Tag: Country-Mexico

“Que Nadie Sepa Mi Sufrir” by Angel Cabral and Enrique Dizeo, sung by many, English translation

“Let No One Know of My Suffering”
Style: Varies, but commonly in the style of a Peruvian waltz
Composer: Ángel Cabral (Argentina), 1936
Songwriter: Enrique Dizeo (Argentina)
Country: Sung by many, originally from Argentina

Listen: Renditions available at YouTube by: Los Lobos (USA, 1970s-current), Julio Jaramillo (Ecuador, 1950s pasillo), Maria Dolores Pradera (Spain, 1950s operatic), Sonora Dinamita (Colombian and Salvadorean, 1980s+ cumbia), Julio Iglesias (Spain, 1980s romantic), Lucha Reyes (Peru, 1970s), 웅산 Woong San (Korea, in Spanish, 2010s), Edith Piaf (France, in French with edited lyrics as La Foule, 1957), and many more.

Lyrics Translation:

No te asombres si te digo lo que fuiste:
Una ingrata con mi pobre corazón.
Porque el fuego de tus lindos ojos negros [*alt: el brillo]
Alumbraron el camino de otro amor.

Don’t be surprised if I tell you what you were:
An ingrate with my poor heart.
Because the fire of your lovely black eyes [*alt: the shine]
Lit up the path to another love.

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“Alma de Acero” (Soul of Steel) by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation

“Soul of Steel”
Style: Ranchera about having a strong center, able to withstand emotional blows by flighty lovers.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Podrás tener mucha suerte,
Podrás andar por el mundo
Destrozando corazones.

You can have lots of luck,
You can travel the world
Destroying hearts.

Continue reading ““Alma de Acero” (Soul of Steel) by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation” →

“Amor Clandestino” (Clandestine Love) by Maná, English translation & meaning

“Clandestine Love”
Album: Drama y Luz (Drama and Light), 2011
Style: Latin rock song with dual meaning, about hidden love, but also about undocumented immigrant youth (Dreamers).
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Lyrics Translation:

Eres inevitable, amor,
Casi como respirar,
Casi como respirar.

You are inevitable, love,
Almost like breathing,
Almost like breathing.

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“Te Solté La Rienda” (I Let Go of Your Reign) by José Alfredo Jiménez, Maná, English translation

“I Let Go of Your Rein”
Style: Corrido, ranchera, sometimes a mariachi. This popular Mexican song is an epic “you’ll miss me, but go” breakup song.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube (José Alfredo Jiménez, Maná, Lupillo Rivera, Vicente Fernandez, and many more)

Lyrics Translation:

Se me acabó la fuerza
De mi mano izquierda.
Voy a dejarte el mundo
Para ti solita.

I lost the strength
On my left hand.
I am going to leave you the world
For your very own.

Continue reading ““Te Solté La Rienda” (I Let Go of Your Reign) by José Alfredo Jiménez, Maná, English translation” →

“No Voy A Ser Tu Esclavo” (I Will Not Be Your Slave) by Maná, English translation

“I Will Not Be Your Slave”
Album: Revolución de Amor (Revolution of Love), 2002
Style: Rock
Country: Mexico
Listen @ YouTube, Amazon Music

Lyrics Translation:

No me crucifiques
Con los clavos del amor, mi morena.
No soy de tu propiedad, mi reina,
Y no voy a ser tu esclavo.

Do not crucify me
With the nails of love, my brunette.
I am not your property, my queen,
And I will not be your slave.

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“Ella Me Enamoró” (She Made Me Fall In Love) by La Santa Cecilia, English translation

“She Made Me Fall In Love”
Album: Quiero Verte Feliz (I Want To See You Happy), 2021 
Style: Cumbia about falling in love.
Country: USA/Mexico (Mexican-American)
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Lyrics Translation:

En la locura de este pensamiento
Salen corriendo todos mis deseos.
Quisiera liberar mi pensamiento,
Buscándote a ti.

In the lunacy of this thought
All my desires go flying [*lit. running].
I would like to liberate my mind,
Looking for you.

Continue reading ““Ella Me Enamoró” (She Made Me Fall In Love) by La Santa Cecilia, English translation” →

“Amigos Simplemente” (Simply Friends) by Mon Laferte, English translation

“Simply Friends”
Album: SEIS (Six), 2021
Style: Mariachi about a lovestruck person wanting to know if their crush is interested in a relationship, or if they will stay simply friends.
Countries: Chile, Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Oye, dame una señal,
La posibilidad de hacerlo a mi modo.
Dale, no seas cohibido,
Quiero algo contigo,
Más que ser amigos.

Hey, give me a sign,
The possibility of doing things my way.
Come on, don’t be shy,
I want something with you,
More than being friends.

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“La Mujer” (The Woman) by Mon Laferte and Gloria Trevi, English translation

“The Woman”
Album: Seis (Six), 2021
Style: A gloriously dramatic bolero breakup song. The dramatic but energetic style makes the lyrics imagery clearly figurative, not literal, but possibly this needs a trigger warning for suicide/murder/drugs. Just in case!
Countries: Chile; Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

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“El Caballo Blanco” (White Horse) by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation

“The White Horse”
Style: Corrido about a white horse, but it’s really about a road trip all over Mexico on a car (romanticized as a horse).
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

About:

This song is about a road trip [es] that José Alfredo Jiménez took from Guadalajara (in central Mexico) to Baja California (just south of the United States southwest) on a white 1957 Chrysler. It is a good song to teach Mexican geography, since he mentions the places he passes on his journey.

Lyrics Translation:

Este es el corrido del caballo blanco,
Que en un día domingo feliz arrancara. *
Iba con la mira de llegar al norte, *
Habiendo salido de Guadalajara.

This is the narrative of the white horse,
That on a Sunday, happily took off. *
He went with the goal of reaching the north, *
Having left from Guadalajara.

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“Primer Día” (First Day) by Julieta Venegas ft. Dante Spinetta, English translation

“First Day”
Album: Limon y Sal (Lemon and Salt), 2006
Style: Pop, love song, possibly breakup song, possibly the start of a new relationship though it sounds like one person wants it more than the other.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Continue reading ““Primer Día” (First Day) by Julieta Venegas ft. Dante Spinetta, English translation” →

“Tuyo y Mío” (Yours and Mine) by Camilo and Los Dos Carnales, English translation

“Yours and Mine”
Album: Mis Manos (Mi Hands), 2021
Style: A romantic Norteña (a North Mexican music style)
Countries: Colombia (Camilo), Mexico (Los Dos Carnales)
Listen: YouTube.

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“Quiero Verte Feliz” (I Want To See You Happy) by La Santa Cecilia, Lila Downs, English translation

“I Want To See You Happy”, 2021 single
Countries: USA (California), Mexico
Style: Cumbia about being ready to be happy again despite all the bad things happening in the world.
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Lyrics Translation:

No es que me valga madre la vida,
El dolor de la gente, el frío, y el hambre. 
La angustia está presente.
El odio se siente, el ambiente se pone caliente.

It’s not that I don’t give a damn about life,
People’s pain, the cold, and hunger.
The anguish is there.
The hate is palpable, the environment heats up.

Continue reading ““Quiero Verte Feliz” (I Want To See You Happy) by La Santa Cecilia, Lila Downs, English translation” →