20 DE ABRIL – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Celtas Cortos

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can be a journey through culture and emotion, and '20 de Abril' by Celtas Cortos is a perfect song to immerse yourself in the heart of Spanish sentiment. This song, with its clear, narrative-driven lyrics, offers a beautiful opportunity to learn vocabulary related to friendship, time, and memory. Its special blend of rock and folk music makes it a timeless classic in Spain, and understanding its lyrics will give you a deeper appreciation for the universal feelings of nostalgia and the longing for connection.

[English]

April 20, 1990

Hey girl, how are you?

Are you surprised I'm writing to you?

So much time has passed, it's normal

Well, I was here alone

I started to reminisce

I got nostalgic

And I had to talk to you

Do you remember that night in the Turmo cabin?

The laughs we all used to have together

Today there are hardly any of the old gang left

And those who are, have changed

Have changed, yes

...

But hey, how are you doing?, tell me

You might even have kids

How's it going with that guy?

I hope he's fun

Me, well, as always

Still working in the same thing

Music doesn't tire me

But I feel empty

Do you remember that night in the Turmo cabin?

The laughs we all used to have together

Today there are hardly any of the old gang left

And those who are, have changed

Have changed, uh

...

Well, I'm signing off now

If you like, answer me

I hope my words

Disrupt your conscience

Well, nothing girl, as I said

See you soon, if we meet

I'm still with my songs

And you keep going with your dreams

Do you remember that night in the Turmo cabin?

The laughs we all used to have together

Today there are hardly any of the old gang left

And those who are, have changed

Have changed, yes

...

[Spanish]

20 de abril del 90

Hola Chata, ¿cómo estás?

¿Te sorprende que te escriba?

Tanto tiempo, es normal

Pues es que estaba aquí solo

Me había puesto a recordar

Me entró la melancolía

Y te tenía que hablar

¿Recuerdas aquella noche en la cabaña del Turmo?

Las risas que nos hacíamos antes todos juntos

Hoy no queda casi nadie de los de antes

Y los que hay han cambiado

Han cambiado, sí

Pero bueno, ¿tú qué tal?, di

Lo mismo hasta tienes críos

¿Qué tal te va con el tío ese?

Espero sea divertido

Yo, la verdad, como siempre

Sigo currando en lo mismo

La música no me cansa

Pero me encuentro vacío

¿Recuerdas aquella noche en la cabaña del Turmo?

Las risas que nos hacíamos antes todos juntos

Hoy no queda casi nadie de los de antes

Y los que hay, han cambiado

Han cambiado, uh

Bueno, pues ya me despido

Si te mola, me contestas

Espero que mis palabras

Desordenen tu conciencia

Pues nada chica, lo dicho

Hasta pronto, si nos vemos

Yo sigo con mis canciones

Y tú sigue con tus sueños

¿Recuerdas aquella noche en la cabaña del Turmo?

Las risas que nos hacíamos antes todos juntos

Hoy no queda casi nadie de los de antes

Y los que hay han cambiado

Han cambiado, sí

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
recordar /re.kuˈðar/ B1	verb - to remember
cabaña /kaˈβa.ɲa/ B2	noun - cabin, hut
risas /ˈri.sas/ A2	noun - laughter
cambiar /cambio/ A2	verb - to change
cansar /kanˈsar/ B1	verb - to tire
vacío /baˈxi.o/ B2	adjective - empty, hollow
música /ˈmu.si.ka/ A2	noun - music
sueños /ˈswe.ɲos/ A2	noun - dreams
contestar /kon.tesˈtar/ B1	verb - to answer
palabras /paˈla.βras/ A2	noun - words
siento /ˈsjento/ A1	verb - to feel
esperar /es.peˈɾaɾ/ A2	verb - to hope, to wait

Key Grammar Structures

• ¿Te sorprende que te escriba?

  ➔ Subjunctive mood introduced by 'que' with present subjunctive form

  ➔ The phrase "que te escriba" uses the subjunctive mood to express a desire or uncertainty.

• Me había puesto a recordar

  ➔ Use of present perfect with reflexive construction and 'a' + infinitive

  ➔ The phrase "Me había puesto a recordar" indicates that I started to remember, combining the past perfect and reflexive pronoun.

• Hoy no queda casi nadie de los de antes

  ➔ Use of elision and indefinite pronouns with 'quedar' in present tense

  ➔ The phrase 'queda casi nadie' indicates that almost no one remains, using the verb 'quedar' in the present tense.

• Y tú sigue con tus sueños

  ➔ Use of the imperative form of 'seguir' in the present tense

  ➔ The phrase 'sigue con tus sueños' employs the imperative mood to give a positive encouragement to continue dreaming.

• Las risas que nos hacíamos antes todos juntos

  ➔ Reflexive verb in imperfect tense to indicate an ongoing past activity

  ➔ The phrase indicates repeated or ongoing laughter in the past, using the reflexive verb in the imperfect tense.

• Espero que mis palabras desordenen tu conciencia

  ➔ Use of the present subjunctive after 'espero que' to express hope or desire

  ➔ The phrase 'desordenen tu conciencia' employs the present subjunctive to convey a wish or hope for the listener.