Afuera – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Caifanes
• Album: El nervio del Volcán

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic and musical journey with 'Afuera' by Caifanes, a cornerstone of the rock en español movement. This song offers a fantastic opportunity to learn Spanish through its poetic and introspective lyrics, which delve into universal themes of identity and existence. The rich vocabulary and metaphorical language provide a unique challenge and a deeper connection to the culture and emotion embedded in the song. Discover what makes 'Afuera' a timeless classic and an essential piece of Latin American music history.

[English]

For many years, one believes

That falling is getting up, and suddenly

You can't get up anymore

That love is temporary

That anything can happen to you, and suddenly

You're all alone

Outside

Outside you don't exist, only inside

Outside

Outside I don't take care of you, only inside

Outside

The wind tears you apart without hesitation

Outside

Nobody is anything, only inside

Ah-ah-ah

The years go by, and one is still

Believing that you can pray, and suddenly

You're already lost

...

And one believes that you can believe

And have all the power, and suddenly

You have nothing

Outside

Outside you don't exist, only inside

Outside

Outside I don't take care of you, only inside

Outside

The wind tears you apart without hesitation

Outside

Nobody is anything, only inside

Ah-ah-ah ah-ah (Ah-ah-ah)

...

Outside

Outside you don't exist, only inside

Outside

Outside I don't take care of you, only inside

Outside

The wind tears you apart without hesitation

Outside

Nobody is anything, only inside

Ah-ah

...

[Spanish]

Muchos años uno cree

Que el caer es levantarse y de repente

Ya no te paras

Que el amor es temporal

Que todo te puede pasar y de repente

Estás muy solo

Afuera

Afuera tú no existes, sólo adentro

Afuera

Afuera no te cuido, sólo adentro

Afuera

Te desbarata el viento sin dudarlo

Afuera

Nadie es nada, sólo adentro

Ah-ah-ah

Siguen los años y uno está

Creyendo que puede rezar y de repente

Ya te perdiste

Y uno cree que puede creer

Y tener todo el poder y de repente

No tienes nada

Afuera

Afuera tú no existes, sólo adentro

Afuera

Afuera no te cuido, sólo adentro

Afuera

Te desbarata el viento sin dudarlo

Afuera

Nadie es nada, sólo adentro

Ah-ah-ah ah-ah (Ah-ah-ah)

Afuera

Afuera tú no existes, sólo adentro

Afuera

Afuera no te cuido, sólo adentro

Afuera

Te desbarata el viento sin dudarlo

Afuera

Nadie es nada, sólo adentro

Ah-ah

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
años /ˈaɲos/ A1	noun - years
creer /kɾeˈeɾ/ A2	verb - to believe
caer /kaˈeɾ/ A2	verb - to fall
levantarse /leβanˈtaɾse/ A2	verb - to get up
amor /aˈmoɾ/ A1	noun - love
solo /ˈsolo/ A2	adjective - alone
adentro /aˈdentɾo/ B1	noun - inside
afuera /aˈfweɾa/ B1	noun - outside
viento /ˈbjento/ A2	noun - wind
dudar /duˈðaɾ/ B1	verb - to doubt
nada /ˈnada/ A1	noun - nothing
rezar /reˈθaɾ/ B1	verb - to pray
perderse /peɾˈðeɾse/ B1	verb - to get lost
poder /poˈðeɾ/ A2	noun - power
temporal /tempoˈɾal/ B2	adjective - temporary

Key Grammar Structures

• Muchos años uno cree

  ➔ Impersonal 'uno'

  ➔ Here, "uno" means "one" or "a person" but is used to express a general truth or common belief. It's similar to saying "people believe".

• Que el caer es levantarse

  ➔ Subjunctive in noun clauses expressing definition or characteristic

  ➔ The phrase "Que el caer es levantarse" describes a characteristic or definition of the idea of falling. While the indicative could be used, the subjunctive creates a more abstract, generalized sense.

• Ya no te paras

  ➔ Use of "ya" to indicate a change in state

  ➔ "Ya" combined with "no" emphasizes that the person is no longer able to get up, implying a shift from being able to get up to not being able to.

• Que el amor es temporal

  ➔ Subjunctive/Indicative with "Que" depending on certainty. Indicative used when stating as fact

  ➔ Because the speaker is presenting this as something "one believes," it is stated as fact, so the indicative mood is used. If the speaker were doubting or expressing a wish, the subjunctive would be used.

• Afuera tú no existes, sólo adentro

  ➔ Contrasting Adverbs: "Afuera" vs. "Adentro"

  ➔ The contrasting adverbs emphasize the dichotomy between the external world ("afuera") and the internal world ("adentro"). The sentence is asserting that your true existence is only found within.

• Te desbarata el viento sin dudarlo

  ➔ Indirect Object Pronoun "Te"

  ➔ The pronoun "te" indicates that the wind "disintegrates *you*". It is an indirect object pronoun, showing to whom the action of disintegrating is directed.

• Siguen los años y uno está

  ➔ Present tense to express a continuing action or state

  ➔ The use of the present tense ("Siguen" and "está") suggests that the years continue to pass and the person continues to be in a certain state of mind, implying an ongoing and habitual situation.

• Creyendo que puede rezar

  ➔ Gerund phrase expressing a manner or a means

  ➔ "Creyendo que puede rezar" indicates the way the person is while the years continue. The gerund shows how the person is existing in that moment. They exist *believing* that they can pray.