40 y 20 – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the Spanish of José José's classic "40 y 20," a song rich with heartfelt declarations and defiance. Through its emotional lyrics, you can learn how native speakers express complex feelings about love, age difference, and ignoring societal pressure, all delivered with the unparalleled romantic vocal style of 'El Príncipe de la Canción.'

[English]

♪

Lies are - all lies

Things people say

To say this love - is forbidden

That I’m forty - and you’re twenty

That I’m autumn - in your life

And you’re sweet - springtime

They don’t know I keep - a summer

That when I look at you - it burns

Forty and twenty

Forty and twenty

It’s love that - matters, not

What people say

Forty and twenty

Forty and twenty

Take my hand, - walk with me

Facing forward

♪

It doesn’t matter if - they don’t understand me

And if they whisper - behind my back

That there’s a - big difference

That I’m forty - and you’re twenty

That I have - so much life experience

And you have - so much innocence

They don’t know - our secret

Is your youth - and my experience

Forty and twenty

Forty and twenty

It’s love that - matters, not

What people say

Forty and twenty

Forty and twenty

Take my hand, - walk with me

♪

Facing forward

♪

[Spanish]

♪

Mentiras son todas mentiras

Cosas que dice la gente

Decir que este amor es prohibido

Que tengo cuarenta y tú veinte

Que yo soy otoño en tu vida

Y tú eres dulce primavera

No saben que guardo un verano

Que cuando te miro te quema

Cuarenta y veinte

Cuarenta y veinte

Es el amor lo que importa y no

Lo que diga la gente

Cuarenta y veinte

Cuarenta y veinte

Toma mi mano, camina conmigo

Mirando de frente

♪

No importa que a mí no me entiendan

Y que por lo bajo comenten

Que existe una gran diferencia

Que tengo cuarenta y tú veinte

Que yo tengo muchas vivencias

Y tú tienes tanta inocencia

No saben que nuestro secreto

Es tu juventud y mi experiencia

Cuarenta y veinte

Cuarenta y veinte

Es el amor lo que importa y no

Lo que diga la gente

Cuarenta y veinte

Cuarenta y veinte

Toma mi mano, camina conmigo

♪

Mirando de frente

♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mentiras men-tee-ras A1	noun - lies
prohibido pro-ee-bee-do A2	adjective - forbidden
otoño o-to-ñio A1	noun - autumn
primavera pree-ma-ve-ra A1	noun - spring
verano ve-ra-no A1	noun - summer
quema ke-ma A2	verb - burns
importa im-por-ta A1	verb - matters
camina ca-mi-na A1	verb - walk
vivencias bi-ben-cias B1	noun - experiences
inocencia i-no-cen-cia A2	noun - innocence
secreto se-cre-to A1	noun - secret
juventud hu-ben-tud A2	noun - youth
experiencia ex-pe-rien-cia A2	noun - experience

Key Grammar Structures

• Mentiras son todas mentiras

  ➔ Present tense of 'ser' (to be)

  ➔ The verb 'son' is the present tense of 'ser', used to state a fact or truth.

• Que tengo cuarenta y tú veinte

  ➔ Present tense of 'tener' (to have)

  ➔ The verb 'tengo' and 'tienes' are present tense forms of 'tener', indicating possession or age.

• Que yo soy otoño en tu vida

  ➔ Present tense of 'ser' with metaphorical use

  ➔ 'Soy' is the present tense of 'ser', used metaphorically to compare the speaker to autumn.

• Es el amor lo que importa y no lo que diga la gente

  ➔ Present tense of 'importar' (to matter) and 'decir' (to say)

  ➔ 'Importa' is the present tense of 'importar', and 'diga' is the subjunctive form of 'decir', emphasizing what matters vs. what people say.

• Toma mi mano, camina conmigo

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ 'Toma' and 'camina' are imperative forms, used to give direct commands or invitations.

• No importa que a mí no me entiendan

  ➔ Present subjunctive of 'entender' (to understand)

  ➔ 'Entiendan' is the present subjunctive form of 'entender', used after 'no importa que' to express a hypothetical situation.