Café Tacvba
La negrita lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1994
- Genre
- Indie Pop
- Length
- 3:05
Y bueno, el cuento de la negrita sigue así
And well, the story of the little black girl goes like this
Después de haber viajado tanto por todo el país
After having traveled so much across the country
Regresa a su costa amada pa' seguir en el malecón gritando
She returns to her beloved coast to keep shouting on the boardwalk
"Vendo pescado frito con limón"
"I sell fried fish with lime"
Y si supieran las cosas que pudo ver
And if they only knew the things she could see
Que no se parece a nada a los sueños de su niñez
That nothing compares to the dreams of her childhood
La negrita no comprende de donde fue que salió el cuento ese
The little black girl doesn't understand where that story came from
Que en otro lugar vives mejor
That in another place you live better
Porque es muy fácil de pensar que hay que viajar para triunfar
Because it's easy to think you have to travel to succeed
Que aquí no hay oportunidad, que en otro lado sí la habrá
That here there are no opportunities, but somewhere else there surely will be
El que experiencia ya adquirió nunca se pudo olvidar
Once experience is gained, it can never be forgotten
Que su cadera al caminar lleva el ritmo de la mar
That her hips sway to the rhythm of the sea as she walks
Por eso un día nublado se regresó
That's why on a cloudy day, she turned back
Y vio que acá en su puerto siempre calentaba el sol
And saw that here in her port, the sun always shines
Y cuando alguien le pregunta de las cosas que aprendió contesta
And when someone asks her about the things she learned, she replies
Que viajar a veces no es mejor
That traveling sometimes is not the best
Que quedarse al sol es lo mejor
That staying in the sun is the best
Que vende pescado con limón
That sells fish with lemon
Que si lleva uno lleve dos
That if you take one, you should take two
Porque al rato to' ya se acabó
Because soon enough, it will all be gone
Que ella prepara siempre el mejor
That she always makes the best
Como este no hay dos en el malecón
Like this, there are no two on the boardwalk
¡Ah! ¡Pero eso sí! Duro al trabajo
Ah! But that’s for sure! Hard at work
No se vaya usté' a dormir
Don’t you go to sleep now
Como dicen que pasó a mi amigo el camarón
Like they say happened to my friend the shrimp
O como al señor cangrejo que por andar de crustáceo
Or like Mr. Crab, who for being a crustacean
Se lo comieron al ajo
Was eaten with garlic
O como este pescadito que tiene el ojito azul
Or like this little fish that has a blue eye
Creo que viene de lejos y mire donde fue a dar
I think it comes from afar and look where it ended up
Más le valía regresar con sus pececitas güeras
It would have been better for him to return with his little blonde fish
Por eso a mi la corriente me ha regresado a mi hogar
That's why the current has brought me back home
Porque un pez de agua salada en río no puede nadar
Because a saltwater fish can't swim in a river
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- acá
- hereA1
- calentaba
- was heating
- cuando
- whenB1
- alguien
- someoneA2
- le
- Indirect object pronoun meaning “to him/to her/to you” (singular) or “to it” (in formal/impersonal uses), depending on context.A2
- pregunta
- questionA1
- aprendió
- learned
- contesta
- answerB1
- quedarse
- to stayA2
- vende
- sells
About this song
Café Tacvba are a Mexican rock en español band. Formed in Mexico City in the late 1980s, they are known for blending alternative rock with Mexican folk and other genres across acclaimed albums such as Re (1994) and their later genre-hopping releases.