Clandestino – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Manu Chao
• Album: Baïonarena (Live)

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can be an adventure, and Manu Chao's 'Clandestino' is the perfect song to guide you through the sounds and stories of the Spanish-speaking world. The song's simple, repetitive lyrics make it easy to follow along and pick up new vocabulary related to identity and social justice. What makes 'Clandestino' special is its ability to connect you to a global conversation about immigration and human rights, all while grooving to its infectious reggae beat.

[English]

I only go with my sorrow

My sentence goes alone

Running is my destiny

To outrun the law

Lost in the heart

Of great Babylon

They call me "the clandestine"

For not carrying papers

To a northern city

I went to work

I left my life

Between Ceuta and Gibraltar

I'm a line in the sea

A ghost in the city

My life is forbidden

Says authority

I only go with my sorrow

My sentence goes alone

Running is my destiny

To outrun the law

Lost in the heart

Of great Babylon

They call me "the clandestine"

I'm the lawbreaker

Black Hand clandestine

Peruvian clandestine

African clandestine

Illegal marijuana

I only go with my sorrow

My sentence goes alone

Running is my destiny

To outrun the law

Lost in the heart

Of great Babylon

They call me "the clandestine"

For not carrying papers

Algerian clandestine

Nigerian clandestine

Bolivian clandestine

Illegal Black Hand

...

[Spanish]

Solo voy con mi pena

Sola va mi condena

Correr es mi destino

Para burlar la ley

Perdido en el corazón

De la grande Babylon

Me dicen "el clandestino"

Por no llevar papel

Pa' una ciudad del norte

Yo me fui a trabajar

Mi vida la dejé

Entre Ceuta y Gibraltar

Soy una raya en el mar

Fantasma en la ciudad

Mi vida va prohibida

Dice la autoridad

Solo voy con mi pena

Sola va mi condena

Correr es mi destino

Por no llevar papel

Perdido en el corazón

De la grande Babylon

Me dicen "el clandestino"

Yo soy el quebra ley

Mano Negra clandestina

Peruano clandestino

Africano clandestino

Marihuana ilegal

Solo voy con mi pena

Sola va mi condena

Correr es mi destino

Para burlar la ley

Perdido en el corazón

De la grande Babylon

Me dicen "el clandestino"

Por no llevar papel

Argelino clandestino

Nigeriano clandestino

Boliviano clandestino

Mano Negra ilegal

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
con /kon/ A1	preposition - with
pena /ˈpena/ A2	noun - sorrow, grief
va /ba/ A1	verb - he/she/it goes
mi /mi/ A1	possessive adjective - my
correr /koˈreɾ/ A2	verb - to run
destino /dɛsˈtino/ B1	noun - destiny, fate
ley /lei/ A2	noun - law
condena /kondeˈna/ B1	noun - sentence, punishment
burlar /burˈlaɾ/ B2	verb - to escape, to evade
ley /lei/ A2	noun - law
clandestino /klandesˈtino/ B1	adjective / noun - clandestine, illegal, clandestine person
perdido /peɾˈðiðo/ B2	adjective / noun - lost, a lost person
ciudad /θjuˈðað/ (Spain) or /sjuˈðað/ (Latin America) A2	noun - city
trabajar /tɾaˈβa.xaɾ/ A2	verb - to work

Key Grammar Structures

• Solo voy con mi pena

  ➔ Present tense for expressing current actions.

  ➔ The phrase "Solo voy" means "I go alone" indicating a current state.

• Correr es mi destino

  ➔ Infinitive used as a subject.

  ➔ In this line, "Correr" (to run) acts as the subject of the sentence.

• Me dicen 'el clandestino'

  ➔ Indirect speech construction.

  ➔ The phrase "Me dicen" translates to "They tell me," indicating reported speech.

• Por no llevar papel

  ➔ Prepositional phrase indicating reason.

  ➔ The phrase "Por no llevar papel" means "For not carrying papers," explaining the reason for being clandestine.

• Mi vida va prohibida

  ➔ Present tense with a passive meaning.

  ➔ The phrase "va prohibida" translates to "is prohibited," indicating a passive construction.

• Soy una raya en el mar

  ➔ Metaphorical expression.

  ➔ The phrase "Soy una raya en el mar" means "I am a ray in the sea," symbolizing insignificance.

• Mano Negra clandestina

  ➔ Adjective-noun agreement.

  ➔ In this phrase, "Negra" agrees with "Mano" in gender and number.