El Colmo – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Babasonicos
• Album: Anoche

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of Argentine rock with Babasonicos' 'El Colmo.' While the lyrics are in Spanish, the song's universal message of seeking escape and renewal transcends language barriers. Learning the rhythm and emotion of this track can give you a taste of the introspective and modern Latin alternative scene, encouraging you to explore how Spanish poetry is woven into contemporary rock music.

[English]

I want to tempt the abyss

And cheat death

Let's go back to zero

Let's erase it all

And let's celebrate if tomorrow

I wake up sober and happy

So, song, take me far away

Where no one remembers me

I want to be the murmur of some city

That doesn't know who I am

I would even give my dream

Just to see the farce fail

Let's lose the center

Let's burn it all

And we will ask that tomorrow

May no one come to force me to fulfill

So, song, take me far away

Where no one remembers me

I want to be the murmur of some city

That doesn't know who I am

...

I exchange everything for the gift

That makes women laugh

Their world

It pulls me into their footprints

And let's pray that tomorrow

Turns me into another unhappy person

...

So, song, take me far away

Where no one remembers me

I want to be the murmur of some city

That doesn't know who I am

Song, take me far away

Where no one remembers me

I want to be the murmur of some city

That doesn't know who I am

...

[Spanish]

Quiero tentar el abismo

Y a la muerte estafar

Volvamos a cero

Borrémoslo todo

Y festejemos si mañana

Me despierto sobrio y feliz

Por eso, canción, llévame lejos

Donde nadie se acuerde de mí

Quiero ser el murmullo de alguna ciudad

Que no sepa quién soy

Yo daría hasta mi sueño

Por ver la farsa fallar

Perdamos el centro

Quemémoslo todo

Y pediremos que mañana

Nadie venga a hacerme cumplir

Por eso, canción, llévame lejos

Donde nadie se acuerde de mí

Quiero ser el murmullo de alguna ciudad

Que no sepa quién soy

Cambio todo por el don

Que hace a las mujeres reír

El mundo de ellas

Me hunde en sus huellas

Y roguemos que mañana

Me convierta en otro infeliz

Por eso, canción, llévame lejos

Donde nadie se acuerde de mí

Quiero ser el murmullo de alguna ciudad

Que no sepa quién soy

Canción, llévame lejos

Donde nadie se acuerde de mí

Quiero ser el murmullo de alguna ciudad

Que no sepa quién soy

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
abismo /aˈβismo/ B2	noun - abyss
estafar /estaˈfar/ B2	verb - to swindle
borrar /boˈrar/ A2	verb - to erase
festejar /festeˈxar/ A2	verb - to celebrate
sobrio /ˈsoβɾjo/ B1	adjective - sober
murmullo /murˈmuʎo/ B1	noun - murmur
farsa /ˈfarsa/ B2	noun - farce
quemar /keˈmar/ A2	verb - to burn
rogar /roˈɣar/ B1	verb - to beg
convertir /konberˈtir/ B1	verb - to convert
infeliz /infeˈliθ/ A2	adjective - unhappy
don /don/ A1	noun - gift
huella /ˈwela/ B1	noun - footprint
lejos /ˈleξos/ A1	adverb - far
ciudad /θjuˈðað/ A1	noun - city

Key Grammar Structures

• Quiero tentar el abismo

  ➔ Verb of desire + infinitive

  ➔ In Spanish, verbs that express desire such as "querer" are followed directly by an infinitive. Here the infinitive is "tentar".

• Volvamos a cero

  ➔ First‑person plural subjunctive used as a hortative (imperative)

  ➔ The verb "volvamos" is in the present subjunctive. In the first person plural it often functions as an exhortation, meaning “let’s go back”.

• Borrémoslo todo

  ➔ First‑person plural imperative with enclitic object pronoun

  ➔ The verb "borrémoslo" combines the imperative "borrémos" (let’s erase) with the enclitic pronoun "lo" (it). The pronoun attaches to the end of the verb.

• Por eso, canción, llévame lejos

  ➔ Affirmative imperative with attached direct‑object pronoun

  ➔ The verb "llévame" is the affirmative imperative of "llevar" with the direct‑object pronoun "me" (me). It means “take me”.

• Donde nadie se acuerde de mí

  ➔ Relative clause with subjunctive after "donde" (uncertainty)

  ➔ Because the place is imagined or doubtful, the verb in the clause "se acuerde" appears in the present subjunctive.

• Quiero ser el murmullo de alguna ciudad que no sepa quién soy

  ➔ Relative clause with subjunctive after "que" (unknown information)

  ➔ The clause "que no sepa quién soy" expresses an unknown, hypothetical quality, so the verb "sepa" is in the present subjunctive.

• Yo daría hasta mi sueño por ver la farsa fallar

  ➔ Simple conditional + infinitive complement (ver + infinitive)

  ➔ The conditional "daría" expresses a hypothetical willingness. It is followed by the infinitive "ver" and another infinitive "fallar" as a double‑infinitive construction.

• Y pediremos que mañana nadie venga a hacerme cumplir

  ➔ Subjunctive clause after "que" (request / expectation)

  ➔ The verb "pediremos" (we will ask) triggers the subjunctive in the following clause. Therefore the verb "venga" appears in the present subjunctive.

• Cambio todo por el don que hace a las mujeres reír

  ➔ Relative clause with indicative + infinitive after a verb of perception

  ➔ The relative clause "que hace a las mujeres reír" uses the indicative "hace" because it states a factual action, and the infinitive "reír" follows the verb "hacer" to express purpose.