El Día De Los Muertos – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Alfredo Olivas

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the rich cultural tapestry of Mexico through Alfredo Olivas's "El Día De Los Muertos." This song offers a unique linguistic journey, as it beautifully narrates the themes of life, death, and remembrance from a poignant, first-person perspective. Learning Spanish with this song allows you to grasp emotional vocabulary and cultural expressions related to one of Mexico's most significant traditions, the Day of the Dead, making it a special and meaningful way to connect with the language and its heritage.

[English]

The moment has arrived

I didn't even choose the wood

A long time ago

I was on the waiting list

I never stopped

To organize my funeral

How many guests?

Which gospels?

And so suddenly

The light went out

New address

Between the grave and the cross

To the clan of the dead

Now, I am a new arrival

Today, officially

My legacy will begin

To take place

Maybe I was just anyone

But never one of the crowd

And the one who now kills me

Will not take away that gift

Well, I was to blame

Because I knew I was mortal

I apologize

For not fighting that evil

If I was already aware

That I was allergic to death

What am I doing in this place?

Where now it’s very dark

Lower the coffin

I won’t give you any more trouble

And without mercy

Throw a handful of dirt on me and close it

For today, for me, my world has just ended

This world of egos where, as you know, the king is always the one-eyed

I was already condemned and I will keep waiting for their gifts

The day of the dead

...

[Spanish]

Se llegó el momento

Ya ni escogí la madera

Hace mucho tiempo

Que estaba en lista de espera

Yo nunca me detuve

A organizar mi sepelio

¿Cuántos invitados?

¿Cuáles evangelios?

Y tan de repente

Se apagó la luz

Nuevo domicilio

Entre la tumba y la cruz

Al clan de los muertos

Ahora, soy nuevo ingresado

Hoy, oficialmente

Comenzará mi legado

A llevarse a cabo

Quizá fui un cualquiera

Pero, nunca del montón

Y el que ahora me muera

No me quitará ese don

Bien, yo tuve la culpa

Porque sabía que era mortal

Pido una disculpa

Por no atacar ese mal

Si ya estaba enterado

Que era alérgico a la muerte

¿Qué hago en este sitio?

Donde ahora ya es muy nerte

Bajen la caja

Ya no les daré más guerra

Y sin piedad

Échenme un puño de tierra y la cierran

Por hoy, a mí, a mí se me acaba de acabar el mundo

Este mundo de los egos que, como saben, el rey siempre es el tuerto

Yo ya estaba condenado y voy a seguir esperando sus regalos

El día de los muertos

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
momento /moˈmento/ A2	noun - moment, point in time
espera /esˈpeɾa/ B1	noun - wait, waiting
lista /ˈlista/ A2	noun - list, roster
esperar /espeˈɾaɾ/ A2	verb - to wait, to hope
detener /deteˈneɾ/ B1	verb - to stop, to hold back
organizar /oɾɣaniˈsaɾ/ B2	verb - to organize, to arrange
sepeli(o) /sepˈelio/ C1	noun - funeral, burial
invitados /inβiˈtaðos/ B2	noun - guests, invitees
evangelios /evangeˈli.os/ C1	noun - gospels, good news
luz /luθ/ A2	noun - light
domicilio /domiˈsiljo/ B2	noun - home, address
cruz /kɾuz/ A2	noun - cross
muertos /ˈmweɾtos/ A2	noun - dead, the deceased
legado /leˈɣaðo/ B2	noun - legacy, inheritance
muerte /ˈmweɾte/ A2	noun - death

Key Grammar Structures

• Se llegó el momento

  ➔ The use of the passive voice.

  ➔ In this line, "Se llegó" indicates that the moment has arrived without specifying who caused it.

• Yo nunca me detuve

  ➔ The use of the simple past tense.

  ➔ Here, "me detuve" indicates a completed action in the past.

• ¿Cuántos invitados?

  ➔ The use of interrogative sentences.

  ➔ This line asks a question about the number of guests.

• Al clan de los muertos

  ➔ The use of prepositional phrases.

  ➔ This phrase indicates a relationship or direction towards a group.

• Hoy, oficialmente

  ➔ The use of adverbs for emphasis.

  ➔ The word "oficialmente" emphasizes the seriousness of the statement.

• Pido una disculpa

  ➔ The use of the subjunctive mood.

  ➔ This line expresses a desire or request for forgiveness.

• Échenme un puño de tierra

  ➔ The use of imperative verbs.

  ➔ The verb "échenme" is a command asking for action.