El Pasadiscos – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Diego Verdaguer
• Album: Diego En Los 70

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the emotional landscape of Diego Verdaguer's "El Pasadiscos," a touching ballad that uses the setting of a jukebox to tell a story of shared human experience. Through its evocative lyrics and gentle melody, the song offers a glimpse into themes of love, loss, and the comforting power of music.

[English]

She chose songs on a turntable

I was having a coffee... at the counter

I saw she left a coin and her hand was trembling

But despite the murmur, I heard my voice

Then I lit a cigarette, so she could see me

She kept listening to my voice on the record

I wanted to get closer to her side to smile at her

I saw she was quietly crying, because of that song

Why cry, love is like that, it comes and goes

There’s no solution, only the memory and some song left

Why cry, love is like that, it comes and goes

Soon you will see, that what has happened to you will be forgotten

...

She kept leaning and wrapped in her sorrow

But when she turned suddenly, she recognized me

And I slowly approached, through the crowd

I saw her eyes spoke of loneliness

And gently I told her, that it happens to us all

I wanted to explain in my way that song

I didn’t write it for a girl to cry

If I had known, I would have never sung

Why cry, love is like that, it comes and goes

There’s no solution, only the memory and some song left

Why cry, love is like that, it comes and goes

Soon you will see, that what has happened to you will be forgotten

(If love is like that, it comes and goes)

(There’s no solution, only the memory and some song left)

Why cry, love is like that, it comes and goes

Soon you will see that what has happened to you will be forgotten

(If love is like that, it comes and goes)

(There’s no solution, only the memory and some song left)

...

[Spanish]

Ella elegía canciones en un pasadiscos

Yo me tomaba un café... en el mostrador

Vi que dejo una moneda y su mano temblaba

Pero a pesar del murmullo, mi voz escuche

Luego encendí un cigarrillo, para que me viera

Ella seguía escuchando en el disco mi voz

Quise acercarme a su lado para sonreírle

Vi que lloraba bajito, por esa canción

Por qué llorar, el amor es así, como viene se marcha

No hay solución, solo queda el recuerdo y alguna canción

Por qué llorar, el amor es así, como se viene se marcha

Pronto veras, que lo que te ha pasado, se habrá de olvidar

Ella seguía apoyada y envuelta en su pena

Pero al volverse de pronto, me reconoció

Y fui acercándome lento, por entre la gente

Vi que sus ojos hablaban de la soledad

Y con dulzura le dije, que a todos nos pasa

Quise explicarle a mi modo que aquella canción

No la compuse para que llorara una niña

Yo de saberlo, no habría cantado jamás

Por qué llorar, el amor es así, como viene se marcha

No hay solución, solo queda el recuerdo y alguna canción

Por qué llorar, el amor es así, como viene se marcha

Pronto veras, que lo que te ha pasado, se habrá de olvidar

(Si el amor es así, como viene se marcha)

(No hay solución, solo queda el recuerdo y alguna canción)

Por qué llorar, el amor es así, como viene se marcha

Pronto veras que lo que te ha pasado, se habrá de olvidar

(Si el amor es así, como viene se marcha)

(No hay solución, solo queda el recuerdo y alguna canción)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
canciones /kanˈθjones/ A1	noun - songs
café /kaˈfe/ A1	noun - coffee
mano /ˈmano/ A1	noun - hand
voz /bos/ A2	noun - voice
disco /ˈdisko/ A2	noun - record
lado /ˈlado/ A2	noun - side
amor /aˈmoɾ/ A2	noun - love
recuerdo /reˈkweɾðo/ B1	noun - memory
pena /ˈpena/ B1	noun - sorrow
ojos /ˈoxos/ A1	noun - eyes
niña /ˈniɲa/ A1	noun - girl
llorar /ʎoˈɾaɾ/ A2	verb - to cry
temblar /temˈblaɾ/ B2	verb - to tremble
olvidar /olbiˈðaɾ/ B1	verb - to forget
soledad /soleˈðað/ B2	noun - loneliness

Key Grammar Structures

• Ella elegía canciones en un pasadiscos

  ➔ Imperfect tense (elegía)

  ➔ The imperfect tense describes a habitual action or a state in the past. Here, it indicates that she *used to choose* songs on the jukebox.

• Vi que dejo una moneda y su mano temblaba

  ➔ Preterite (dejó) and Imperfect (temblaba)

  ➔ "Dejó" (preterite) is a completed action. "Temblaba" (imperfect) describes the state of her hand at that moment, providing background information.

• Quise acercarme a su lado para sonreírle

  ➔ Preterite (quise) + infinitive (acercarme) and purpose clause (para sonreírle)

  ➔ "Quise" indicates a completed action of attempting. "Para sonreírle" explains the purpose of wanting to approach her.

• Por qué llorar, el amor es así, como viene se marcha

  ➔ Present tense (es, viene, se marcha) to express a general truth.

  ➔ The present tense is used to make a statement about a general, timeless truth about love.

• Pronto veras, que lo que te ha pasado, se habrá de olvidar

  ➔ Future simple (verás) + Present perfect (ha pasado) + Future perfect subjunctive (se habrá de olvidar)

  ➔ "Verás" indicates a future event. "Ha pasado" refers to a past event that is relevant to the present. "Se habrá de olvidar" expresses an expectation or belief that something will be forgotten in the future.

• Pero al volverse de pronto, me reconoció

  ➔ Preterite (reconoció) after a temporal clause with 'al + infinitive'

  ➔ The construction "al + infinitive" (al volverse) means "upon turning" or "when turning". This is followed by the preterite tense to describe the immediate consequence.

• Y con dulzura le dije, que a todos nos pasa

  ➔ Indirect speech using 'que' and Present tense (pasa) for general truth.

  ➔ The structure "le dije, que..." introduces indirect speech. The present tense "pasa" emphasizes the generality of the statement.

• No la compuse para que llorara una niña

  ➔ Subjunctive mood (llorara) in a purpose clause introduced by 'para que'.

  ➔ The 'para que' construction requires the subjunctive mood because it expresses a purpose, intention, or desired outcome. The singer didn't compose the song *so that* a girl would cry.