Aquí No Pasa Nada – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Caifanes
• Album: Caifanes II: El Diablito

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poetic and critical world of Caifanes with "Aquí No Pasa Nada." This song is a fantastic way to engage with Spanish by exploring its rich lyrical imagery and profound social commentary. You'll not only learn new vocabulary and expressions related to critique and observation but also gain insight into the nuanced ways Spanish can convey deep, often ironic, meanings about society and power. Its experimental sound and powerful message make it a special piece for any language learner.

[English]

We were all made of paper

Smooth and white

Unfolded

And we were made to move freely

Swinging wide open

Without complaint

...

A long time ago, they told me

Nothing happens here

That everything is kept safe

So nothing can happen to it

That this Earth belongs to the blind

And the one-eyed man is in heaven

To keep everything

And that nothing happens here

...

We are submissive and obedient

With a desire to shout

With a desire to kill

But for a long time now, here

They’ve been educating us

To lie

A long time ago, they told me

Nothing happens here

That everything is kept safe

So nothing can happen to it

That this Earth belongs to the blind

And the one-eyed man is in heaven

To keep everything

And that nothing happens here

...

A long time ago, they told me

Nothing happens here

That everything is kept safe

So nothing can happen to it

That this Earth belongs to the blind

And the one-eyed man is in heaven

To keep everything

And that nothing happens here

A long time ago, nothing happens here.

...

[Spanish]

Eramos todos de papel

Liso y blanco

Sin doblar

Y fuimos hechos para andar

De par en par

Sin reclamar

Hace tiempo me dijeron

Aquí no pasa nada

Que todo está guardado

Para que no le pase nada

Que esta Tierra es de ciegos

Y que el tuerto está en el cielo

Para guardarlo todo

Y que aquí no pase nada

Somos sumisos y obedientes

Con ganas de gritar

Con ganas de matar

Pero hace tiempo que aquí

Nos educan

Para mentir

Hace tiempo me dijeron

Aquí no pasa nada

Que todo está guardado

Para que no le pase nada

Que esta Tierra es de ciegos

Y que el tuerto está en el cielo

Para guardarlo todo

Y que aquí no pase nada

Hace tiempo me dijeron

Aquí no pasa nada

Que todo está guardado

Para que no le pase nada

Que esta Tierra es de ciegos

Y que el tuerto está en el cielo

Para guardarlo todo

Y que aquí no pase nada

Hace tiempo que aquí no pasa nada.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
papel paˈpel A1	noun - paper
liso ˈliso A2	adjective - smooth
doblar doˈblar A2	verb - to fold
andar anˈdar A1	verb - to walk
reclamar reklaˈmar B1	verb - to complain
guardado ɡwarˈðaðo A2	adjective - kept
tuerto ˈtwerto B1	adjective - one-eyed
sumisos suˈmisos B1	adjective - submissive
obedientes oβeˈðjentes A2	adjective - obedient
gritar ɡriˈtar A1	verb - to shout
matar maˈtar A2	verb - to kill
educan eðuˈkan A2	verb - they educate
mentir menˈtir A2	verb - to lie
ciegos ˈθjeɣos A2	adjective - blind
cielo ˈθjelo A1	noun - sky

Key Grammar Structures

• Eramos todos de papel

  ➔ Imperfect tense

  ➔ The verb 'éramos' is in the imperfect tense, used to describe a past continuous state or habitual action. Here, it highlights a past condition of being 'made of paper'.

• Hace tiempo me dijeron

  ➔ Present perfect with 'hace'

  ➔ The phrase 'hace tiempo' is used to express an unspecified time in the past, similar to 'a long time ago'. It is often used with the preterite tense to indicate a past action.

• Que todo está guardado

  ➔ Present subjunctive

  ➔ The verb 'está' is in the present subjunctive mood, used after the conjunction 'que' to express a wish, emotion, or uncertainty. Here, it conveys the idea that 'everything is kept'.

• Para que no le pase nada

  ➔ Negative command with subjunctive

  ➔ The phrase 'para que no le pase nada' uses the subjunctive mood after 'para que' to express a purpose or intention. The negative 'no' emphasizes that nothing should happen.

• Somos sumisos y obedientes

  ➔ Present indicative

  ➔ The verb 'somos' is in the present indicative tense, used to state a fact or current condition. Here, it asserts that 'we are submissive and obedient'.