Culpable O No – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Luis Miguel
• Album: Un Hombre Busca Una Mujer

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Luis Miguel's poignant Spanish ballad, "Culpable O No," a song that perfectly captures the raw emotion of seeking comfort in a lie when faced with painful truth. Learning this song offers insight into intense romantic vulnerability expressed through the rich melodic structure of Latin pop, showcasing the depth of Spanish balladry.

[English]

Just now that you've already left me

They've told me you’ve been deceiving me

Why all of a sudden do you have so many enemies?

Why do I have to keep making excuses for you?

If they’re lying, please, defend yourself

I know you won’t, because they’re telling the truth

It’s a shame, you’ll always keep hurting me

And, guilty or not, what can I do now?

Lie to me, like always

Please, lie to me

I need to believe you

Convince me

Lie to me with a kiss

That feels like love

I need to love you

Guilty or not

I no longer have the right to blame you for anything

Because nothing remains of you, of me, of yesterday

What a shame! Our story could have been amazing

And now tell me, my love, who will defend you?

Lie to me, like always

Please, lie to me

I need to believe you

Convince me

Lie to me with a kiss

That feels like love

I need to love you

Guilty or not

Lie to me, like always

Please, lie to me

I need to believe you

Convince me

Lie to me with a kiss

That feels like love

I need to love you

Guilty or not

[Spanish]

Precisamente ahora que tú ya te has ido

Me han dicho que has estado engañándome

¿Por qué de pronto tienes tantos enemigos?

¿Por qué tengo que andar disculpándote?

Si ellos están mintiendo, por favor, defiéndete

Yo sé que no lo harás, pues dicen la verdad

Es una pena, siempre seguirás doliéndome

Y, culpable o no, ¿qué le puedo hacer ya?

Miénteme, como siempre

Por favor, miénteme

Necesito creerte

Convénceme

Miénteme con un beso

Que parezca de amor

Necesito quererte

Culpable o no

No tengo ya derecho a reprocharte nada

Pues nada queda ya de ti, de mí, de ayer

¡Qué pena!, nuestra historia pudo ser fantástica

Y ahora dime, mi amor, ¿quién te va a defender?

Miénteme, como siempre

Por favor, miénteme

Necesito creerte

Convénceme

Miénteme con un beso

Que parezca de amor

Necesito quererte

Culpable o no

Miénteme, como siempre

Por favor, miénteme

Necesito creerte

Convénceme

Miénteme con un beso

Que parezca de amor

Necesito quererte

Culpable o no

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
culpable /kulˈpaβle/ B2	adjective - guilty, responsible for wrongdoing
pena /ˈpena/ A2	noun - sorrow, pity, shame
mentir /menˈtiɾ/ B1	verb - to lie, to say something false
defender /deβenˈdeɾ/ B2	verb - to defend, protect
enemigo /eneˈmiɣo/ A2	noun - enemy
historia /isˈtoɾja/ A2	noun - story, history
derecho /deˈɾetʃo/ B1	noun - right, entitlement (legal, moral)
beso /ˈbeso/ A2	noun - kiss
amor /aˈmoɾ/ A1	noun - love
mentira /menˈtiɾa/ B1	noun - lie, falsehood
engañar /enɡaˈɲaɾ/ B2	verb - to deceive, to cheat, to mislead
fantástico /fanˈtastiko/ B1	adjective - fantastic, wonderful
reprochar /repoˈtʃaɾ/ C1	verb - to reproach, to criticize
convencer /konbenˈθeɾ/ B2	verb - to convince, to persuade
defender /deβenˈdeɾ/ B2	verb - to defend, to stand up for
verdad /beɾˈdað/ A2	noun - truth
seguir /seˈɡiɾ/ A2	verb - to continue, to follow
necesitar /nesesiˈtaɾ/ A2	verb - to need, require
querer /keˈɾeɾ/ A1	verb - to want, to love
dolor /doˈloɾ/ B1	noun - pain, hurt

Key Grammar Structures

• Precisamente ahora que tú ya te has ido

  ➔ Present perfect tense with reflexive verb

  ➔ The phrase 'te has ido' uses the reflexive verb 'irse' in the present perfect form to indicate a completed action linked to the present: 'you have gone.'

• Me han dicho que has estado engañándome

  ➔ Reported speech and present perfect continuous

  ➔ 'Me han dicho que has estado engañándome' combines reported speech ('me han dicho') with a continuous form of the perfect tense ('has estado engañándome'), showing an action that may have lasted up to now.

• Por qué tengo que andar disculpándote

  ➔ Verbal periphrasis with 'tener que' and gerund

  ➔ 'Tener que andar disculpándote' expresses obligation with continued or repeated action, roughly 'Why do I have to keep excusing you?'

• Si ellos están mintiendo, por favor, defiéndete

  ➔ Conditional clause with imperative

  ➔ The phrase 'Si ellos están mintiendo, defiéndete' joins a conditional ('if they are lying') with a command ('defend yourself').

• Yo sé que no lo harás

  ➔ Future simple for assumption or prediction

  ➔ Here, 'harás' (you will do) expresses a prediction rather than a future plan: 'I know you won’t do it.'

• Miénteme, como siempre

  ➔ Imperative mood with reflexive pronoun

  ➔ The form 'miénteme' is the affirmative imperative of 'mentir' with the pronoun 'me' attached, meaning 'lie to me.'

• Convénceme

  ➔ Imperative form with pronoun enclitic

  ➔ In 'Convénceme', the pronoun 'me' is attached to the end of the imperative ‘convence,’ forming 'convince me'.

• Que parezca de amor

  ➔ Subjunctive mood in subordinate clause

  ➔ 'Parezca' is the present subjunctive form of 'parecer,' used after 'que' to express unreal, desired, or uncertain situations.

• No tengo ya derecho a reprocharte nada

  ➔ Infinitive with indirect object pronoun

  ➔ 'Reprocharte' is the infinitive 'reprochar' with the pronoun 'te' attached, meaning 'to reproach you.'

• Nuestra historia pudo ser fantástica

  ➔ Past modal with infinitive (conditional nuance)

  ➔ 'Pudo ser' expresses a possibility that didn’t happen: 'it could have been.'