Spanish to English song translations with side-by-side lyrics
“Inward” Lyrics
Album: El Renacimiento (The Rebirth), 2022
Style: R&B. Carla sings about confronting her depression and being honest with herself, and her journey to find her way out of darkness. I wish her the best!
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)
Listen: YouTube
Desperté un día sin sentir
Ganas de querer seguir.
Algo ya me hundía en mi cama.
I woke up one day without feeling
Desire to want to continue.
Something had already sunk me into bed.
“Like How One Loses a Star” Lyrics
Album: Que Seas Muy Feliz (May You Be Very Happy), 1995
Style: Wailing prayer and mourning after the loss of a lover (likely by break up), with orchestral mariachi.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Te quiero,
Lo digo como un lamento,
Como un quejido que el viento
Se lleva por donde quiera.
I love you,
I say it like a lament,
Like a howl that the wind
Takes away wherever it goes.
“I Gift to You” Lyrics
Album: Amor Supremo Desnudo (Supreme Naked Love), 2017
Style: Romantic indie pop with a slow melancholy tone. Love song about dedicating your life to someone. This would be good first dance song for a wedding reception.
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)
Listen: YouTube
Déjame tomarte de la mano,
Déjame mirarte a los ojos,
Déjame, a través de mi mirada,
Darte todo mi esplendor.
Let me take you by the hand,
Let me look you in the eyes,
Let me, through my gaze,
Give you all my splendor.
“Down To My Skin” Lyrics
Album: Dejénme Llorar (Let Me Cry), 2012
Style: Alternative rock, romantic and melancholy, emo
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)
Listen: YouTube
No te quiero perder,
Que la distancia se devore nuestra miel,
Y perdamos la fe.
I don’t want to lose you,
For the distance to devour our honey,
And for us to lose faith.
No te quiero tener,
Y cuando menos piense,
Perderte otra vez,
Me duele hasta la piel.
I don’t want to have you,
And when I least expect it,
Lose you again,
It hurts me to down my skin.
“I Enjoy” Lyrics
Album: Dejénme Llorar (Let Me Cry), 2012
Style: Alternative rock, folk pop, emo melancholy love song
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)
Listen: YouTube
Me complace amarte.
Disfruto acariciarte
Y ponerte a dormir.
Es escalofriante,
Tenerte de frente,
Hacerte sonreír.
I pleases me to love you.
I enjoy caressing you
And putting you to sleep.
It is goosebump-inducing,
Having you in front of me,
Making you smile.
“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)
Listen: YouTube
¿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?
“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
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.
“Share” Lyrics
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.
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.
“(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)
Listen: YouTube
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!
“God Knows” Lyrics Translation
Style: Bolero song about a person doubting their partner, suspecting infidelity but not having proof, and being worried that the suspicion itself could end the relationship if they are wrong.
Country: Mexico
Listen: Álvaro Carrillo; Eydie Gormé and Los Panchos; Vicente Fernández; Tania Libertad
Sabrá Dios, si tú me quieres o me engañas.
Como no adivino seguiré pensando
Que me quieres solamente a mí.
God knows, if you love me or you deceive me.
Since I can’t guess I will continue thinking
That you love only me.
“Much Too Late”
Style: Emo alternative rock with folk music elements about unfulfilled potential and wanting to change
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube
Rondaba los veinte años
Y sin darse cuenta ya era toda una mujer
Había empeñado su vida, aunque no lo sabia,
En hacerle feliz a él.
Pero nadie la escuchó,
Cuando en silencio gritó…
She was roaming those twenty years
And without realizing it she was fully a woman
She had pawned her life, though she didn’t know it,
To make him happy.
But nobody heard her,
When in silence she yelled…
Songlations 