Once – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Babasónicos
• Album: Infame

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the enigmatic world of Babasónicos with "Once," a captivating track that exemplifies the band's unique blend of alternative rock and Latin American influences. Its intriguing and poetic Spanish lyrics, filled with surreal imagery, offer a fantastic opportunity to explore the nuances of the language through a truly distinctive musical lens. The song's evolving narrative and memorable refrain make it a special piece for language learners and music lovers alike.

[English]

He usually wakes up naked in a street, pretending

Naturalness when the Yankee girl faces him

They enter a place, a medieval dump

They hear a sigh and step on a beggar

And that turns into the hose of a hookah

He hides the confusion when his parents find him

Trading kif for weapons in Plaza Miserere

They go to a funeral for the chaparral (boys and girls dancing)

They kiss the widow who is disfiguring (boys and girls dancing)

And that grimace becomes his relative (boys and girls dancing at the rock funeral)

(Uh, uh, uh) bring my rock 'n' roll home

(Uh, uh, uh) bring my rock 'n' roll home

(Uh, uh, uh) they go to a funeral for the chaparral

They kiss the widow who is disfiguring

And that grimace turns

A tribe of messianic orthodox ambushes him

Heading to the medina in a trance, they chant his name

They enter a place, a medieval dump (boys and girls dancing)

They hear a sigh and step on a beggar (boys and girls dancing)

And that turns into the hose of a hookah (boys and girls dancing at the rock funeral)

(Uh, uh, uh) bring my rock 'n' roll home

(Uh, uh, uh) bring my rock 'n' roll home

(Uh, uh, uh) bring my rock 'n' roll home

(Uh, uh, uh) bring my rock 'n' roll home

Bring my rock 'n' roll home

Bring my rock 'n' roll home

Bring my rock 'n' roll home

...

[Spanish]

Suele despertar desnudo en una calle, finge

Naturalidad cuando la chica yankee encara hacia él

Entran a un lugar, mersa medieval

Oyen un suspiro y pisan a un mendigo

Y eso se transforma en la manguera de un narguile

Disimula el desconcierto cuando sus padres lo encuentran

Negociando kif por armas en Plaza Miserere

Van a un funeral por el chaparral (chicos y chicas bailan)

Besan a la viuda que se desfigura (chicos y chicas bailan)

Y esa mueca se convierte en su pariente (chicos y chicas bailen en el funeral del rock)

(Uh, uh, uh) trae a casa mi rock 'n' roll

(Uh, uh, uh) trae a casa mi rock 'n' roll

(Uh, uh, uh) van a un funeral por el chaparral

Besan a la viuda que se desfigura

Y esa mueca se convierte

Una tribu de ortodoxos del mesianismo lo embosca

Rumbo a la medina en trance van salmodiando su nombre

Entran a un lugar, mersa medieval (chicos y chicas bailan)

Oyen un suspiro y pisan a un mendigo (chicos y chicas bailan)

Y eso se transforma en la manguera de un narguile (chicos y chicas bailan en el funeral del rock)

(Uh, uh, uh) trae a casa mi rock 'n' roll

(Uh, uh, uh) trae a casa mi rock 'n' roll

(Uh, uh, uh) trae a casa mi rock 'n' roll

(Uh, uh, uh) trae a casa mi rock 'n' roll

Trae a casa mi rock 'n' roll

Trae a casa mi rock 'n' roll

Trae a casa mi rock 'n' roll

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
despertar /despeɾˈtaɾ/ A2	verb - to wake up
fingir /finˈxiɾ/ B2	verb - to pretend or feign
encarar /enkaˈɾaɾ/ C1	verb - to confront or face
mendigo /menˈdiɣo/ C1	noun - beggar
funeral /funeˈɾal/ B1	noun - funeral, ceremony for someone who has died
viuda /ˈbjuða/ B2	noun - widow (a woman whose spouse has died)
mueca /ˈmweka/ C1	noun - grimace or distorted facial expression
convertirse /konbeɾˈtiɾse/ B1	verb - to become or turn into
tribu /ˈtɾibu/ B2	noun - tribe or social group
emboscar /emboˈskaɾ/ C1	verb - to ambush or attack secretly
rumbo /ˈrumbo/ B2	noun - direction or course (often figurative)
trance /ˈtɾanse/ C1	noun - state of deep absorption or altered consciousness
nombre /ˈnombɾe/ A1	noun - name
medieval /meðjeˈβal/ B2	adjective - related to the Middle Ages
suspiro /susˈpiɾo/ B2	noun - sigh or deep breath expressing emotion
miserere /mizeˈɾeɾe/ C2	noun - religious term meaning 'have mercy', or a sacred place named after it
mesianismo /mesjaˈnismo/ C2	noun - messianism; belief in a savior or redeemer
narguile /naɾˈɣile/ C1	noun - hookah, water pipe used for smoking