Él – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotions of José José's "Él," a classic Latin ballad that masterfully portrays the agony of suspected betrayal and a lover's desperate plea for exclusivity. Through its poignant lyrics and José José's iconic vocal delivery, this song offers a unique window into the emotional depth of the Spanish language, allowing learners to grasp expressions of jealousy, love, and heartbreak in a truly memorable way. The narrative unfolds clearly, making it an excellent piece for understanding storytelling in song and appreciating the nuanced power of romantic Spanish poetry.

[English]

♪

He’s pulling me away from your life

He’s stealing your caresses from me

With his presence, he’s tearing our story apart

♪

He weaves countless dreams with your scent

And writes verses on paper napkins

He’s trying to replace me in your memory

♪

Who is he?

He’s the intruder, the heartless thief,

The selfish, timely seducer

Who doesn’t care he’s breaking my heart

Who is he?

He won’t embrace you like I do

He won’t fill you with tenderness

But he’s shattering my heart

And you let him

♪

He

When I leave, he comes to see you

He secretly sends you roses

He closes the door and ends our story

Who is he?

He’s the intruder, the heartless thief,

The selfish, timely seducer

Who doesn’t care he’s breaking my heart

Who is he?

He won’t embrace you like I do

He won’t fill you with tenderness

But he’s shattering my heart

And you let him

♪

[Spanish]

♪

Él me está apartando de tu vida

Él me está robando tus caricias

Él con su presencia hace pedazos nuestra historia

♪

Él con tu perfume teje sueños a granel

Y escribe versos en manteles de papel

Y está tratando suplantarme en tu memoria

♪

¿Él quién es?

Es el intruso, el despiadado, es el ladrón

El egoísta, el oportuno seductor

Que no le importa estar matándome de pena

¿Él quién es?

No ha de abrazarte como yo lo hago

Él no ha de colmarte con ternura

Pero él me está partiendo el corazón

Y tú lo dejas

♪

Él

Cuando me marcho te visita él

Te manda rosas a escondidas

Él cierra la puerta y pone fin a nuestra historia

¿Él quién es?

Es el intruso, el despiadado es el ladrón

El egoísta, el oportuno seductor

Que no le importa estar matándome de pena

¿Él quién es?

No ha de abrazarte como yo lo hago

Él no ha de colmarte con ternura

Pero él me está partiendo el corazón

Y tú lo dejas

♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
apartando a.par.ˈtan.do A2	verb - separating
robando ro.ˈban.do A2	verb - stealing
presencia pre.ˈsen.θja A2	noun - presence
pedazos pe.ˈða.θos A2	noun - pieces
perfume peɾ.ˈfu.me A1	noun - perfume
teje ˈte.xe B1	verb - weaves
sueños ˈswe.ɲos A1	noun - dreams
escribe es.ˈkɾi.be A2	verb - writes
suplantarme sup.lan.ˈtar.me B2	verb - to supplant me
intruso in.ˈtɾu.so B1	noun - intruder
despiadado des.pja.ˈða.ðo B1	adjective - ruthless
egoísta e.ɣo.ˈis.ta A2	adjective - selfish
seductor se.duk.ˈtor B1	noun - seducer
abrazarte a.βɾa.ˈθar.te A2	verb - to hug you
colmarte kol.ˈmar.te B1	verb - to fill you
ternura ter.ˈnu.ɾa A2	noun - tenderness
partiendo par.ˈtjen.do A2	verb - breaking
corazón ko.ɾa.ˈθon A1	noun - heart

Key Grammar Structures

• Él me está apartando de tu vida

  ➔ Present continuous tense with 'estar'

  ➔ The verb 'está apartando' uses 'estar' to indicate an action happening now, emphasizing the ongoing process of being separated.

• Él con su presencia hace pedazos nuestra historia

  ➔ Use of 'con' for 'with'

  ➔ The preposition 'con' is used to mean 'with' his presence, showing the cause or means of the action.

• ¿Él quién es?

  ➔ Inversion in questions

  ➔ The subject 'Él' is placed after the verb 'es' in the question, which is a common structure in Spanish for emphasis.

• Es el intruso, el despiadado, es el ladrón

  ➔ Use of commas for enumeration

  ➔ Commas are used to separate the list of adjectives describing 'Él', providing a rhythmic and poetic effect.

• Que no le importa estar matándome de pena

  ➔ Use of 'que' for subordinate clauses

  ➔ The conjunction 'que' introduces a subordinate clause that explains the main clause, adding more detail to the sentence.