América – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Porter

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the profound beauty of Mexican indie rock with Porter's 'América.' This song is an excellent vehicle for language learners to engage with evocative, poetic Spanish vocabulary centered on history and landscape. By analyzing its lyrical depth, you will gain insight into both the emotional resonance of the Mexican artistic movement and the nuances of high-register, narrative-driven Spanish.

[English]

Vision of the hummingbird

America

Became their land

It was much too late I realized

That America

Hasn't always been at war

Neighbor to a country

America

That has always been at war

It has already patented the corn

America

It has already taken the land

You've never wanted to give explanations

For your betrayal and your contradictions

...

Crazy

Relax a little

Let down

Your rigidity

Here

I'm always faithful

Ready

For whatever the king says

You've never wanted to give explanations (you've never wanted to give explanations)

For your pressure and your contradictions (for your pressure and your contradictions)

You've never wanted to give explanations (you've never wanted to give explanations)

For your pressure and your contradictions (for your pressure and your contradictions)

...

Vision of the hummingbird

America

Became their land

Neighbor to a country

America

That has always been at war

...

[Spanish]

Visión del colibrí

América

Se convirtió en su tierra

Muy tarde descubrí

Que América

No siempre ha estado en guerra

Vecino de un país

América

Que siempre ha estado en guerra

Ya patentó el maíz

América

Ya se apropió la tierra

Nunca has querido dar explicaciones

A tu traición y tus contradicciones

Loco

Relájate un poco

Baja ya

Tu rigidez

Acá

Yo, siempre fiel

Listo

A lo que diga el rey

Nunca has querido dar explicaciones (nunca has querido dar explicaciones)

A tu presión y tus contradicciones (a tu presión y tus contradicciones)

Nunca has querido dar explicaciones (nunca has querido dar explicaciones)

A tu presión y tus contradicciones (a tu presión y tus contradicciones)

Visión del colibrí

América

Se convirtió en su tierra

Vecino de un país

América

Que siempre ha estado en guerra

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
visión biˈsjon B1	noun - Vision/Sight
colibrí koliˈβɾi C2	noun - Hummingbird
tierra ˈtjera A1	noun - Land/Earth
guerra ˈɡera A2	noun - War
vecino beˈθino A1	noun - Neighbor
patentó paˈtenˈto C1	verb - Patented
apropió aˈpɾopjo B2	verb - Appropriated/Seized
explicaciones eksplikaˈθjones A2	noun - Explanations
traición tɾaiˈθjon B2	noun - Betrayal/Treason
contradicciones kontɾaðikˈθjones B2	noun - Contradictions
loco ˈloko A1	adjective - Crazy
relájate reˈlaxate A2	verb - Relax
rigidez rixiˈðeθ C1	noun - Rigidity/Stiffness
fiel fjel B1	adjective - Faithful/Loyal
presión pɾeˈsjon B1	noun - Pressure

Key Grammar Structures

• Se convirtió en su tierra

  ➔ Reflexive verb (Passive/Impersonal se)

  ➔ The "se" here indicates a change of state, essentially meaning 'it transformed itself' or 'it became'.

• No siempre ha estado en guerra

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense

  ➔ The structure "ha estado" (haber + past participle) expresses an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

• Ya patentó el maíz

  ➔ Preterite Tense (Simple Past)

  ➔ The verb "patentó" is in the preterite tense, used for a completed, specific action in the past.

• Nunca has querido dar

  ➔ Negative adverb + Present Perfect

  ➔ The combination of "nunca" (never) with the present perfect "has querido" emphasizes the lack of action up to the present.

• Baja ya tu rigidez

  ➔ Imperative Mood (Affirmative command)

  ➔ The verb "baja" is the informal 'tú' form of the imperative, used to give a direct order.

• A lo que diga el rey

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Present)

  ➔ The verb "diga" is in the subjunctive because it refers to a hypothetical or future action of the king.

• Que siempre ha estado en guerra

  ➔ Relative clause with 'Que'

  ➔ "Que" acts as a relative pronoun connecting the noun 'país' to the description of its state.

• Se convirtió en su tierra

  ➔ Prepositional Verb phrase

  ➔ The verb "convertirse" is always followed by the preposition "en" to denote transformation.