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
Test yourself
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A quick quiz on the key words from this song.
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.