Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“That Man” Lyrics
Album: Dicen Que Soy (They Say I Am), 1994
About: Salsa song about a bad man who hides behind fake kindness. An excellent song for adjectives to describe someone you don’t like.
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Ese hombre que tú ves ahí
Que parece tan galante,
Tan atento y arrogante,
Lo conozco como a mí.
That man that you see there
Who seems so gallant,
So attentive and arrogant,
I know him as I know myself.
“A Good Life” Lyrics Translation
Album: Una Vida Buena (A Good Life), 2023
Style: Pop/rock. Aspirational song about wanting to leave a bad marriage and live a good life, without the awfulness of current life.
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Me desperté cansada,
Cansada de vivir en una vida que no me da nada.
Tan triste, aburrida, deprimida, pero con más ganas
De hacer una maleta y mandar todo pa’ la chingada.
I woke up tired,
Tired of living in a life that gives me nothing.
So sad, tired, depressed, but with a stronger urge
To pack a bag and leave everything to hell.
“Pale Flower”
Album: 3.0, 2013
Style: Pop, bachata, tropical music. Song about nurturing a flower and blossoming a relationship.
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Hallé una flor
Un día en el camino
Que apareció marchita y deshojada,
Ya casi pálida, ahogada en un suspiro.
Me la llevé a mi jardín para cuidarla.
I found a flower
One day walking
That appeared, wilted and leafless,
Already almost faded, drowning in a sigh.
I took it to my garden to take care of it.
“Living My Life”
Album: Marc Anthony 3.0, 2013
Style: Joyful anthem encouraging you to seek happiness.
Country: USA (New York & Puerto Rico)
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
“Something With Meaning”
Album: Residente o Visitante (Resident or Visitor), 2007
Style: Hilarious but explicit rap song, slow tempo, increasingly disturbing lyrics. This song is hilarious because of its disturbing build-up and then the abrupt end after the first end. Residente Calle 13’s voice acting in this song is great.
Country: Puerto Rico
***Warning: Explicit language, graphic descriptions of violence.***
La gente está jugando con mi mente
Y ando con la mirada borracha.
Mi cabeza está pensando en remolacha,
Por eso no tiene sentido esta guaracha.
People are playing with my head
And I walk around with a drunk look.
My head is thinking about beets;
That’s why this song makes no sense.
“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.)
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.
“(Kiss Me) Softly”
Album: Suavemente, 1998
Genre: Merengue song about wanting a kiss
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Chorus:
————————————–
Suavemente, besame
Que quiero sentir tus labios
Besandome otra vez.
(x2)
Softly, kiss me
Because I want to feel your lips
Kissing me again.
(x2)
————————————–
“It Was Worth It”
Album: Valió La Pena (It Was Worth It), 1995
Style: Salsa, celebrating love, a romantic loved one, and everything it took to get to this point. The album won a 2005 Latin Grammy for “Best Salsa Album”.
Country: USA (New York); Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Mirándote a los ojos se responden mis por qués.
Me inspiro en tus palabras y mi casa está en tu piel.
Qué tierno amor, mi devoción, viniste a ser mi religión,
Mi dulce sentimiento,
De nada me arrepiento.
Looking into your eyes my why’s are answered.
I become inspired in your words and my home is on your skin.
What tender love, my devotion, you came to be my religion,
My sweet emotion,
I regret nothing.
“Tell Him”
Album: The Last Don, 2003
Style: Bachata and reggaeton fusion about infidelity and love affairs.
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Dile que bailando te conocí
(Cuéntale)
Dile que esta noche me quieres ver
(Cuéntale)
Tell him that I met you while dancing
(Tell him)
Tell him that you want to see me tonight
(Tell him)
“Poor Woman” / “Poor Devil”
Album: The Last Don, 2003
Style: Bachata. Sad song about a woman who cries for a man who doesn’t value her.
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Verse 1:
Pobre diabla
Se dice que se te ha visto por la calle vagando,
Llorando por un hombre que no vale un centavo,
Pobre diabla y llora por un pobre diablo.
(x2)
Poor woman
It is said that you have been seen wandering the streets,
Crying for a man who is not worth a cent,
Poor woman and she cries for a poor devil.
(x2)
“I Want For You” Lyrics
Style: Romantic bolero
Countries: USA (New York), Mexico, Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Quiero para ti,
De una tarde de abril,
Su magico esplendor.
I want for you,
From an April afternoon,
Its magical splendor.
“Our Vow” (1956) Lyrics
Composer: Benito de Jesús, famously sung by Julio Jaramillo.
Style: Pasillo, waltz-like originally. Many covers in different styles.
Country: Ecuador originally, but popular across Latin America.
Listen: Julio Jaramillo (Ecuador), José Feliciano (Puerto Rico), Javier Solis (Mexico), Vicente Fernández (Mexico) La Santa Cecilia (Mexican-American), Juanes (Colombia).
“Nuestro Juramento” is a well-known romance song across Latin America and arguably Julio Jaramillo’s most famous song. It is about human mortality and passion. It is two lovers who declare to continue loving each other forever, and to be devastated should the other die. The verb jurar means “to swear, to vow” and a juramento is an oath or a vow.
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