Nómadas – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: La Maravillosa Orquesta del Alcohol
• Album: Mús Records

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into "Nómadas" by La Maravillosa Orquesta del Alcohol, a vibrant Spanish song that offers a unique window into the language and culture. Through its poetic lyrics and folk-rock melodies, you'll learn vocabulary related to travel, perseverance, and emotion, while experiencing the authentic sound of one of Spain's most compelling bands. Its narrative of journeying and finding meaning makes it particularly special for language learners interested in real-world expressions and heartfelt storytelling.

[English]

At the very end

Where the sea no longer reaches

The nights burn away

The light never leaves

When are we going to stop?

The road doesn't go

Where you want to arrive

Like Jack Kerouac

Always against the wind...

Here is never a good time

...

Nomads without a city

Tired of waiting

They watch the road

You see the days pass

When are we going to stop?

There are no songs on the radio that talk about what we dream of

There is no future, it has already happened

The present can't be seen...

We are never going back

Distance brings us closer (ooh, ohh, oh)

You feel alive (ooh, ohh, oh) on the platform (ooh, ohh, oh)

That feeling of not having missed your train

...

Don't ask me why we're never going back

(Ooh, ohh, oh)

You feel alive (ooh, ohh, oh) on the platform (ooh, ohh, oh)

The broken strings (ooh, ohh, oh) know it well (ooh, ohh, oh)

You feel alive (ooh, ohh, oh) on the platform (ooh, ohh, oh)

That feeling of not having missed your train

...

[Spanish]

Al final del final

Donde ya no llega el mar

Las noches se queman

La luz nunca se va

¿Cuando vamos a parar?

El camino no va

Donde tu quieres llegar

Como Jack Kerouac

Siempre contra el viento...

Aquí nunca es buen momento

Nómadas sin ciudad

Cansados de esperar

Miran la carretera

Ves los días pasar

¿Cuando vamos a parar?

No hay canciones en la radio que hablen de lo que soñamos

No hay futuro, ya ha pasado

El presente no se ve...

Nunca vamos a volver

La distancia nos acerca (ooh, ohh, oh)

Te sientes vivo (ooh, ohh, oh) en el andén (ooh, ohh, oh)

Esa sensación de no haber perdido tu tren

No me preguntes porqué nunca vamos a volver

(Ooh, ohh, oh)

Te sientes vivo (ooh, ohh, oh) en el andén (ooh, ohh, oh)

Las cuerdas rotas (ooh, ohh, oh) lo saben bien (ooh, ohh, oh)

Te sientes vivo (ooh, ohh, oh) en el anden (ooh, ohh, oh)

Esa sensación de no haber perdido tu tren

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
final /fiˈnal/ A2	noun - end; finish adjective - final
luz /luθ/ A2	noun - light
caminos /kaˈmi.no/ B1	noun - paths, roads
esperar /es.peˈɾar/ A2	verb - to wait; to hope
carretera /ka.reˈte.ɾa/ A2	noun - road, highway
pasar /paˈsaɾ/ A2	verb - to pass, to happen
sueños /ˈswe.ɲo/ B1	noun - dreams
volar /boˈlaɾ/ B2	verb - to fly
humano /uˈma.no/ B2	adjective - human
viaje /ˈbja.xe/ A2	noun - trip, journey
viento /ˈbjem.to/ B1	noun - wind
nunca /ˈnuŋ.ka/ A1	adverb - never

Key Grammar Structures

• Donde ya no llega el mar

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood in Adverbial Clauses introduced by 'donde'

  ➔ The subjunctive mood is used here because the clause expresses a hypothetical or uncertain situation - a place "where the sea *doesn't* reach". Even though it seems factual (the sea either reaches there or not), the subjunctive is triggered by the 'donde' introducing a potential, unconfirmed location.

• ¿Cuando vamos a parar?

  ➔ Simple Future with 'ir a' + infinitive

  ➔ This uses the construction "ir a + infinitive" to express a future action. "Vamos a parar" translates to "We are going to stop" or "When are we going to stop?". It's a common way to express near future plans or intentions.

• El camino no va donde tu quieres llegar

  ➔ Use of 'donde' with Indicative Mood

  ➔ Here, 'donde' is followed by the indicative 'quieres' because the destination is presented as a known or factual (to the speaker) place where the listener wants to arrive. It's not a hypothetical or uncertain destination, but a specific desire.

• Siempre contra el viento...

  ➔ Use of 'contra' indicating opposition/direction

  ➔ The preposition "contra" indicates opposition or direction against something. In this case, it signifies acting or moving in opposition to the wind, suggesting resistance and defiance.

• Aquí nunca es buen momento

  ➔ Use of 'ser' with adverbs of time and impersonal expressions

  ➔ When describing characteristics related to time or impersonal statements about circumstances, 'ser' is used. 'Es buen momento' would translate to 'It is a good time'. 'Nunca es buen momento' means 'It's never a good time'.

• Cansados de esperar

  ➔ Adjective used as a noun modifier with 'de'

  ➔ Here, "cansados" (tired) acts as an adjective describing the state of the nomads. The construction "de + infinitive" (de esperar - of waiting) adds further detail, explaining what they are tired *of*.

• No hay canciones en la radio que hablen de lo que soñamos

  ➔ Subjunctive in relative clauses when expressing uncertainty or non-existence

  ➔ The phrase "No hay canciones...que hablen..." uses the subjunctive "hablen" because the songs that speak of their dreams are not known to exist. The subjunctive is used to express doubt or non-existence in this kind of relative clause.

• No hay futuro, ya ha pasado

  ➔ Present Perfect vs. Simple Past for emphasis

  ➔ "Ya ha pasado" (it has already passed) uses the present perfect to suggest that the passing of the future is a recent and relevant event, directly affecting the present situation. Using the simple past "pasó" would be grammatically correct, but would diminish the sense of immediacy and consequence.