El Chofer – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Vicente Fernández
• Album: Para Siempre

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heart of Mexican culture through 'El Chofer.' This song is a perfect tool for learning Spanish, as it uses clear, emotive storytelling and traditional vocabulary related to social roles and emotions, delivered by one of the greatest voices in Latin music history.

[English]

♪

I'm going to start the engine

I am the driver

I'll drive through the night - until dawn

There is no time to waste

I have a long stretch - of the country to cover

From Tijuana to Yucatán

I earn my bread on the highway

I'm going to Torreón

I'm going to San Luis

Rolling and rolling

Round and round, I am happy

Then I'm off to Monterrey

Always alert in case - there's a donkey or an ox

Aguascalientes and its - San Marcos fair

Goodbye, my countrymen

I was in Veracruz the day before yesterday

I passed through Puebla

Please, dim your lights

From north to south

I go everywhere

I'm going to Morelos and Guerrero

I am a driver

From Ciudad Juárez to Parral

And even to the Federal District

Someone is waiting for me

In Reynosa

Someone is waiting for me

In Toluca

Someone is waiting for me

In Cabo

Someone is waiting for me

In Hermosillo

Someone is waiting for me

In Tepic

Someone is waiting for me

In Huentitán

The national highway

From Laredo to Michoacán

I earn my bread on the highway

I am the driver

♪

I also go to Sonora

Sinaloa, Gornaloa, - Durango, Zacatecas

Nayarit, Jalisco, - Guanajuato, Querétaro

Hidalgo, Colima, - Tlaxcala, Oaxaca

Chiapas, Tabasco

Campeche and Quintana Roo

Oh, you son of a...

♪

[Spanish]

♪

Voy a arrancar

Soy el chofer

Manejaré la noche hasta el amanecer

Tiempo no hay para perder

Tengo un buen tramo de país que recorrer

Desde Tijuana a Yucatán

Por carretera gano el pan

Voy a Torreón

Voy a San Luis

Rueda que rueda

Vuelta y vuelta, soy feliz

Luego me voy a Monterrey

Siempre alerta por si algún un burro o un buey

Aguascalientes y su feria de San Marcos

Adiós, paisanos

Estuve antier en Veracruz

Pasé por Puebla

Por favor, baja tu luz

De norte a sur

Voy por doquier

Voy a Morelos y a Guerrero

Soy chofer

De Ciudad Juárez a Parral

Y hasta el Distrito Federal

Alguien me espera

En Reynosa

Alguien me espera

En Toluca

Alguien me espera

En Cabo

Alguien me espera

En Hermosillo

Alguien me espera

En Tepic

Alguien me espera

En Huentitán

La carretera nacional

Desde Laredo a Michoacán

Por carretera gano el pan

Soy el chofer

♪

También voy a Sonora

Sinaloa, Gornaloa, Durango, Zacatecas

Nayarit, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro

Hidalgo, Colima, Tlaxcala, Oaxaca

Chiapas, Tabasco

Campeche y Quintana Roo

Ay, hijo de su ■

♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
arrancar arrancar A2	verb - to start (a vehicle/action)
chofer chofer A2	noun - driver / chauffeur
manejaré manehare A1	verb - I will drive
amanecer amaneser A2	noun - dawn
tramo tramo B2	noun - stretch / section
recorrer rekorrer B1	verb - to travel through / cover
carretera karretera A2	noun - highway / road
rueda rueda A1	verb - to roll / to drive
feliz felis A1	adjective - happy
alerta alerta B1	adjective - alert / vigilant
feria feria A2	noun - fair / carnival
paisanos paisanos B2	noun - fellow countrymen
doquier dokier C1	adjective - everywhere / wherever
espera espera A1	verb - to wait
nacional nasional A2	adjective - national

Key Grammar Structures

• Voy a arrancar

  ➔ Near Future (Ir + a + infinitive)

  ➔ Used to express an action that is going to happen soon. "Voy a" indicates the subject's intention or immediate plan.

• Manejaré la noche

  ➔ Simple Future (Futuro simple)

  ➔ The verb "manejaré" (I will drive) describes a future action, common in lyrics to express determination or predictions.

• Tiempo no hay para perder

  ➔ Haber (impersonal 'hay' + noun + para + infinitive)

  ➔ The structure "no hay [x] para [verb]" means "there is no [x] to [verb]", emphasizing the lack of time in this context.

• Estuve antier en Veracruz

  ➔ Preterite Tense (Pretérito indefinido)

  ➔ "Estuve" is the first-person singular preterite of "estar". It denotes a completed action at a specific time in the past.

• Por favor, baja tu luz

  ➔ Imperative (Mandato/Imperativo)

  ➔ "Baja" is the affirmative imperative form (tú) of "bajar", used here to request the driver to dim their high beams.

• Alguien me espera

  ➔ Present Indicative (Presente de indicativo)

  ➔ "Espera" (from esperar) describes a state or a habitual action in the present, indicating someone is waiting for the driver.

• Soy el chofer

  ➔ Ser (To be - permanent identity)

  ➔ "Soy" is the first-person singular of "ser". It defines the subject's professional identity (I am the driver).

• Ay, hijo de su...

  ➔ Interjection (Interjección)

  ➔ "Ay" is an interjection used to express intense emotion (here, surprise or resignation). It adds expressive color to the speech.