, strong vocals. Julieta Venegas sings her farewell song and explains why the relationship is ending. She uses a sort of sing-song tone that works surprisingly well in this album.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Porque no supiste entender a mi corazón,
Lo que había en él.
Porque no tuviste el valor
De ver quién soy.
Because you did not know how to understand my heart,
What was there in it.
Because you didn’t have the courage
To see who I am.
“Today is Goodbye” Lyrics
Album: Shaman, 2002
Style: Blues rock, Chicano rock, sad song about losing people across the USA-Mexico border. It is from the perspective of a person left behind, singing about their loved one who left with the intent of crossing the border, then time passing and not knowing what happed to them, but continuing to wait.
Country: Mexico, Argentina
Listen: YouTube
Él se fue con el invierno.
Él se ha ido a trabajar.
No me ha escrito en mucho tiempo;
Él dijo que volverá.
He left with the winter.
He has gone to work.
Hasn’t written to me in a long time;
He said he would return.
“Your Memory and Me”
Composer: José Alfredo Jiménez
Style: Ranchera, sad song about reminiscing at a bar about a lost love.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Estoy en el rincón de una cantina,
Oyendo una canción que yo pedí.
Me están sirviendo ahorita mi tequila,
Ya va mi pensamiento rumbo a ti.
I am in the corner of a bar,
Listening to a song I myself requested.
They are serving my tequila to me right now,
Already my thoughts are on their way to you.
“You Are For Me” Lyrics
Albums: Limón y Sal (Lemon and Salt), 2006; Julieta Venegas MTV Unplugged, 2008
Style: Hypnotic, alternative rock/pop. Julieta Venegas collaborated on this song with Ana Tijoux in 2006, and with Mala Rodriguez in 2008.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube (official video). When I originally posted this song, Julieta did not have a VEVO account and there was not an official source for the original music video. These fangirls made a mimic video at YouTube here. It’s a very good mimic of the original!
Chorus:
————————————————-
Eres para mí, me lo ha dicho el viento.
Eres para mí, lo oigo todo el tiempo.
Eres para mí, me lo ha dicho el viento,
Eres para mí.
You are for me, the wind has told me this.
You are for me, I hear it all the time.
You are for me, the wind has told me this,
You are for me.
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“God Knows” Lyrics Translation
Style: Bolero song about a person doubting their partner, suspecting infidelity but not having proof, and being worried that the suspicion itself could end the relationship if they are wrong.
Country: Mexico
Listen: Álvaro Carrillo; Eydie Gormé and Los Panchos; Vicente Fernández; Tania Libertad
Sabrá Dios, si tú me quieres o me engañas.
Como no adivino seguiré pensando
Que me quieres solamente a mí.
God knows, if you love me or you deceive me.
Since I can’t guess I will continue thinking
That you love only me.
“It Makes Me Fall In Love”
Album: La Vida Es Un Ratico (Life is a Brief Moment), 2007
Style: Pop, electric influence, infatuation song
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube
Cada blanco en mi mente
Se vuelve color con verte
Y el deseo de tenerte,
Es más fuerte, es más fuerte.
Every white (blank) in my mind
Turn to color on seeing you
And the desire to have you,
Is more strong, is more strong.
“With a Single Hit” Lyrics
Style: Heavy Metal
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube (live performance)
Hay canciones que se escriben
Con las lágrimas
Y se cantan con la sangre
En la garganta.
Es porque el corazón explota
A golpe de la distancia.
There are songs that are written
With tears
And are sung with blood
In the throat.
It’s because the heart explodes,
Blown up from a distance.
“A Bit [of Your Heart]” Lyrics
Album: ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? (Where Will the Children Play?), 1992; Maná MTV Unplugged, 1999; Luna (Moon), 2003
Style: Acoustic rock, simple one-sided romance song asking for a little love.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube (recorded, live)
Tan solo un adicto,
Un adicto de tu sol
Y es que con solo un cachito,
Un pedacito de tu luz,
Yo llegaría al cielo
O me caería al suelo
Por ti, amor.
Just an addict,
An addict of your sun
And it’s just that with only a bit,
A piece of your light,
I would reach the heavens
Or I would fall to the ground
For you, my love.
“Story of a Dream” Lyrics
Album: Lo Que Te Conte Mientras Te Hacias La Dormida (What I Told You When You Pretended to Sleep), 2003
Style: Bittersweet love song to a child, from a dead loved one who sends a message through dream to let them know that everything is ok. This song makes me tear up a bit. ♥
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube
Perdona que entré sin llamar.
No es esta la hora y menos el lugar.
Tenía que contarte que en el cielo no se está tan mal.
Forgive me for entering without warning.
This isn’t the time and even less the place.
I had to tell you that it isn’t so bad up in heaven.
Mañana ni te acordarás,
“Tan sólo fue un sueño,” te repetirás.
Y en forma de respuesta, pasará una estrella fugaz.
Tomorrow you won’t even remember,
“It was only a dream,” you will repeat to yourself.
And in (form of an) answer, a shooting star will pass.
“Ay Daddy” Lyrics
Singer: Alicia Villarreal
Style: Regional Mexican, joyful dance song, about being happy being in love and being happy dancing. This song was nominated for Best Regional Mexican Song in the 2003 Latin Grammy Awards.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
[Hablado:]
(Risa)
Parece que me están esperando.
¿Es cierto? ¿Ya estamos listos?
¿Hey? ¿Que cosa? Ya está corriendo,
Subele, subele dame más volmen,
Que se sienta el ritmo.
[Speaking:]
(Laughter)
It looks like they’re waiting for me.
Is it true? Are we ready?
Huh? What was that? It’s started (running) now,
Raise the volume, raise it, give it more,
So you can feel the rhythm.
Songlations 
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