Spanish songs translated to English with side-by-side lyrics and notes for Spanish learners
“Cecilia” Lyrics
Album: Vida Cotidiana (Daily Life), 2023
Style: Tropical pop. Peace and love song, singing to Cecilia that they shouldn’t fight and that they should dance instead.
Country: Colombia, Dominican Republic
Listen: YouTube
Cuando hablamos y peleamos,
No vamos a ningún lado.
Nos lastimamos
Y más y más
Y más y más nos apartamos.
When we talk and fight,
We don’t go anywhere.
We hurt each other
And more and more
And more and more we distance ourselves.
“The Cold Drop” Lyrics Translation
Composer: Emiliano Zuleta Baquero
Style: Vallenato, a genre from the Caribe (Caribbean) region of Colombia. The lyrics are about a 1938 feud between composers Emiliano Zuleta Baquero and Lorenzo Morales. The song has become a popular Colombian song.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube has various singers (Carlos Vives, Julio Iglesias, Aymée Nuviola)
Acordate [acuerdate] Moralito de aquel día
Que estuviste en Urumita
Y no quisiste hacer parranda.
Remember, Moralito, of that day
When you were in Urumita
And you didn’t want to go partying.
“Cold Sheets” Lyrics
Album: Revolución de Amor (Revolution of Love), 2002
Style: Salsa, rock song about wanting a lover to come back, and about the bed being cold without them.
Countries: Mexico, Panama
Listen: YouTube
Cómo me duele este frío
Aquí en mi cama.
Cómo yo extraño tus besos
En madrugada.
How it hurts me, this cold
Here in my bed.
How I miss your kisses
At the break of dawn.
“It Was Worth It”
Album: Valió La Pena (It Was Worth It), 1995
Style: Salsa, celebrating love, a romantic loved one, and everything it took to get to this point. The album won a 2005 Latin Grammy for “Best Salsa Album”.
Country: USA (New York); Puerto Rico
Listen: YouTube
Mirándote a los ojos se responden mis por qués.
Me inspiro en tus palabras y mi casa está en tu piel.
Qué tierno amor, mi devoción, viniste a ser mi religión,
Mi dulce sentimiento,
De nada me arrepiento.
Looking into your eyes my why’s are answered.
I become inspired in your words and my home is on your skin.
What tender love, my devotion, you came to be my religion,
My sweet emotion,
I regret nothing.
“The Key to My Heart”
Album: La Llave De Mi Corazon (The Key to My Heart), 2007
Style: Bilingual version of an upbeat, romantic merengue/pop hit.
About: The album won six Latin Grammy Awards in 2007, including “Album of the Year,” and this song won “Song of the Year.” The album also won “Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album”. Some of the English is in italics because it’s part of the original song and not a translation. I tried not to repeat English parts too much.
Country: Dominican Republic
Listen: YouTube
Buenas noches damas y caballeros*
Demos la bienvenida a
Juan Luis Guerra Y Cuatro Cuarenta
Good evening ladies and gentlemen
Let’s give a (warm) welcome to
Juan Luis Guerra And Cuatro Cuarenta*
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yo escuchaba el otro día
Una emisora radial
Un siquiatra, Doctor Luis
Daba consejo matrimonial
I was listening the other day (to)
A radio transmission*
A psychiatrist, Doctor Luis
Was giving marriage advice
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