Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“Love”
Album: Rocanlover (Rockin’ Lover), 2003
Style: Alternative/psychedelic space-travel love song that sounds like it was inspired by The Beatles.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
En tu planeta me quedé,
Fue por un tiempo
Y nunca fue mi plan.
I stayed in your planet,
It was for a time
And it was never my plan.
“It May Be”
Album: A Contracorriente (Against the Current), 2002
Style: Mellow pop rock, romantic duet, emphasis on vocals, few instruments. El Canto del Loco is a former Spanish pop rock band that I do not know very well yet. Amaia Montero is the former lead singer for the band La Oreja de Van Gogh (singing for them 1996-2007). I have translated several of LOVG’s songs. Amaia left LOVG to launch a solo career.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube
No sé si quedan amigos,
Ni si existe el amor,
Si puedo contar contigo
Para hablar de dolor.
I don’t know if friends remain,
Nor if love exists,
(Nor) if I can count on you
To talk about pain.
“Enchantress”
Album: Sueños Liquidos (Liquid Dreams), 1997
Style: Psychedelic rock about a beautiful enchantress who seduces but is out of reach.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Hay una mujer hermosa,
La más primorosa,
De ojitos negros,
De piel gitana.
There is a gorgeous woman,
The most exquisite,
Of (darling) black eyes,
Of gypsy skin.
“Anthology”
Album: Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos (Bare Feet, White Dreams), 1995
Style: Ballad about the impact of a first love on someone’s life. Shakira sings “Antología” (Anthology) to reflect on the positive impact of a past relationship and everything she learned from it.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube
Para amarte
Necesito una razón
Y es difícil creer
Que no exista una más
Que este amor.
To love you
I need a reason
And it is difficult to believe
That there wouldn’t exist one more
Than this love.
“You Are For Me” Lyrics
Albums: Limón y Sal (Lemon and Salt), 2006; Julieta Venegas MTV Unplugged, 2008
Style: Hypnotic, alternative rock/pop. Julieta Venegas collaborated on this song with Ana Tijoux in 2006, and with Mala Rodriguez in 2008.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube (official video). When I originally posted this song, Julieta did not have a VEVO account and there was not an official source for the original music video. These fangirls made a mimic video at YouTube here. It’s a very good mimic of the original!
Chorus:
————————————————-
Eres para mí, me lo ha dicho el viento.
Eres para mí, lo oigo todo el tiempo.
Eres para mí, me lo ha dicho el viento,
Eres para mí.
You are for me, the wind has told me this.
You are for me, I hear it all the time.
You are for me, the wind has told me this,
You are for me.
————————————————-
“A Bit [of Your Heart]” Lyrics
Album: ¿Dónde Jugarán los Niños? (Where Will the Children Play?), 1992; Maná MTV Unplugged, 1999; Luna (Moon), 2003
Style: Acoustic rock, simple one-sided romance song asking for a little love.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube (recorded, live)
Tan solo un adicto,
Un adicto de tu sol
Y es que con solo un cachito,
Un pedacito de tu luz,
Yo llegaría al cielo
O me caería al suelo
Por ti, amor.
Just an addict,
An addict of your sun
And it’s just that with only a bit,
A piece of your light,
I would reach the heavens
Or I would fall to the ground
For you, my love.
“Ay Daddy” Lyrics
Singer: Alicia Villarreal
Style: Regional Mexican, joyful dance song, about being happy being in love and being happy dancing. This song was nominated for Best Regional Mexican Song in the 2003 Latin Grammy Awards.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
[Hablado:]
(Risa)
Parece que me están esperando.
¿Es cierto? ¿Ya estamos listos?
¿Hey? ¿Que cosa? Ya está corriendo,
Subele, subele dame más volmen,
Que se sienta el ritmo.
[Speaking:]
(Laughter)
It looks like they’re waiting for me.
Is it true? Are we ready?
Huh? What was that? It’s started (running) now,
Raise the volume, raise it, give it more,
So you can feel the rhythm.
“May God Not Want It” Lyrics
Style: Romantic song lamenting a lover who is pulling away.
Country: Mexico
Composed by: Enrique Sánchez Alonso (Mexico)
Listen, sung by: Tania Libertad, Ana Gabriel, Javier Solis, Los Tres Ases, and many more.
Dios no lo quiera
Pero presiento que has dejado de quererme.
En estos días se te nota diferente,
Se han vuelto frías tus caricias de repente.
May God not let it be
But I feel that you no longer love me.
In these days, your presence is different,
Your caresses have turned cold suddenly.
“Moon”
Album: Un Día Normal (A Normal Day), 2002
Style: Pop/rock, sweet, singing to the moon about love
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube
Luna de todas la noches,
Iluminame esta noche.
Dime si ella es la reina
Y la dueña de todo mi amor.
Moon of all nights,
Illuminate this night for me.
Tell me if she is the queen
And the owner of all my love.
“Flaca o Gordita” (Skinny or Fat) by Olga Tañon
Album: Soy Como Tú (I am like you), 2006
Style: Romantic merengue love song
Country: Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Qué bonito!
Ya llevamos tanto tiempo
Pareciera que fue ayer
Cuando te bese por primera vez
Me prometiste que por mi morirías.
How nice!
We’ve been together for so long
It would seem as if it were yesterday
When I kissed you for the first time
You promised me that you’d give your life for me (die for me).
“You and Me”
Album: Thalía, 2002
Style: Pop, techno, love song.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Sigue esa voz que escuchas,
Que viene desde adentro.
No es normal sentir
Todo lo que yo siento.
Follow that voice that you hear,
That comes from deep inside you.
It is not normal to feel
Everything that I feel.
“Roses” Lyrics
Group: La Oreja de Van Gogh (Van Gogh’s Ear)
Style: Pop, sweet melancholy, romantic song
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube
En un día de estos en que suelo pensar
“Hoy va a ser el día menos pensado.”*
Nos hemos cruzado, has decidido mirar,
A los ojitos azules que ahora van a tu lado.
In one of those days when I happened to think
“Today is going to be an unremarkable day.”
We’ve crossed (paths), you’ve decided to look,
Into the little blue eyes that are by your side now.
Songlations 
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