La Isla Bonita – English Lyrics

• By: Madonna
• Album: True Blue

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the beauty of the Spanish language and Latin rhythms through Madonna's iconic hit, "La Isla Bonita." This song is a vibrant celebration of Latin culture and a dreamy escape to a tropical paradise, perfect for learning about music and culture .

[English]

♪♪

[SINGING IN SPANISH]

♪ Last night I dreamt of San Pedro ♪

♪ Just like I'd never gone, I knew the song ♪

♪ A young girl with eyes like the desert ♪

♪ It all seems like yesterday, not far away ♪

♪ Tropical, the island breeze ♪

♪ All of nature wild and free ♪

♪ This is where I long to be ♪

[SINGING IN SPANISH]

♪ And when the samba played ♪

♪ The sun would set so high ♪

♪ Ring through my ears and sting my eyes ♪

♪ Your Spanish lullaby ♪

♪ I fell in love with San Pedro ♪

♪ Warm wind carried on the sea, he called to me ♪

[SINGING IN SPANISH]

♪ I prayed that the days would last ♪

♪ They went so fast ♪

♪ Tropical, the island breeze ♪

♪ All of nature wild and free ♪

♪ This is where I long to be ♪

[SINGING IN SPANISH]

♪ And when the samba played ♪

♪ The sun would set so high ♪

♪ Ring through my ears and sting my eyes ♪

♪ Your Spanish lullaby ♪

♪ I want to be where the sun warms the sky ♪

♪ When it's time for siesta you can watch them go by ♪

♪ Beautiful faces, no cares in this world ♪

♪ Where a girl loves a boy ♪

♪ And a boy ♪

♪ Loves a girl ♪

♪ Last night I dreamt of San Pedro ♪

♪ It all seems like yesterday, not far away ♪

♪ Tropical, the island breeze ♪

♪ All of nature wild and free ♪

♪ This is where I long to be ♪

[SINGING IN SPANISH]

♪ And when the samba played ♪

♪ The sun would set so high ♪

♪ Ring through my ears and sting my eyes ♪

♪ Your Spanish lullaby ♪

♪ Dah, dah, dah, dah, dah ♪

♪ Tropical, the island breeze ♪

♪ All of nature wild and free ♪

♪ This is where I long to be ♪

[SINGING IN SPANISH]

♪ And when the samba played ♪

♪ The sun would set so high ♪

♪ Ring through my ears and sting my eyes ♪

♪ Your Spanish lullaby ♪

♪ La, la, la, la, la, la, la ♪

[SINGING IN SPANISH]

♪ La, la, la, la, la, la, la ♪

[SINGING IN SPANISH]

♪ Bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, ♪

♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪

[SINGING IN SPANISH]

♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dream /driːm/ B1	verb - to experience thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep
island /ˈaɪ.lənd/ A2	noun - a piece of land surrounded by water
breeze /briːz/ B1	noun - a gentle wind
nature /ˈneɪ.tʃər/ A2	noun - the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, and landscapes
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have a strong affection for someone or something noun - a strong feeling of affection
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and heat to the Earth
high /haɪ/ A2	adjective - of great vertical extent
fast /fæst/ A2	adjective - moving or capable of moving at high speed
beautiful /ˈbjuː.tɪ.fəl/ B1	adjective - pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a male child or young man
call /kɔːl/ A2	verb - to shout out or speak to someone
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation
samba /ˈsæm.bə/ B2	noun - a Brazilian dance and music genre
lullaby /ˈlʌl.ə.baɪ/ B2	noun - a song sung to soothe a child or help them sleep

Key Grammar Structures

• Last night I dreamt of San Pedro

  ➔ Simple Past Tense

  ➔ Uses the simple past tense "dreamt" to describe a past event. It is used to describe finished action in the past. It is an irregular verb.

• Just like I'd never gone, I knew the song

  ➔ Past Perfect Conditional + Simple Past

  ➔ Uses "I'd never gone" which is the contracted form of "I had never gone" (Past Perfect). It is used in a conditional sense, implying 'as if' or 'just like' + Simple Past "I knew the song".

• It all seems like yesterday, not far away

  ➔ Present Simple with 'seem' + Adjective Phrase

  ➔ The phrase "It all seems like yesterday" employs the present simple with the verb "seem" to express a feeling or perception of the present moment in relation to the past. "Not far away" is an adjective phrase.

• This is where I long to be

  ➔ Present Simple + 'long to' (Infinitive of Purpose)

  ➔ "This is where I long to be" uses the present simple "is" and "long to be" expressing a strong desire. 'long to' indicates purpose or intention.

• When the samba played, the sun would set so high

  ➔ Simple Past + Conditional 'would' (for habitual past action)

  ➔ The "played" is the simple past, and "would set" is used to describe a typical or habitual action in the past. It is something that happened regularly.

• I want to be where the sun warms the sky

  ➔ Present Simple + 'want to' (Infinitive) + Relative Clause

  ➔ Uses present simple "want" and the infinitive "to be". "where the sun warms the sky" is a relative clause.

• When it's time for siesta you can watch them go by

  ➔ Present Simple + Modal Verb 'can' + Infinitive

  ➔ "It's time" is present simple, and "can watch" uses the modal verb 'can' to indicate possibility or permission. "go by" is a phrasal verb.