“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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“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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“Alma, Corazón y Vida” (Soul, Heart and Life) by Albán, various singers, English translation of lyrics

“Soul, Heart and Life”
Style: Waltz, bolero, various adaptions. Translation of a classic song about a person very much in love. They sing about the three things they offer their lover: their soul to woe them, their heart to love them, and their life to spend with them. It is a sweet love song.
Countries: Many
Listen: Various versions. Trío Los Panchos (USA/Mexico), Dyango (Spain; live, slow performance), Los Embajadores Criollos (Peru), Soledad Pastorutti (Argentina, live, deep voice), Tania Libertad (Peru), and more on YouTube.

Translation:

Recuerdo aquella vez
Que yo te conocí
Recuerdo aquella tarde
Pero no recuerdo ni como te vi.

I remember that time
When I first met you
I remember that afternoon
But I don’t even remember how I saw you.

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