Ismael Rivera
Como son las cosas lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1974
- Genre
- Salsa
- Length
- 4:27
! Pero mira, que cosas!
! But look, what things!
Coro:
Chorus:
(Como son las cosas compay,
(How things are, my friend,
como son las cosas).
how things are).
Una prenda fui a empeñar
I went to pawn a piece of jewelry
para irme a vacilar
to go and have some fun.
yo no la pude sacar
I couldn't take it out,
y la tuve que dejar,! que cosa!
and I had to leave it behind, what a thing!
Un número en la bolita
A number in the lottery,
el Sábado fui a jugar
on Saturday I went to play.
no lo quise combinar
I didn't want to mix it up
y no me pude pegar.
and I couldn't get close.
~
~
Me recetaron un baño
They prescribed me a bath
para mi suerte cambiar
to change my luck
y tan mla fue mi suerte
and my luck was so bad
que por poco me iba a ahogar,! suelta!
that I almost drowned,! let go!
Para el Africa me fui
To Africa I went
en una cueva viví
I lived in a cave
y una tribu canibal
and a cannibal tribe
me quería devorar, zapa, suelta!
she wanted to devour me, sassy, let go!
~
~
En la esquina de mi casa
On the corner of my house
un dia estaba parao
one day I was standing still
y de pronto cayó un rayo
and suddenly a lightning bolt fell
y yo quede liquidao', por poco fué, safa!
and I was left in shock, it was close, get away!
Una prenda fui a empeñar
I went to pawn a piece of jewelry
para irme a vacilar
to go out and have a good time
yo no la pude sacar
I couldn't get it back
y la tuve que dejar, bebiendo agua!
and I had to leave it, drinking water!
Key vocabulary
- número
- numberA1
- agua
- waterA1
- ahogar
- drownC2
- baño
- bathA1
- bebiendo
- drinking
- bolita
- small ballB2
- canibal
- cannibal
- casa
- houseA1
- cayó
- fellB1
- combinar
- combineB2
About this song
Firmly fixed in the Latin music firmament as "El Sonero Mayor" (The Greatest Singer), Ismael Rivera was blessed with a gloriously husky voice, which he honed into a unique improvisational instrument.