Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“Cold Sheets” Lyrics
Album: Revolución de Amor (Revolution of Love), 2002
Style: Salsa, rock song about wanting a lover to come back, and about the bed being cold without them.
Countries: Mexico, Panama
Listen: YouTube
Cómo me duele este frío
Aquí en mi cama.
Cómo yo extraño tus besos
En madrugada.
How it hurts me, this cold
Here in my bed.
How I miss your kisses
At the break of dawn.
“Shared Lips” Lyrics Translation
Album: Amar Es Combatir (To Love is to Fight), 2006
Style: Rock, unhappy love song about an unfaithful lover or a lover who doesn’t commit to you. The album won a 2007 Grammy Award for “Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album”.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Amor mío,
Si estoy debajo del vaivén de tus piernas,
Si estoy hundido en un vaivén de caderas,
Esto es el cielo, es mi cielo.
My love,
If I am beneath the see-saw of your legs,
If I am sunken in a see-saw of hips,
This is heaven, it is my heaven.
“Hate Me” Lyrics
Style: Pasillo, post-breakup song, asking for anything but indifference. Julio Jaramillo’s lyrics are always emotional poetry.
Country: Ecuador
Listen: Julio Jaramillo (original), La Santa Cecilia ft. Noel Schajris (live cover)
Ódiame por piedad, yo te lo pido.
Ódiame sin medida ni clemencia.
Odio quiero más que indiferencia,
Porque el rencor quiere menos que el olvido.
(x2)
Hate me for mercy’s sake, I ask (this of) you.
Hate me without measure or clemency.
I want hate more than indifference,
Because resentment asks less than oblivion.
(x2)
“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
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.
“To Live Without Air”
Album: ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? (Where Will The Children Play?), 1992
Style: Rock
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
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.
“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
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.
“The Town Son”
Composer: José Alfredo Jiménez
Style: Ranchera about poverty with dignity.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
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.
“Lemon and Salt”
Album: Limón y Sal, 2006
Style: Alternative rock, love song to a moody lover, whimsical, fairy tale-like, not very subtle werewolf references. Could be a cute song to do for Halloween in Spanish class.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube. The music video is kind of amazing in a strange way.
Tengo que confesar que a veces
No me gusta tu forma de ser.
I have to confess that sometimes
I do not like your way of being.
“Beloved Dove” Lyrics
Style: Ranchera, love song. A popular old romantic song in Mexico.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
Por el día que llegaste a mi vida,
Paloma querida, me puse a brindar,
Y al sentirme un poquito tomado,
Pensando en tus labios, me dio por cantar.
For the day that you entered into my life,
Beloved dove, I began to toast,
And on feeling a little drunk,
Thinking of your lips, I was inspired to sing.
“The King”
Composer: José Alfredo Jiménez
Style: Ranchera very popular in Mexico. This is one of José Alfredo’s most famous songs.
Country: Mexico
Listen on YouTube: José Alfredo Jiménez (original), Vicente Fernandez, Alejandro Fernández, and now George Strait (possibly because of my translation? I don’t know, but if so, I am very honored!)
Yo sé bien que estoy afuera
Pero el día que yo me muera
Sé que tendrás que llorar.
(Llorar y llorar, x2)
I am fully aware that I am out
But the day that I die
I know that you will have to cry.
(Cry and cry, x2)
Dirás que no me quisiste,
Pero vas a estar muy triste
Y así te vas a quedar.
You will say that you did not love me,
But you will be very sad
And that is how you will stay.
“Asteroid” Lyrics
Album: Zoé (Zoe), 2008
Style: Rock song using an asteroid metaphor for a relationship
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Déjate ver,
Estuvo chido poder besar (*)
Tu estereocuerpo lunar,
Tus ojos brillan más cada vez.
Let yourself be seen,
It was nice being able to kiss (*)
Your stereobody beauty spot,
Your eyes shine more very time.
“Nothing To Lose” Lyrics
Album: Revolucción de Amor (Love Revolution), 2002
Style: Rock, optimistic
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
Ya me harté de estar aburrido,
No tengo más tiempo que perder,
Me voy a largar en busca de un sueño,
De nuevo a empezar, un nuevo día vendrá.
I have had it up to here with being bored,
I have no more time to lose,
I am going to leave in search of a dream,
Starting over anew, a new day will come.
Songlations 
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