Spanish song lyrics translated to English: side-by-side lyrics, song meanings, and translation notes for people learning Spanish.
“Inevitable”
Album: ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (Where Are The Thieves?), 1998
Style: Rock, confessions love song.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube
Si es cuestión de confesar,
No sé preparar café
Y no entiendo de fútbol.
If it’s a matter of confessing,
I don’t know how to prepare coffee
And I don’t understand soccer.
“Pay Attention”, alt. “Look Closely”
Album: Fíjate Bien, 2000
Style: Pop/rock, anti-war song raising awareness to the conflict in Colombia. It won Best Rock Song at the 2001 Latin Grammy Awards.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube
Te han quitado lo que tienes,
Te han robado el pan del día,
Te han sacado de tus tierras
Y no parece que termina aquí.
They have taken away what you have,
They have stolen your daily bread,
They have taken you out of your lands
And it doesn’t look like it stops here.
“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.
“Today is Goodbye” Lyrics
Album: Shaman, 2002
Style: Blues rock, Chicano rock, sad song about losing people across the USA-Mexico border. It is from the perspective of a person left behind, singing about their loved one who left with the intent of crossing the border, then time passing and not knowing what happed to them, but continuing to wait.
Country: Mexico, Argentina
Listen: YouTube
Él se fue con el invierno.
Él se ha ido a trabajar.
No me ha escrito en mucho tiempo;
Él dijo que volverá.
He left with the winter.
He has gone to work.
Hasn’t written to me in a long time;
He said he would return.
“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.
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“That You Return”
Album: ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (Where Are The Thieves?), 1998
Style: Ballad/rock about wanting someone to return.
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube
¿Y qué voy a hacer con mi despiste selectivo,
Y con mi sueño frustrado de aprender a cocinar?
¿Y qué voy a hacer con los domingos y feriados?
Ningún plan es apropiado
Cuando intento no pensar.
And what am I going to do with my selective tangents
And my frustrated dream of learning how to cook?
And what am I going to do with Sundays and holidays?
No plan is appropriate
When I try to stop thinking.
“Combatant” Lyrics
Album: Amar es Combatir (To Love is To Battle), 2006
Style: Latin rock
Country: Mexico
Listen: YouTube
Desde crió, me conducían el soñar.
Toda era imposición.
Desde niño, controlaban lo que iba a pensar.
Mataban la ilusión.
“Cuídate” (Take Care) by La Oreja de Van Gogh (LODVG)
Album: El Viaje de Copperpot (Copperpot’s Voyage), 2000
Style: Pop/rock, upbeat song about two people spending time together, catching up, and enjoying each other’s company.
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube
Detrás del tiempo me instalé.
Ya ves, ni me quejo ni me quejaré.
Mi ser, mis recuerdos y alguna canción
Son hoy mi premio de consolación.
I parked myself behind the time
You see now, I don’t complain nor will I.
My being, my memories and some song
Are today my consolation prize.
“The Desert” Lyrics by Maná
Album: ¿Dónde jugarán los niños? (Where will the children play?), 1992
Style: Latin Rock
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
Ya me voy muy lejos del pueblo,
Empacando maletas, guardando recuerdos
De amor.
Now I go very far away from the village
Packing suitcases, putting memories away
(Memories) of love.
“Tear Out My Heart” Song Translation
Album: Amar Es Combatir (To Love is To Fight), 2006
Style: Rock song asking their sweetheart to tear out their heart if they leave. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.
Country: Mexico
Yo sigo solo.
Aquí en la habitación, solo.
Ya anunciaste que te ibas a marchar de mi lado.
I continue alone.
Here in my room, alone.
You already declared you were leaving me.
“Flies in the House”
Albums: ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (Where Are The Thieves?) and Shakira MTV Unplugged
Style: Rock, subdued and soft, melancholy
Country: Colombia
Listen: YouTube
Mis días sin ti son tan oscuros,
Tan largos, tan grises,
Mis días sin ti.
My days without you are so dark,
So long, so gray,
My days without you.
“The Answer” by Los Lonely Boys, English Translation of Spanish Version
Album: Los Lonely Boys, Track #12
Style: Rock
Country: USA (Texas)
Listen @ YouTube
¿A poco no está
Duro pa’ ti?
¿Pa’ que sigues así
Si aquí estoy yo?
Isn’t it
Hard for you?
Why do you continue like this
If I’m here?
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