“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 →

“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 →

“Desde Que Despierto” (Since I Wake Up) by Juanes, English translation

“From the Moment I Wake Up” or “Since I Wake Up”
Album: Un Día Normal (A Normal Day), 2002
Style: Pop, love song
Country: Colombia

Lyrics Translation:

Mira que mis ojos ven mejor si tú eres la luz
Y mi espera no es eterna si tú eres el final.

Look how my eyes see better if you are the light
And my wait is not eternal if you are the end.

Continue reading →

“Tres” (Three) by Juanes, English translation

“Three”
Album: La Vida Es… Un Ratico (Life Is… A Brief Moment), 2007
Style: Pop, love song about waiting for someone.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube

Lyrics Translation:

Yo no pienso que me pueda de ti olvidar.
Yo no pienso que mi corazón resista un día más.
Yo no soy lo que tú quieras que sea este amor.
Sólo soy la puerta abierta que te da mi corazón.

I do not think that I can forget about you.
I do not think that my heart will stand another day.
I am not what you want this love to be.
I am only the open door that gives my heart to you.

Continue reading →

“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 →

“Jueves” (Thursday) by La Oreja de Van Gogh, English translation and meaning

“Thursday” Lyrics
Album: A Las Cinco En El Astoria (Five o’ Clock at the Astoria), 2008
Style: Bittersweet romance song tied to a historical event. Two train riders with mutual crushes finally confess their interest in each other. This song is dedicated to the victims of the 2004 Madrid train bombing. Per the band, news of tragedies often focuses on the statistics, but they wanted to humanize the individual lives lost.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Si fuera más guapa y un poco más lista,
Si fuera especial, si fuera de revista,
Tendría el valor de cruzar el vagón
Y preguntarte quién eres.

If I were more beautiful and a bit smarter,
If I were special, if I were from magazines,
I would have the courage to cross the passenger car
And ask you who you are.

Continue reading →

“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 →

“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.

Continue reading →

“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

Continue reading →

“Algo De Ti” (Something About You) by Paulina Rubio, English translation

“Something About You” Lyrics Translation
Style: Electric pop, catchy. This song’s background sounds like the Kill Bill soundtrack, maybe with hints of Mamma Mia. Anyway, it got stuck in my head.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Cierro los ojos sin mirar atrás.
Las cosas buenas pasan más y más
Y tus errores tienen la virtud
De hacerme mal.

I close my eyes without looking back.
Good things happen more and more
And your mistakes have the power
To do me harm.

Continue reading →

“Rondando Tu Esquina” by Enrique Cadícamo (sung by Julio Jaramillo), English translation of lyrics

“Scouting Your Corner”
Style: 1945 Tango
Countries: Argentina (Enrique), Ecuador (Julio)
Listen: Renditions by Julio Jaramillo at YouTube (my favorite) and Enrique Cadícamo at a tango site (original composer).

Translation:

Esta noche tengo ganas de buscarla,
De borrar lo que ha pasado y perdonarla.

This night I feel the urge to search for her,
To erase what happened and forgive her.

Ya no me importa el qué dirán
Ni de las cosas que hablarán…
¡Total la gente siempre habla!

It does not matter to me anymore what they will say
Nor the things they will talk about…
People always talk anyway!

Continue reading →

“Amor Libre” (Free Love) by Nach feat. Suga Wuga, English translation and notes

“Free Love” Lyrics Translation
Album: Poesía Difusa (Wordy Poetry), 2003
Style: Slow rap love song, similar to spoken word. This is an open love poem that declares how much their love means to them, and how it makes them feel free.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Sigo siendo libre.
Nada es complicado a tu lado.
Tú me haces libre.

I keep being free.
Nothing is complicated by your side.
You make me free.

Continue reading →

Lyrics Translation:

Share this:

Lyrics Translation:

Share this:

Lyrics Translation:

Share this:

Lyrics Translation:

Share this:

Lyrics Translation:

Share this:

Translation:

Share this:

Translation:

Share this:

Translation:

Share this:

Translation:

Share this:

Translation:

Share this:

Translation:

Share this:

Translation:

Share this: