Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“Bread and Honey” Lyrics Translated
Album: Pan y Miel (Bread and Honey), 2023
Style: Duet ranchera recounting the first conversation between two friends, discussing the same woman and trying to figure out each other’s intentions. It is a cute song.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Me gusta recordar la historia de como nos conocimos.
Yo bien preguntón y aqui mi compa’ tan enojón.
I like to recount the story of how we met.
I very full of questions and here my guy so irritable.
“She Was Different”
Album: Realidades (Deluxe), Realities (Deluxe), 2014
Style: Corrido norteño, regional Mexican. LGBTQ acceptance song about realizing a neighborhood girl is not interested in any of the boys, but rather her best friend (another girl).
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Eras más linda,
Más bella que luna de octubre.
Su voz era tan dulce, trino de gorrión.
She was more lovely,
More beautiful than the October moon.
Her voice was so sweet, trill of a sparrow.
Era la chica más tierna de aquel viejo barrio.
Los hombres se peleaban su fiel corazón.
Ellos hacían su apuestas para conquistarla,
Pero ningún muchacho se ganó su amor.
She was the most tender girl of that old neighborhood.
The men fought each other for her loyal heart.
They made their bets to win her over,
But no guy ever won her heart.
“Ingrate”
Albums: Re, 1994; Amar y Vivir (To Love and To Live), 2017
Style: Original version is a mix of a Mexican corrido norteño and grunge rock. The cover song starts as a ballad and becomes a tango. Song to an “ungrateful” ex-lover who keeps coming back and causing pain. Warning: violent end.
Countries: Mexico City (Café Tacvba); USA, Mexico, Chile (La Santa Cecilia and Mon Laferte)
Listen: Café Tacvba (original); Duet by La Santa Cecilia and Mon Laferte (cover)
Ingrata,
No me digas que me quieres,
No me digas que me adoras,
Que me amas,
Que me extrañas,
Que ya no te creo nada.
Ingrate,
Don’t tell me that you care for me,
Don’t tell me that you adore me,
That you love me,
That you miss me,
For I no longer believe anything you say.
“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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