“Barbie de Extrarradio” (Barbie of the Suburbs) by Melendi, English translation

“Barbie of the Suburbs”, 2010
Style: Rock, bitter ex song
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

En la guerra, como en el amor,
Todo vale y siempre queda un perdedor.
Normalmente, pierde el que quiere más,
Al igual que en una mesa de black jack.

In war, like in love,
All’s fair and there is always a loser.
Usually, the loser is the one who loves the most,
Just like in a black jack table.

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“Octavo Día” (Eighth Day) by Shakira, English translation of lyrics

“Eighth Day”
Album¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (Where Are The Thieves?), 1998
Style: Emo rock, brunette Shakira. This song wonders what God did after creation, and what he’s doing now. Eleven years later, Lily Allen released a similarly speculative song called “Him”. Both songs have rather pessimistic world views.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

El octavo día, Dios,
Después de tanto trabajar,
Para liberar tensiones
Luego ya de revisar,

The eighth day, God,
After so much working,
To relieve stress [*lit. To free tensions]
After looking over His work,

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“Mariposa Traicionera” (Treacherous Butterfly) by Maná, English translation lyrics

“Treacherous Butterfly” Translated Lyrics
Album: Revolución de Amor (Revolution of Love), 2002
Style: Rock, butterfly as metaphor for a woman who isn’t serious, fluttering from guy to guy and leaving behind heartbreak. One of my most popular translations.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Eres como una mariposa,
Vuelas y te posas, vas de boca en boca,
Facil y ligera, de quien te provoca.

You are like a butterfly,
You fly and you land, jumping from mouth to mouth —
Easy and light — of anyone who excites you.

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“Fotografía” (Photograph) by Juanes ft. Nelly Furtado, English translation of lyrics

“Photograph”
Album: Un Día Normal (A Normal Day), 2002
Style: Soft rock, nostalgic, about long-distance love whether romantic or platonic. The love is there but they have a hard time getting in touch, so they look at photographs instead.
Country: Colombia (Juanes), Canada (Nelly Furtado)
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Cada vez que yo me voy,
Llevo a un lado de mi piel
Tus fotografías para verlas cada vez
Que tú ausencia me devora entero el corazón
Y yo no tengo remedio más que amarte.

Every time that I leave,
I carry by my skin [*lit. I carry to the side of my skin]
Your photographs, to see them every time
That your absence eats my heart whole
And I have no other choice but to love you.

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“No Creo” (I Don’t Believe) by Shakira, English translation lyrics

“I Don’t Believe” Translated Lyrics
Album: ¿Dondé Están Los Ladrones? (Where Are The Thieves?), 1998
Style: Rock, brunette Shakira, love song about believing in a person over anyone or anything else. Their love is the most true and real thing for them.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Chorus 1:
————————————————————1
Sólo tú sabes bien quien soy
Y por eso es tuyo mi corazón.
Sólo tú doblas mi razón
Y por eso a donde tú quieras voy.

Only you know (well) who I am
And that’s why you have my heart.
Only you can break my reason
And that’s why where you want me to go, I go.
————————————————————/1

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“Estoy Aquí” (I Am Here) by Shakira, English translation of lyrics

“I Am Here” Song Translation
Album: Piez Descalzos (Bare Feet), 1995
Style: Rock, brunette Shakira, nostalgia about a past love with touches of obsession and sadness
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube, Amazon; Carla Morrison cover

Translation:

Ya sé que no vendrás.
Todo lo que fue,
El tiempo lo dejo atras.

I already know you won’t come.
Everything that was,
Time has left behind.

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“Sombra De Ti” (Shadow of You) by Shakira, English translation

“Shadow of You” Lyrics
Album¿Dondé Están Los Ladrones? (Where Are The Thieves?), 1998
Style: Late 90’s rock, melancholy song about post-breakup sadness. Very mellow, sort of haunting.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Voy a dejar
Que mi guitarra diga todo lo que yo
No sé decir por mí.

I am going to let
My guitar say everything that I
Cannot say for myself.

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“Revolución” by Amaral, English translation of lyrics

“Revolution”
Album: Pájaros en la cabeza (Birds in my head), 2005
Style: Rock. A song about wanting freedom and to be heard.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Somos demasiados y no podrán pasar
Por encima de los años que tuvimos que callar,
Por los libros prohibidos y las entradas secretas.

We are many and they will not be able to pass
Over the years that we had to keep quiet,
Because of the forbidden books and the secret entrances.

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“Ana” by Maná, English translation of lyrics

“Ana” Lyrics Translation
Album: Maná: MTV Unplugged, 1999
Style: Accoustic rock. Story of teen tragedy. Ana is a teen with an unplanned pregnancy, she knows her parents won’t support her, and she’s feeling real desperate.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Ana tiene quince.
Niña se le vino un problemón.
Algo está creciendo,
En su vientre hay algo en expansión.

Ana is fifteen.
Girl finds herself with a huge problem.
Something is growing,
In her womb something expanding.

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“Que Me Quedes Tú” by Shakira, English translation of lyrics

“As Long As I Have You”
Album: Laundry Service, 2001
Style: Pop/rock, love song bargain in an apocalypse scenario. She is willing to let a lot fall to ruin “as long as I have you.”
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Translation:

Que se arruinen los canales de noticias,
Con lo mucho que odio la televisión.
Que se vuelvan anticuadas las sonrisas,
Y se extingan todas las puestas de sol.

Let the news station channels fall to ruins,
I hate television anyway.
Let smiles become ancient relics,
And let all the rays of sunlight be extinguished.

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“Tarde De Domingo Rara” by Amaral, English translation of lyrics

“Rare Sunday Afternoon” Lyrics
Album: La Barrera Del Sonido (The Sound Barrier), 2009
Style: Pop/rock, energetic, sounds cheerful, song about spending a weekend with a crush.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Translation:

Domingo por la tarde
Me vienes a buscar
Y vamos a perder el tiempo un rato.

Sunday (by the) afternoon
You come to look for me
And we go to waste some time.

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“El Mar” by Caramelos de Cianuro, English translation of lyrics

“The Sea” Lyrics
Album: Frisbee, 2002
Style: Rock
Country: Venezuela
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Translation:

Yo no soy el Mar
Que es el agua y que es la sal.
Soy tan sólo una ola que
Vino, se rompió y después se fue.

I am not the Sea
That is the water and that is the salt.
I am nothing more than a wave that
Came, broke and then left.

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