La Gota Fría – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Carlos Vives
• Album: Clásicos de La Provincia

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of Colombian Spanish with 'La Gota Fría.' This song is a perfect gateway to understanding the country's rich musical heritage and the storytelling nature of vallenato. By listening, you can learn colloquial expressions and the passionate, competitive spirit embedded in the culture, all wrapped in an irresistibly danceable rhythm that mixes folk with rock.

[English]

Remember Moralito of that day

When you were in Urumita

And you didn't want to party

You left early in the morning

Could it be out of the same anger?

You left early in the morning

Could it be out of the same anger? (Uma, oh man)

In my notes I am extensive

Nobody corrects me

In my notes I am extensive

Nobody corrects me

To play with Lorenzo

Tomorrow Saturday, the Virgin's day

To play with Lorenzo

Tomorrow Saturday, the Virgin's day

He takes me or I take him

So that this thing ends

He takes me or I take him

So that this thing ends

Ay, Morales won't take me

Because I don't want to

Moralito won't take me

Because I don't want to

...

What culture, what culture is he going to have

An "indio chumeca" like Lorenzo Morales

What culture is he going to have, if he was born in the cardonales

What culture is he going to have, if he was born in the cardonales (Ay, uma)

Morales insults my mother

Just to offend

Morales insults my mother

Just to offend

So that he also gets offended

Now I insult his mother

So that he also gets offended

Now I insult his mother

He takes me or I take him

So that this thing ends

He takes me or I take him

So that this thing ends

Ay, Morales won't take me

Because I don't want to

Moralito won't take me

Because I don't want to, hey

...

Moralito, Moralito thought

That he, that he was going to beat me

And when he heard me play

The cold drop fell on him

And when he heard me play

The cold drop fell on him

At the end of the get-together

The shot backfired

At the end of the get-together

The shot backfired

...

[Spanish]

Acordáte Moralito de aquel día

Que estuviste en Urumita

Y no quisiste hacer parranda

Te fuiste de mañanita

¿Sería de la misma rabia?

Te fuiste de mañanita

¿Sería de la misma rabia? (Uma, ay homb'e)

En mis notas soy extenso

A mí nadie me corrige

En mis notas soy extenso

A mí nadie me corrige

Para tocar con Lorenzo

Mañana sábado, día e' la Virgen

Para tocar con Lorenzo

Mañana sábado, día e' la Virgen

Me lleva él o me lo llevo yo

Pa' que se acabe la vaina

Me lleva él o me lo llevo yo

Pa' que se acabe la vaina

Ay, Morales a mí no me lleva

Porque no me da la gana

Moralito a mí no me lleva

Porque no me da la gana

Qué cultura, qué cultura va a tener

Un indio chumeca como Lorenzo Morales

Qué cultura va a tener, si nació en los cardonales

Qué cultura va a tener, si nació en los cardonales (Ay, uma)

Morales mienta mi mama

Solamente pa' ofender

Morales mienta mi mama

Solamente pa' ofender

Para que él también se ofenda

Ahora le miento la de él

Para que él también se ofenda

Ahora le miento la de él

Me lleva él o me lo llevo yo

Pa' que se acabe la vaina

Me lleva él o me lo llevo yo

Pa' que se acabe la vaina

Ay, Morales a mí no me lleva

Porque no me da la gana

Moralito a mí no me lleva

Porque no me da la gana, hey

Moralito, moralito se creía

Que él a mí, que él a mí me iba a ganar

Y cuándo me oyó tocar

Le cayó la gota fría

Y cuándo me oyó tocar

Le cayó la gota fría

Al cabo e' la compartía

El tiro le salió mal

Al cabo e' la compartía

El tiro le salió mal

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
acordáte /a.kor.'da.te/ A2	verb - to remember
moralito /mo.ɾa.'li.to/ A2	noun - little morals (diminutive form)
estuviste /es.tu.'vis.te/ A2	verb - you were (past of 'estar')
hacer /a.'θeɾ/ A2	verb - to do, to make
parranda /pa.'ran.da/ B1	noun - party, celebration
fuiste /fwis.te/ A2	verb - you went (past of 'ir')
rabia /ˈra.βja/ B2	noun - rage, fury
nota /ˈno.ta/ A2	noun - note, musical note
corrige /ko.'ri.xe/ B1	verb - corrects, to edit
tocar /to.'kar/ A2	verb - to play (an instrument)
mañanita /ma.ɲa.'ni.ta/ A2	noun - little morning, early morning
llevo /ˈʝe.βo/ A2	verb - I carry, I take
lleve /ˈʝe.βe/ A2	verb - subjunctive form of 'llevar', meaning 'to carry/take'
vaina /ˈba.i.na/ A2	noun - thing, matter, issue
gana /ˈɡa.na/ A2	noun - desire, will, wish

Key Grammar Structures

• Acordáte Moralito de aquel día

  ➔ Imperative form used for direct address.

  ➔ The word "Acordáte" is an imperative form, telling someone to remember.

• Me lleva él o me lo llevo yo

  ➔ Use of reflexive pronouns.

  ➔ The phrase "me lo llevo" uses the reflexive pronoun "me" to indicate the subject's action upon themselves.

• Qué cultura, qué cultura va a tener

  ➔ Use of future tense to express expectation.

  ➔ The phrase "va a tener" indicates an expectation about someone's culture in the future.

• Morales mienta mi mama

  ➔ Use of subjunctive mood to express doubt or emotion.

  ➔ The phrase "mienta" is in the subjunctive mood, indicating a wish or doubt about Morales mentioning the speaker's mother.

• Le cayó la gota fría

  ➔ Use of idiomatic expressions.

  ➔ The expression "le cayó la gota fría" is an idiomatic way to say someone was shocked or surprised.

• El tiro le salió mal

  ➔ Use of past tense to describe completed actions.

  ➔ The phrase "le salió mal" indicates that something did not go as planned in the past.