Tag: Country-USA

“Tu Orgullo” (Your Pride) by Carla Morrison, English translation

“Your Pride”
Album: Déjenme Llorar (Let Me Cry), 2012
Style: Alternative, mellow, quieter song. Carla Morrison sings about her experience with a selfish lover. Her music is melancholy with a light hand. This song is both a self-reproach for letting herself be in this situation, and a protest over how she is treated. I love her voice.
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)

Lyrics Translation:

¿En qué momento perdí
El control de mis sentimientos
Cuando decidí
Aceptar tus secretos?

At what moment did I lose
Control over my feelings,
When I decided
To accept your secrets?

Continue reading ““Tu Orgullo” (Your Pride) by Carla Morrison, English translation” →

“El Farol” (The Lighthouse) by La Santa Cecilia, English translation

“The Lighthouse” Lyrics
Album: Noche y Citas (Night, and Dates), 2010
Style: Ballad with accordion music in the background. This is a song about someone who fell in love hard and is melancholy about it. It sounds like unrequited love. Pobrecita.
Country: United States (Los Angeles, CA)
Listen: YouTube

Unrelated, I saw the recently released Cesar Chavez movie last weekend. It was good! I worry sometimes that movies about famous civil rights people will be too serious, but this movie had many light and funny moments, too. Go watch it.

Lyrics Translation:

¿Cómo logro provocar
El rocío de una flor?
¿Cómo logro dominar
El amor?

How do I manage to provoke
The dew of a flower?
How do I manage to dominate
Love?

Continue reading ““El Farol” (The Lighthouse) by La Santa Cecilia, English translation” →

“Monedita” (Little Coin) by La Santa Cecilia, English translation

“Little Coin”
Album: Treinta Días (Thirty Days), 2013
Style: Alternative, energetic, cheerful song praising humble lifestyles. This is a song about not needing money to be happy, about valuing humility, and about how living within one’s means is healthier than over-spending to impress others. Good vocals by lead singer La Marisoul and accordion play by Jose “Pepe” Carlos.
Country: USA (Los Angeles, CA)
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Lyrics Translation:

Bonito tu trajecito, ¿cuánto das por la apariencia?
Bonito tu cochecito, ¿no te pesa en la conciencia?

Very nice, your little outfit; how much for that appearance?
Very nice, your little car; doesn’t it weigh on your conscience?

Continue reading ““Monedita” (Little Coin) by La Santa Cecilia, English translation” →

“Esta Soledad” (This Loneliness) by Carla Morrison, English translation

“This Loneliness”, 2009 single
Style: Pop/rock, melancholy, soft and sweet voice reminiscent of Natalia Lafourcade. Song about loneliness. She needs a hug!
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Esta soledad me esta quemando las pestañas,
Llenándome de telarañas
Y me pone a chillar.

This solitude is burning my eyelashes, [*idiom, meaning it keeps her up at night]
Covering me with cobwebs
And it makes me bawl.

Continue reading ““Esta Soledad” (This Loneliness) by Carla Morrison, English translation” →

“Desvelado” (Sleepless) by Bobby Pulido, English translation

“Sleepless”
Album: Puro Tejano Gold (Pure Texan Gold), 2008
Style: Texan ranchera with a very slight cumbia influence. Bobby Pulido is a Mexican-American singer. This song is about unrequited and unknown love. The poor guy falls in love with a voice he heard on the radio. Listen to his sleepless tale below.
Country: USA (Texas)
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Será fe que yo encontré… una voz de ternura
Que me llena de placer, cuando la oigo hablar.
Con ella me enamoré, aunque nunca la conoci.
Sueño en su querer y en sus brazos quiero dormir.

It must be fate that I found… a tender voice
Who fills me with pleasure, when I hear it speak.
I fell in love with her, even though I never met her.
I dream about her love and I want to sleep in her arms.

Continue reading ““Desvelado” (Sleepless) by Bobby Pulido, English translation” →

“Compartir” (Share) by Carla Morrison, English translation

“Share”
Album: Mietras Tú Dormías (While You Slept), 2010
Style: Alternative pop/rock, love ballad, soft voiced but strongly projected, understatedly emotional. Sweet melody about wanting to be close to a lover.
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)
Listen: YouTube. I learned about this song from the NPR Alt.Latino music blog.

Lyrics Translation:

Quiero compartir mi silla contigo.
Quiero ver salir el sol y despedirlo.
Quiero caminar y correr a tu ladito.
Quiero buscar y encontrarme a solas contigo.

I want to share my seat with you.
I want to see the sun rise and (then) say farewell to it.
I want to walk and run by your side.
I want to look for and find time alone with you.

Continue reading ““Compartir” (Share) by Carla Morrison, English translation” →

“Déjenme Llorar” (Everybody Let Me Cry) by Carla Morrison, English translation

“(Everybody) Let Me Cry”
Album: Déjenme Llorar (Everybody Let Me Cry), 2012
Style: Alternative rock, melancholy, soft but strong voice, mourning a breakup. This song won “Best Alternative Song” and its album won “Best Alternative Album” in the 2012 Latin Grammy Awards. The song was also nominated for “Song of the Year.”
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)

Lyrics Translation:

He estado recordando los momentos que te di,
Cuántos tú me diste y por qué ahora estoy aquí,
Sentada en el suelo pensando que te quiero,
Que te quise tanto, y que tu amor me es… ¡necesario!

I have been remembering the moments that I gave you,
How many you gave me, and why I am here now,
Sitting on the floor thinking that I love you,
That I loved you so much, and that your love is for me… necessary!

Continue reading ““Déjenme Llorar” (Everybody Let Me Cry) by Carla Morrison, English translation” →

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

“The Call”
Style: 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
Listen: YouTube

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]

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

“Con Toda Palabra” (With Every Word) by Lhasa de Sela, English translation of lyrics

“With Every Word” Lyrics
Style: Controlled slow pace, sultry, with string instruments, poetic lust song.
Country: United States (New York); Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Con toda palabra,
Con toda sonrisa,
Con toda mirada,
Con toda caricia.

With every word,
With every smile,
With every glance,
With every caress.

Continue reading ““Con Toda Palabra” (With Every Word) by Lhasa de Sela, English translation of lyrics” →

“Hermanita” by Aventura, English translation (anti-domestic violence song)

“Dear Sister” Lyrics
Album: Love & Hate, 2003
Style: Bachata, sorrowful. It’s a sad song about a man seeing his sister suffer domestic violence. He sings about his observations, how he fears for her, and how he wishes she left the monster.
Country: USA (New York); Dominican Republic
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Cómo pasan los años. Ayer eramos niños.
Mami y papi luchaban por nuestro porvenir.
Tú cuidabas de mí; hoy yo velo por ti.
Hermanita, te adoro. Sé que no eres feliz.

How the years pass. Yesterday we were children.
Mom and Dad struggled for our future.
You took care of me; today I stay awake for you.
Sister, I adore you. I know you are not happy.

Continue reading ““Hermanita” by Aventura, English translation (anti-domestic violence song)” →

“Amor Prohibido” by Selena Quintanilla, English translation of lyrics

“Forbidden Love”
Album: Amor Prohibido, 1994
Style: Pop love song. This is a very Romeo and Juliette style of love song, about love between people of different social classes and the disapproval from others.
Country: USA (Texas)
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Con unas ansias locas quiero verte hoy.
Espero ese momento en que escuche tu voz.

With a crazy yearning I want to see you today.
I await that moment when I can hear your voice.

Continue reading ““Amor Prohibido” by Selena Quintanilla, English translation of lyrics” →

“Quiero Para Ti” by Los Panchos, English translation

“I Want For You” Lyrics
Style: Romantic bolero
Countries: USA (New York), Mexico, Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Quiero para ti,
De una tarde de abril,
Su magico esplendor.

I want for you,
From an April afternoon,
Its magical splendor.

Continue reading ““Quiero Para Ti” by Los Panchos, English translation” →