“Manos Al Aire” (Hands in the Air) by Nelly Furtado, English translation

“Hands in the Air” (2009)
AlbumMi Plan (My Plan)
Genre: Pop, about defenselessness, relationship trouble, and not wanting to fight. Beautiful voice, but the song is sad. Don’t put your hands in the air in defeat! Nooo.
Country: Canada, Portuguese background

By the way, I want to point out that Nelly Furtado was first famous in English media (she sung light pop “I’m Like a Bird” and R&B “Promiscuous”). It is not often that English singers expand to the Spanish market, so this is interesting. This song was released as a single before re-release in the album.

Lyrics Translation:

Tú, que pierdes el control
Hablando en alta voz,
Hieres mi corazón.

You, who lose control,
Speaking with a raised voice,
Wound my heart.

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“Cancíon de Adiós” (Song of Goodbye) by Coti, English translation

“Song of Goodbye”, 2007
Genre: Breakup song, not angry, but definitely passive-aggressive. This song sounds cheerful until you realize that he is breaking up with his girlfriend. Oh my goodness, I hope he didn’t actually perform it for a girl. That would be mean.
Country: Argentina

Lyrics Translation:

Fuiste la luz de mi vida
Y mi musa preferida
Pero todo se acabo.

You were the light of my life
And my preferred muse
But everything ended.

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“No Me Queda Más” [I Have Nothing Left (But To…)] by Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, English translation

“I Have Nothing Left (But To…)”, 1994
Genre: Mariachi, sad. This song is about the end of a relationship. Selena sings about having no choice left but to come to terms with it, but she does not want to deny that it happened. She was in love! It was wonderful while it lasted. Poor Selena!
Country: USA (Texas)

Unrelated, but happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone. It’s not Mexican independence day! That’s September 16! Tell your friends.

Lyrics Translation:

No me queda más
Que perderme en un abismo
De tristeza y lágrimas.

I have nothing left
But to lose myself in an abyss
Of sadness and tears.

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“Estupida” (Stupid) by La India, English translation

“Stupid”
Singer: Linda “La India” Viera Caballero
Genre: Pop with salsa influence, about a lying boyfriend and feeling dumb for falling for them.
Country: Puerto Rico

Lyrics Translation:

Qué estúpida te ves.
Sera ingenuidad.
Hay cosas en la vida que
No se pueden aceptar.

How stupid you look.
It must be some ingenuity.
There are things in life that
Cannot be accepted.

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“La Llamada” (The Call) by Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, English translation

“The Call”
Genre: Drama pop song about a cheater who wants to get back together. This person cheats, gets caught, gets dumped, and then won’t stop calling! Selena is just going to keep hanging up. Stop calling her. I love songs with stories.
Country: United States (Texas); Mexico

Lyrics Translation:

[Sound of phone ringing]

-Bueno…
-Soy yo, mi amor, antes de que me cuelgues no’ más dejame explicar que…

-Hello…
-It’s me, my love, before you hang up on me just let me explain that…

[Sound of phone hanging up]

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“Barbie de Extrarradio” (Barbie of the Suburbs) by Melendi, English translation

“Barbie of the Suburbs”, 2010
Genre: Rock, bitter ex song
Country: Spain

Lyrics Translation:

En la guerra, como en el amor,
Todo vale y siempre queda un perdedor.
Normalmente, pierde el que quiere más,
Al igual que en una mesa de black jack.

In war, like in love,
All’s fair and there is always a loser.
Usually, the loser is the one who loves the most,
Just like in a black jack table.

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“Mariposa Traicionera” (Treacherous Butterfly) by Maná, English translation

“Treacherous Butterfly” Translated Lyrics
Album: Revolución de Amor (Revolution of Love), 2002
Genre: Rock, butterfly as metaphor for a woman who isn’t serious, fluttering from guy to guy and leaving behind heartbreak. One of my most popular translations.
Country: Mexico

Lyrics Translation:

Eres como una mariposa,
Vuelas y te posas, vas de boca en boca,
Facil y ligera, de quien te provoca.

You are like a butterfly,
You fly and you land, jumping from mouth to mouth —
Easy and light — of anyone who excites you.

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“Rondando Tu Esquina” (Scouting Your Corner) by Enrique Cadícamo, sung by Julio Jaramillo, English translation

“Scouting Your Corner”
Genre: 1945 Tango
Countries: Argentina (Enrique), Ecuador (Julio)
Listen: Renditions by Julio Jaramillo at YouTube (my favorite) and Enrique Cadícamo at a tango site (original composer).

Lyrics Translation:

Esta noche tengo ganas de buscarla,
De borrar lo que ha pasado y perdonarla.

This night I feel the urge to search for her,
To erase what happened and forgive her.

Ya no me importa el qué dirán
Ni de las cosas que hablarán…
¡Total la gente siempre habla!

It does not matter to me anymore what they will say
Nor the things they will talk about…
People always talk anyway!

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“Estoy Aquí” (I Am Here) by Shakira, English translation of lyrics

“I Am Here” Song Translation
Album: Piez Descalzos (Bare Feet), 1995
Genre: Rock, brunette Shakira, nostalgia about a past love with touches of obsession and sadness
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube, Amazon; Carla Morrison cover

Lyrics Translation:

Ya sé que no vendrás.
Todo lo que fue,
El tiempo lo dejo atras.

I already know you won’t come.
Everything that was,
Time has left behind.

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“Sombra De Ti” (Shadow of You) by Shakira, English translation

“Shadow of You” Lyrics
Album¿Dondé Están Los Ladrones? (Where Are The Thieves?), 1998
Genre: Late 90’s rock, melancholy song about post-breakup sadness. Very mellow, sort of haunting.
Country: Colombia

Lyrics Translation:

Voy a dejar
Que mi guitarra diga todo lo que yo
No sé decir por mí.

I am going to let
My guitar say everything that I
Cannot say for myself.

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“El Problema” by Ricardo Arjona, English translation of lyrics

“The Problem” Lyrics Translation
Album: Santo Pecado (Blessed Sin), 2002
Style: Pop, romantica, foolish adoration. This guy adores a girl who is not serious about the relationship and he is leaving himself very vulnerable.
Country: Guatemala
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

El problema no fue hallarte,
El problema es olvidarte.
El problema no es tu ausencia,
El problema es que te espero.

The problem was not finding you,
The problem is forgetting you.
The problem is not your absence,
The problem is that I wait for you.

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“Mi Mundo Sin Ti” (My World Without You) by Soraya, English translation

“My World Without You” Lyrics Translation
Style: Pop/techno, breakup song. The song starts with the singer asking what her world will be like without her ex, then answering that it will be extremely better, “the opposite of the desert of your love” and “a garden where I can breathe.”
Album: Corazón de fuego (Heart of fire), 2005
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

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