Spanish song lyrics translated to English: side-by-side lyrics, song meanings, and translation notes for people learning Spanish.
“She Made Me Fall In Love”
Album: Quiero Verte Feliz (I Want To See You Happy), 2021
Genre: Cumbia about falling in love.
Country: USA/Mexico (Mexican-American)
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
En la locura de este pensamiento
Salen corriendo todos mis deseos.
Quisiera liberar mi pensamiento,
Buscándote a ti.
In the lunacy of this thought
All my desires go flying [*lit. running].
I would like to liberate my mind,
Looking for you.
“I Want To See You Happy”, 2021 single
Countries: USA (California), Mexico
Genre: Cumbia about being ready to be happy again despite all the bad things happening in the world.
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
No es que me valga madre la vida,
El dolor de la gente, el frío, y el hambre.
La angustia está presente.
El odio se siente, el ambiente se pone caliente.
It’s not that I don’t give a damn about life,
People’s pain, the cold, and hunger.
The anguish is there.
The hate is palpable, the environment heats up.
“Careful”
Albums: Cuidado (1969); Someday New (2014)
Genre: Soulful alternative rock, ballad-like, with bass and acoustic instruments, including accordion.
Countries: United States (Los Angeles, CA); Mexico
Listen: The song by José José is directed to a lover who is doing things that will lead to a breakup. You can listen to the original version by José José (1969) or La Santa Cecilia’s cover (2014) at YouTube. I love the way lead singer Marisol “La Marisoul” Hernandez harmonizes the warnings in the lyrics until the words vibrate.
José José:
La Santa Cecilia:
Today is the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month, but Day of the Dead is coming up on November 1-2. I recommend listening to La Santa Cecilia’s lively “La Negra” (YouTube and translation). I’m also curious about the upcoming animated movie, The Book of Life premiering October 17.
Cuidado,
Mucho cuidado,
Que estás tomando por un rumbo equivocado.
Careful,
Be very careful,
Because you are going down a wrong road.
“Your Pride”
Album: Déjenme Llorar (Let Me Cry), 2012
Genre: Alternative, mellow, quieter song. Carla Morrison sings about her experience with a selfish lover. Her music is melancholy with a light hand. This song is both a self-reproach for letting herself be in this situation, and a protest over how she is treated. I love her voice.
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)
¿En qué momento perdí
El control de mis sentimientos
Cuando decidí
Aceptar tus secretos?
At what moment did I lose
Control over my feelings,
When I decided
To accept your secrets?
“The Lighthouse” Lyrics
Album: Noche y Citas (Night, and Dates), 2010
Genre: Ballad with accordion music in the background. This is a song about someone who fell in love hard and is melancholy about it. It sounds like unrequited love. Pobrecita.
Country: United States (Los Angeles, CA)
Unrelated, I saw the recently released Cesar Chavez movie last weekend. It was good. I worry sometimes that movies about famous civil rights people will be too serious, but this movie had many light and funny moments, too. Go watch it.
¿Cómo logro provocar
El rocío de una flor?
¿Cómo logro dominar
El amor?
How do I manage to provoke
The dew of a flower?
How do I manage to dominate
Love?
“Little Coin”
Album: Treinta Días (Thirty Days), 2013
Genre: Alternative, energetic, cheerful song praising humble lifestyles. This is a song about not needing money to be happy, about valuing humility, and about how living within one’s means is healthier than over-spending to impress others. Good vocals by lead singer La Marisoul and accordion play by Jose “Pepe” Carlos.
Country: USA (Los Angeles, CA)
Listen: YouTube, Amazon
Bonito tu trajecito, ¿cuánto das por la apariencia?
Bonito tu cochecito, ¿no te pesa en la conciencia?
Very nice, your little outfit; how much for that appearance?
Very nice, your little car; doesn’t it weigh on your conscience?
“This Loneliness”, 2009 single
Genre: Pop/rock, melancholy, soft and sweet voice reminiscent of Natalia Lafourcade. Song about loneliness. She needs a hug!
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)
Esta soledad me esta quemando las pestañas,
Llenándome de telarañas
Y me pone a chillar.
This solitude is burning my eyelashes, [*idiom, meaning it keeps her up at night]
Covering me with cobwebs
And it makes me bawl.
“Sleepless”
Album: Puro Tejano Gold (Pure Texan Gold), 2008
Genre: Texan ranchera with a very slight cumbia influence. Bobby Pulido is a Mexican-American singer. This song is about unrequited and unknown love. The poor guy falls in love with a voice he heard on the radio. Listen to his sleepless tale below.
Country: USA (Texas)
Será fe que yo encontré… una voz de ternura
Que me llena de placer, cuando la oigo hablar.
Con ella me enamoré, aunque nunca la conoci.
Sueño en su querer y en sus brazos quiero dormir.
It must be fate that I found… a tender voice
Who fills me with pleasure, when I hear it speak.
I fell in love with her, even though I never met her.
I dream about her love and I want to sleep in her arms.
“Share”
Album: Mietras Tú Dormías (While You Slept), 2010
Genre: Alternative pop/rock, love ballad, soft voiced but strongly projected, understatedly emotional. Sweet melody about wanting to be close to a lover. I learned about this song from the NPR Alt.Latino music blog.
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)
Quiero compartir mi silla contigo.
Quiero ver salir el sol y despedirlo.
Quiero caminar y correr a tu ladito.
Quiero buscar y encontrarme a solas contigo.
I want to share my seat with you.
I want to see the sun rise and (then) say farewell to it.
I want to walk and run by your side.
I want to look for and find time alone with you.
“(Everybody) Let Me Cry”
Album: Déjenme Llorar (Everybody Let Me Cry), 2012
Genre: Alternative rock, melancholy, soft but strong voice, mourning a breakup. This song won “Best Alternative Song” and its album won “Best Alternative Album” in the 2012 Latin Grammy Awards. The song was also nominated for “Song of the Year.”
Country: Mexico, USA (Arizona)
He estado recordando los momentos que te di,
Cuántos tú me diste y por qué ahora estoy aquí,
Sentada en el suelo pensando que te quiero,
Que te quise tanto, y que tu amor me es… ¡necesario!
I have been remembering the moments that I gave you,
How many you gave me, and why I am here now,
Sitting on the floor thinking that I love you,
That I loved you so much, and that your love is for me… necessary!
“I Have Nothing Left (But To…)”, 1994
Genre: Mariachi, sad. This song is about the end of a relationship. Selena sings about having no choice left but to come to terms with it, but she does not want to deny that it happened. She was in love! It was wonderful while it lasted. Poor Selena!
Country: USA (Texas)
Unrelated, but happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone. It’s not Mexican independence day! That’s September 16! Tell your friends.
No me queda más
Que perderme en un abismo
De tristeza y lágrimas.
I have nothing left
But to lose myself in an abyss
Of sadness and tears.
“The Call”
Genre: Drama pop song about a cheater who wants to get back together. This person cheats, gets caught, gets dumped, and then won’t stop calling! Selena is just going to keep hanging up. Stop calling her. I love songs with stories.
Country: United States (Texas); Mexico
[Sound of phone ringing]
-Bueno…
-Soy yo, mi amor, antes de que me cuelgues no’ más dejame explicar que…
-Hello…
-It’s me, my love, before you hang up on me just let me explain that…
[Sound of phone hanging up]
Continue reading ““La Llamada” (The Call) by Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, English translation”
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