Lila Downs
El centenario lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 2006
- Genre
- Cumbia
- Length
- 3:04
Si eres pobre, te humilla la gente
If you're poor, people humiliate you
Si eres rico, te tratan muy bien
If you're rich, they treat you very well
Un amigo se metió a la mafia
A friend got involved with the mafia
Porque pobre ya no quiso ser
Because he didn't want to be poor anymore
Ahora tiene dinero de sobra
Now he has money to spare
Por costales le pagan al mes
They pay him by the bag each month
Todos le dicen el centenario
Everyone calls him 'the centennial'
Por la joya que brilla en su pecho
For the jewel that shines on his chest
Ahora todos lo ven diferente
Now everyone sees him differently
Se acabaron todos sus desprecios
All his scorn has come to an end
Nomás porque trae carro del año
Just because he drives a brand new car
Ya lo ven con el signo de peso
They already see him with the dollar sign
Lo persigue el gobierno gabacho
He's chased by the foreign government
Pero él no deja de trabajar
But he never stops working
A Los Ángeles va a cada rato
He goes to Los Angeles all the time
Y regresa con un dineral
And comes back with a fortune
Él recibe órdenes desde arriba
He gets orders from above
Y las cumple a como dé lugar
And he fulfills them no matter what
Al peligro ya se acostumbró
He's already used to danger
Y por eso no le teme a nadie
And that's why he's not afraid of anyone
En su Lincoln se pasea tranquilo
In his Lincoln, he strolls calm
Por Tijuana y por Guadalajara
Through Tijuana and Guadalajara
Por Los Ángeles y San Fransisco
Through Los Angeles and San Francisco
Y también por Las Vegas, Nevada
And also through Las Vegas, Nevada
Con la mafia se gana dinero
With the mafia, you make money
Pero se necesita valor
But it takes courage
Porque aquí no hay ningún parentezco
Because here there's no family ties
Y no se admite algún error
And no mistakes are allowed
Siempre te andas rifando el pellejo
You're always risking your skin
Con las leyes o con el patrón
With the laws or with the boss
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- ahora
- nowA1
- dé
- giveB1
- peligro
- dangerB1
- ven
- comeB1
- pecho
- chestB1
- acabaron
- finished
- desprecios
- disdainC2
- nomás
- onlyA2
- carro
- carB1
- persigue
- pursue
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About this song
Lila Downs is a Mexican-born singer-songwriter and performer. She makes Indigenous Mexican-rooted music that blends North American jazz and Latin American folk, and is known for albums such as Ofrenda and for receiving Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.