“Qué Será De Mí” (What Will Become of Me) by Julia Medina, English translation

“What Will Become of Me” Lyrics
Album: Epicentro (Epicenter), 2021
Style: Soft pop song about a being in a turbulent and hot/cold relationship with a bad boy. She loves him but he ignores her and that makes her mad.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Jugamos a dejar las cosas claras,
No fue suficiente.
Ven y mírame de frente.
No despiertes a la fiera
.

We played at making things clear,
It wasn’t enough.
Come and see me face to face.
Don’t wake up in a foul mood.

Dejémonos de hablar de forma rara,
No sé lo que sientes.
Yo sé que siempre fuiste un delincuente
Y aunque me digas que no soy cualquiera,

Me quema.

Continue reading ““Qué Será De Mí” (What Will Become of Me) by Julia Medina, English translation”

“Supongo” (I Suppose) by Enrique Bunbury, English translation of lyrics

“I Suppose” Lyrics
Album: Expectativas (Expectations), 2017
Style: Slow rock and slow lyrics. Trippy song with dream-like visuals. Good for beginners learning to make out words.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Caminando…
Sobre arenas movedizas,
Tus pies se hunden
.

Walking…
Over shifting sands,
Your feet sink in.

Continue reading ““Supongo” (I Suppose) by Enrique Bunbury, English translation of lyrics”

“Como Los Olivos” (Like the Olive Trees) by Bebe, English translation

“Like the Olive Trees” Lyrics
Album: Pafuera Telarañas (Out with the Cobwebs), 2004
Style: Flamenco hip/hop, song about a passionate romance against the peaceful backdrop of Spain’s pastures.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Como los olivos
Sudan aceite,
Mi cuerpo resbala sobre tu piel.

Duerme hombre tranquilo en el jardín del edén
Que la humedad desprende sabor a miel.

Like the olives
Sweat oil,
My body slips over your skin.
Sleep, man, serenely in the garden of Eden
For the humidity gives off a taste of honey.

Continue reading ““Como Los Olivos” (Like the Olive Trees) by Bebe, English translation”

“No Habrá Nadie En El Mundo” (There Will Be No One in the World) by Concha Buika, English translation and meaning

“There Will Be No One in the World” Lyrics
Album: Niña de Fuego (Girl of Fire), 2008. Nominated for “Album of the Year” in the 2008 Latin Grammy Awards.
Style: Pop, jazz, tropical music. Song about a heartbreak.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Desde que el agua es libre,
Libre entre manantiales vive.
Jazmines han llora’o y yo no comprendo
Cómo en tus ojos, niña, solo hay desierto.

Since the water was free,
Free among running springs, it lives.
Jasmines have cried and and I don’t understand
How in your eyes, girl, there is only a desert.

Continue reading ““No Habrá Nadie En El Mundo” (There Will Be No One in the World) by Concha Buika, English translation and meaning”

“Siboney” by Ernesto Lecuona, covers by Xiomara Alfaro, Concha Buika, various; English translation

“Siboney” or “Canto Siboney” Lyrics
Composer: Ernesto Lecuona, 1927
Style: Jazz, romance, love song to Siboney. Xiomara Alfaro’s version was the composer’s favorite.
Country: Cuba, with several covers from Spain
Listen: Xiomara Alfaro (Cuba, 1957); Plácido Domingo (Spain, opera, 2012); Concha Buika (Spain, jazz, 2013)

Lyrics Translation:

Siboney, yo te quiero,
Yo me muero por tu amor.

Siboney, I love you,
I am dying for your love.

Continue reading ““Siboney” by Ernesto Lecuona, covers by Xiomara Alfaro, Concha Buika, various; English translation”

“La Despedida” by Alejandro Sanz (Bullet Train 2022 Spanish song), English translation

“The Farewell”
Album: Bullet Train, 2022
Style: Melancholy song about dealing with unexpected loss. This is the Spanish song in the action/comedy movie Bullet Train (2022).
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Voy sin saber,
Sin tu amor.
¿Cómo hacer, con tanto dolor?
Una vez más, apaga las luces,
Y canta conmigo
,
Así me olvido de la despedida.

I go without knowing,
Without your love.
What to do, with so much pain?
One more time, turn off the lights,
And sing with me,
That is how I forget the farewell.

Continue reading ““La Despedida” by Alejandro Sanz (Bullet Train 2022 Spanish song), English translation”

“Sueño Con Ella” (I Dream of Her) by Concha Buika, English translation

“I Dream of Her”
Album: In My Skin (In My Skin), 2011; La Noche Más Larga (The Longest Night), 2013
Style: Piano jazz, dreaming and reminiscing about a lost relationship.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Frente a las olas del mar y bajo las estrellas,
Yo… sueño con ella, yo sueño con ella.
(x4)

Before the waves of the sea and below the stars,
I… dream of her, I dream of her.
(x4)

Continue reading ““Sueño Con Ella” (I Dream of Her) by Concha Buika, English translation”

“En La Obscuridad” (In the Darkness) by Belinda, English translation

“In the Darkness”
Album: Catarsis (Catharsis), 2013
Style: Club, techno
Country: Spain (born), Mexico (raised)
Listen: YouTube, Amazon. Tomorrow is the winter solstice, so here is a club song that mentions being in darkness a lot. The song is about addiction to love, superficially, but also about addiction to drugs. People walk on walls in the music video, and the police come in the end. Don’t mess up your biochemistry, people. The song is energetic, though.

Continue reading ““En La Obscuridad” (In the Darkness) by Belinda, English translation”

“No Pidas Perdón” (Don’t Ask Forgiveness) by Mala Rodríguez, English translation

“Don’t Ask Forgiveness”
AlbumDirty Bailarina (Dirty Ballerina), 2010
Style: Hip hop, with a spoken word vibe.
Country: Spain

About:

I was listening to an NPR short about Mala Rodriguez and they mentioned that she calls herself “Mala” (Bad) Rodriguez because her aunt would always scold her and call her a bad kid. That’s so sad, a little cute maybe, and also a great story. Mala Rodriguez has been gaining acclaim these past few years for her distinctive rap/hip hop style and her poetic lyrics. She collaborated with Julieta Venegas on the MTV Unplugged version of Julieta’s “Eres Para Mi.”

Two lines in this song’s transcription are a little iffy, so check back for edits in a few months. The song has been on my list since the NPR short in 2011, so it makes more sense to just post it as is and wait for comments. It’s a great song. Listen to it at YouTube here.

Lyrics Translation:

Sa’ [sabe]
Lo peor ya ha pasa’o [pasado].
Dime, ¿de qué sirve seguir doblega’o [doblegado].

You know
The worst has already passed.
Tell me, what use is it to keep bowing down (in defeat)?

Continue reading ““No Pidas Perdón” (Don’t Ask Forgiveness) by Mala Rodríguez, English translation”

“Como un Fantasma” by Chenoa, English translation

“Like a Ghost” Lyrics, 2011
Style: Pop/rock, techno-inspired, about a love that haunts you. When you break up with someone, it can be hard to forget them. They linger in your mind… like a ghost. For more techno-influenced pop about moving on, see “Mi Mundo Sin Ti” by Soraya.
Countries: Argentina (born), Spain (raised)
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Decido no extrañarte,
Vestirme y levantarme,
Quiero escaparme de tu sombra.

I decide not to miss you,
To dress myself and get up,
I want to escape your shadow.

Continue reading ““Como un Fantasma” by Chenoa, English translation”

“La Niña Que Llora En Tus Fiestas” by La Oreja de Van Gogh, English translation of lyrics

“The Girl Who Cries at Your Parties”, 2011 single
Style: Pop with a beat, energetic, techno influence. This energetic pop song is about a girl so in love (really obsessed) that it hurts her to be away from the object of her affections.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

[Radio:]
Y los cuarenta principales, del cuarenta al uno…
And the top 40, from 40 to 1…

[Song:]
Vuela un columpio vació sobre mi cabeza,
Vuela por el cementerio de mi voluntad.
Sigo buscando la niña que llora en tus fiestas.
Suenan campanas en flor por mi funeral.

The empty swing flies over my head,
It flies over the cemetery of my willpower.
I keep looking for the girl who cries at your parties.
Ringing bell flowers sprout all over my funeral.

Continue reading ““La Niña Que Llora En Tus Fiestas” by La Oreja de Van Gogh, English translation of lyrics”

“Nuestro Amor Sera Leyenda” (Our Love Will Be Legend) by Alejandro Sanz, English translation

“Our Love Will Be Legend”, 2009
Style: Pop, love song, about long-distance relationships
Country: Spain (Madrid)
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

No hay doctor que me retenga,
No hay dolor que me detenga,
No hay planeta que me eclipse,
O de tu lado me desvíe.

There is no doctor who can retain me,
There is no pain that can detain me,
There is no planet that can eclipse me,
Or from your side divert me.

Continue reading ““Nuestro Amor Sera Leyenda” (Our Love Will Be Legend) by Alejandro Sanz, English translation”