Cabrón yo puedo – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Grupo Origen

Lyrics & Translation

[Spanish]

[English]

Pienso

I think

Que la vida solo es una por eso yo quiero vivirla a lo intens

Life is only one, that's why I want to live it to the fullest

Cuando estoy en vacas flacas yo nunca me agüito, yo prendo un incienso

When times are tough I never get down, I light some incense

Fiel creyente de Dios aunque casi no le hablo, casi no le rezo

A true believer in God, though I hardly talk to Him, hardly pray

Mi madre es la que hace eso

My mother is the one who does that

Por eso no faltan los pesos

That’s why I always have money

Nunca dejo las cosas a medias, yo la termino si las empiezo

I never leave things halfway, I finish what I start

Tengo pocos amigos

I have few friends

A todos los cuento con los dedos

I can count them all on my fingers

Y ya bájale a la envidia pa que vean como le suben los ingresos

And stop envying so they can see how your income rises

Y disfrute del proceso

Enjoy the process

Vívalo pa que no se lo cuente

Live it so you won’t regret it

Sin creerse el mero, mero

Without thinking you’re the boss

Que aquí todos son iguales

Because here everyone is the same

Que aquí todos son de cuero

Because here everyone’s tough

Que me vieron bien vestido y manejando un carro nuevo

They saw me well dressed, driving a new car

Fue porque yo le metí huevos

It’s because I put in a lot of effort

No se crea que esto es suerte

Don’t think this is luck

Años en esto es que llevo

Years I’ve been at this

No me ven pasar el tiempo

You don’t see me wasting time

Porque siempre me renuevo

Because I’m always renewing myself

Empecé bien endeudado

I started heavily in debt

Ahora a ningún cabrón le debo

Now I owe nothing to any fool

Porque me miré en el espejo

Because I looked in the mirror

Y me dije "¡cabrón, yo puedo!"

And I told myself, “Cabrón, I can do it!”

Y me dije "¡cabrón, yo puedo!"

And I told myself, “Cabrón, I can do it!”

¡Puro pa'delante, viejones!

Straight ahead, old men!

Que la vida no solo es suerte

Life isn’t just luck

¡Hay que chambearle!

You’ve got to work for it!

Y puro Grupo Origen

And only Grupo Origen

Con la R Records, compa

With R Records, my friend

...

...

Lo bueno se tarda

Good things take time

La conciencia tranquila es un arma

A clear conscience is a weapon

Pisa fuerte, pisa con calma

Step firmly, step carefully

No le vendas al diablo tu alma

Don’t sell your soul to the devil

Si el de al lado se cae, lo levanto

If your neighbor falls, I’ll lift him up

Lo que seas que venga lo aguanto

Whatever you are, I’ll withstand it

No me importa ni aquí ni hasta cuánto

I don’t care whether it’s here or how much

De mi gente yo tengo el respaldo

I’ve got my people’s support

Duelen las mentiras, también duele la verdad

Lies hurt, but truth hurts too

Tú decides el camino que quieres cruzar

You decide which path you want to take

Vívalo pa que no se lo cuenten

Live it so you won’t regret it

Sin creerse el mero, mero

Without thinking you’re the boss

Que aquí todos son iguales

Because here everyone is the same

Que aquí todos son de cuero

Because here everyone’s tough

Que me vieron bien vestido y manejando un carro nuevo

They saw me well dressed, driving a new car

Fue porque yo le metí huevos

It’s because I put in a lot of effort

No se crea que esto es suerte

Don’t think this is luck

Años en esto es que llevo

Years I’ve been at this

No me ven pasar el tiempo

You don’t see me wasting time

Porque siempre me renuevo

Because I’m always renewing myself

Empecé bien endeudado

I started heavily in debt

Y ahora a ningún cabrón le debo

And now I owe nothing to any fool

Porque me miré en el espejo

Because I looked in the mirror

Y me dije "¡cabrón, yo puedo!"

And I told myself, “Cabrón, I can do it!”

Y me dije "¡cabrón, yo puedo!"

And I told myself, “Cabrón, I can do it!”

Y me dije "¡cabrón, yo puedo!"

And I told myself, “Cabrón, I can do it!”

...

...

¡Muchas gracias!. ¡ánimo!

Thank you very much! Keep your spirits up!

...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
vida /ˈbi.ða/ A1	noun - life
amigo /aˈmi.ɣo/ A1	noun - friend
dinero /diˈne.ɾo/ A2	noun - money
proceso /pɾoˈθe.so/ B1	noun - process
suerte /ˈsweɾ.te/ B1	noun - luck
verdad /beɾˈðad/ B1	noun - truth
cabrón /kaˈβɾon/ B2	noun - a tough or resilient person (can be derogatory)
espejo /esˈpe.xo/ B2	noun - mirror
camino /kaˈmi.no/ B2	noun - path or way
ingreso /inˈɡɾe.so/ B2	noun - income or revenue
mentira /menˈti.ɾa/ B2	noun - lie
alma /ˈal.ma/ B2	noun - soul
huevo /ˈwe.βo/ B2	noun - egg (can also mean courage in slang)
chambear /tʃamˈbe.aɾ/ B2	verb - to work hard
respaldo /resˈpal.ðo/ C1	noun - support or backing
intenso /inˈten.so/ C1	adjective - intense

Key Grammar Structures

• Que la vida solo es una por eso yo quiero vivirla a lo intens

  ➔ Relative clause with "que", object pronouns, adverbial phrase of manner "a lo + adjective"

  ➔ "Que la vida solo es una" introduces the reason for wanting to live intensely. "Vivirla" uses the object pronoun "la" referring to "vida". "A lo intens" is a colloquial way to express "intensely", meaning to live life to the fullest.

• Cuando estoy en vacas flacas yo nunca me agüito, yo prendo un incienso

  ➔ Temporal clause with "cuando", reflexive verb "agüitarse" (colloquial), present indicative

  ➔ "Cuando estoy en vacas flacas" introduces a time condition. "Agüitarse" is a colloquial term for feeling down or discouraged. The whole sentence is in present tense, describing a general habit.

• Fiel creyente de Dios aunque casi no le hablo, casi no le rezo

  ➔ Adverbial clause of concession with "aunque", indirect object pronoun "le", present indicative

  ➔ "Aunque casi no le hablo, casi no le rezo" expresses a contrast with being a faithful believer. "Le" refers to Dios, and is an indirect object pronoun.

• Y ya bájale a la envidia pa que vean como le suben los ingresos

  ➔ Imperative mood ("bájale"), purpose clause with "pa' que", indirect object pronoun "le", subordinate clause introduced by "como"

  ➔ "Bájale a la envidia" is an imperative, telling someone to reduce their envy. "Pa' que vean" is a shortened colloquial form of "para que vean," indicating purpose. "Como le suben los ingresos" is a subordinate clause acting as the object of "vean".

• Sin creerse el mero, mero Que aquí todos son iguales Que aquí todos son de cuero

  ➔ Gerund phrase with "sin + infinitive", relative clause with "que", impersonal "ser"

  ➔ "Sin creerse el mero, mero" uses the gerund "creerse" preceded by "sin", indicating a way of doing something. "Que aquí todos son iguales" and "Que aquí todos son de cuero" are relative clauses expanding on the previous statement.

• Fue porque yo le metí huevos No se crea que esto es suerte

  ➔ Past tense (preterite) for cause/effect, impersonal "se" with subjunctive (crea)

  ➔ "Fue porque yo le metí huevos" (meaning: It was because I put in the effort/guts) states the *reason* for success, past preterite is used for completed actions. "No se crea que esto es suerte" uses the impersonal "se", expressing that one should *not* believe that it's luck. Subjunctive because it's expressing doubt/negation in a subordinate clause.

• Lo bueno se tarda La conciencia tranquila es un arma

  ➔ Impersonal "se", present simple for general truths, noun as metaphor ("conciencia tranquila es un arma")

  ➔ "Lo bueno se tarda" is an impersonal statement meaning "good things take time". "Se" indicates that the subject is not specified. The use of present simple in both lines gives them the character of general truths or proverbs. The second line uses a metaphor comparing a clear conscience to a weapon.

• Vívalo pa que no se lo cuenten Sin creerse el mero, mero

  ➔ Imperative form (viva - command to 'él/ella/usted'), purpose clause (para que), object pronoun combination (se lo), negative imperative + reflexive infinitive construction (sin + creerse)

  ➔ "Vívalo pa que no se lo cuenten" uses the formal imperative to encourage the listener to experience life directly, not just hear about it. 'Pa que' is a colloquial shortening of 'para que' (in order that). The 'se lo' combines two object pronouns, with 'se' replacing 'le' because it is followed by 'lo'. "Sin creerse el mero, mero" advises against thinking too highly of oneself.