Tag: Mexico

“Se Me Olvido Otra Vez” (I Forgot Again) by Juan Gabriel, Maná, English translation

“I Forgot Again”
Composer: Juan Gabriel (1974)
Albums: Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán (1990); Maná MTV Unplugged (1999)
Genre: Mariachi, ranchera; bolero; rock; lost love song; always guitar. A classic Mexican ranchera song full of emotion, soulfully mourning still being in love with someone who doesn’t love them back. Good pick for a karaoke song.
Country: Mexico

About:

YouTube has renditions by: Maná (MTV live album, rock), Juan Gabriel (recorded mariachi style), Alejandro Fernández (live traditional mariachi), Lucero (woman mariachi live), Pedro Vargas (recorded ranchera), Chavela Vargas (slow and hoarse ranchera, woman), Julio Jaramillo (bolero version), and more.

Wikipedia originally said that Juan Gabriel wrote and released it in 1990, but that time can’t be right because Julio Jaramillo sung it also and Julio died in 1978. Anyway, Juan Gabriel re-released it in 1999 around the same time that Maná released their version. It won Maná a Latin Grammy in 2000.

Update: English Wikipedia now says 1975, but Spanish Wikipedia says Juan Gabriel released this song in 1974 in his collaboration with the famous and transgenerational Mariachi Vargas.

Lyrics Translation:

Probablemente ya
De mí te has olvidado
Y sin embargo yo
Te seguiré esperando.

Probably, by now
You’ve forgotten about me
And nevertheless, I
Will continue to wait for you.

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“Un Lugar Para Renacer” (A Place To Be Reborn) by Natalia Lafourcade, English translation

“A Place To Be Reborn” Lyrics
Album: Hu, Hu, Hu, 2009
Genre: Pop, light and floaty, gentle fairy-ish, some piano
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Lyrics Translation:

Qué protección sentí ayer,
Aunque afuera vi la lluvia.
Me dieron ganas de llorar
Con la canción que me enseñabas.

What security I felt yesterday,
Even though saw the rain outside.
I felt like crying [*lit. I got the urge to cry]
With the song that you were teaching me.

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“Che Araña” (Friend Spider) by Cri-Cri, Eugenia León, English translation of lyrics

“Friend Spider” (1942)
Songwritter: Francisco “Cri-Cri” Gabilondo Soler
Genre: Children’s song about a musical spider who rallies other household bugs and animals for a dance party. Cri-Cri is unique for his elaborate children’s stories with advanced Spanish vocabulary. He does not speak down to children. The songs are fun without being overly repetitive.
Country: Mexico
Listen: Cri-Cri (children’s song); Eugenia León (ballad style)

Lyrics Translation:

Al fondo del barril desvencijado
Que alumbra un rayo de sol,
La araña en sus hilos baila tango
Con los acordes del bandoneón.

At the bottom of the crumbling barrel
That a ray of sunlight illuminates,
The spider on its strings dances tango
With the chords of the bandonion.

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“Con Toda Palabra” (With Every Word) by Lhasa de Sela, English translation

“With Every Word” Lyrics
Genre: Controlled slow pace, sultry, with string instruments, poetic lust song.
Country: United States (New York); Mexico

Lyrics 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.

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

“Treacherous Butterfly” Translated Lyrics
Album: Revolución de Amor (Revolution of Love), 2002
Genre: 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

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

“Something About You” Lyrics Translation
Genre: 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

Lyrics 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.

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“Hu, Hu, Hu” by Natalia Lafourcade ft. Julieta Venegas, English translation

“Hu, Hu, Hu”
Album: Hu, Hu, Hu (2009)
Genre: Light, airy, pop/rock. The singers control the song metric really well. They almost put me in a trance. I call the style “airy,” but that is more about the mood. The singing voices are quite strong.
Country: Mexico

Lyrics Translation:

Intro:
————————————————————–
Quiero regalarte las estrellas, [*regalar = lit. gift (verb)]
Sol, la luna entera,
Una hora extra para respirar.

I want to give you the stars,
The sun, the full moon,
An extra hour to breathe.

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“No Me Amenaces” by José Alfredo Jiménez, English translation of lyrics

“Do Not Threaten Me” Lyrics
Style: Ranchera, old heartbreak song. Poor José Alfredo is so heartbroken and the breakup is not even official yet.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube, Amazon

Translation:

No me amenaces. No me amenaces.
Cuando estes decidida a buscar otra vida,
Pos agarra tu rumbo y vete.

Do not threaten me. Do not threaten me.
When you have decided to seek another life,
Well, take your path and go.

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“Acción y Reacción” (Action and Reaction) by Thalía, English translation of lyrics

“Action and Reaction” Lyrics Translation
Album: Greatest Hits, 2004
Style: Electric pop, love song. This is a song about two people from different ethnicities and backgrounds in love. It does not matter that they are different; they are in love!
Country: Mexico
Listen: live version; pre-recorded album version;

Translation:

Que tú prefieras los Beatles
Y yo Juan Gabriel,
No importa que sea otro el ritmo
Pero aquí es cuestion de piel.

That you prefer The Beatles [*old, famous British band]
And me, Juan Gabriel, [*old, famous Mexican ranchera singer]
No matter the different rhythm [*lit. No matter that the rhythm be another]
(But here) it’s a matter of skin.

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“Loca” (Crazy) by Aleks Syntek, English translation of lyrics

“Crazy” (2009 single)
Style: Pop, quick pace, danceable. Weird song about a guy waking up in the wrong bed in the wrong house, totally confused and agitated. It’s a catchy song.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Intro:
——————————
Soy un caso singular
Que debiera analizar.
No sé que me dieron,
Ni lo que me hicieron,
Pero ya no soy normal.

I am an exceptional case
That you should analyze. [*formal “you”]
I do not know what they gave me,
Nor what they did to me,
But I am no longer normal.

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“Mira La Vida” (Look at Life) by Julieta Venegas, English translation

“Look at Life” Lyrics
Album: MTV Unplugged Julieta Venegas, 2008
Style: Optimistic upbeat song, a bit hypnotic, about life saying yes to you and you saying yes to life, about looking forward to the future, about celebrating a birth.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Chorus:
————————————–
Mira la vida abriéndose camino.
Mira la vida diciendo que sí.

Look at life opening a way for itself.
Look at life saying yes.
————————————–
(x2)

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“Mujer Latina” (Latin Woman) by Thalía, English translation

“Latin Woman” Lyrics Translation
Album: Amor a la Mexicana (Love to the Mexican Woman), 1997
Style: Salsa, pop, quick beat, energetic, joyful. This happy song comes from one of Thalía’s most popular albums. It’s good for dancing.
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube

Translation:

Chorus 1:
———————————————
Vengo, vengo, vengo de caña.
Vengo, vengo, vengo del son.
Tengo, tengo, tengo en el alma
Ritmo, ritmo, ritmo y sabor.

I come from, come from, come from sugar cane.
I come from, come from, come from son.
I have, have, have in my soul
Rhythm, rhythm, rhythm and flavor.
———————————————

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