Plástico – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Willie Colón, Ruben Blades
• Album: Siembra

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the social commentary and musical innovation of "Plástico" by Willie Colón and Rubén Blades. This song from the iconic "Siembra" album teaches about the dangers of superficiality and the importance of cultural authenticity, offering a rich blend of salsa rhythms and insightful lyrics that resonate with themes of unity and identity.

[English]

She was a plastic girl

One of those I see around

One of those that when they get excited

Sweat Chanel Number Three

Who dream of marrying a doctor

Because he can keep them better

They don't talk to anyone who isn't their equal

Unless it's so-and-so

They are pretty, slim, well-dressed

With a shifty gaze and a fake laugh

...

He was a plastic boy

One of those I see around

With the comb in his hand

And an "I didn't do it" face

One of those who, as a topic of conversation

Discuss which car brand is better

One of those who prefer not to eat

Because of the appearances they must keep up

To walk around elegant and thus be able to

Pick up a plastic girl

What a failure!

They were a plastic couple

One of those I see around

He thinking only of money

She thinking of fashion in Paris

Pretending to be what they are not

Living in a world of pure illusion

Saying to their five-year-old child

"Don't play with children of strange color"

Drowning in debt to maintain

Their social status at a wedding or cocktail party

What a failure!

It was a plastic city

One of those I don't want to see

Of cancerous buildings

And a tinsel heart

Where instead of a sun, a dollar dawns

Where nobody laughs, where nobody cries

With people with polyester faces

Who listen without hearing and look without seeing

People who sold for comfort

Their reason for being and their freedom

...

Listen, Latino, listen, brother, listen, friend

Never sell your destiny

For gold nor comfort

Never rest, because we have a long way to go

Let's all move forward

To finish together

With the ignorance that brings us under suggestion

With imported models that are not the solution

Don't be confused, look for the bottom and its reason

Remember faces are seen, but never the heart

Don't be confused, look for the bottom and its reason

Remember faces are seen, but never the heart

Remember faces are seen and never the heart

(Faces are seen, faces are seen, wow! But never the heart)

From dust we all come and there we will return

As the song says

(Faces are seen, faces are seen, wow! But never the heart)

Remember that plastic melts

If the sun shines on it directly

(Faces are seen, faces are seen, wow! But never the heart)

...

Dubi-dubi-dubi-rubi

Dubi-dubi-dubi-rubi

(Faces are seen, faces are seen, wow! But never the heart)

Study, work, and be people first

Therein lies salvation

(Faces are seen, faces are seen, wow! But never the heart)

But look, look, don't be confused

Look for the bottom and its reason

(Faces are seen, faces are seen, wow! But never the heart)

Forward, forward, forward, forward, forward, and so we will continue united

And in the end we will win

(Faces are seen, faces are seen, wow! But never the heart)

But ladies and gentlemen

(Faces are seen) in the middle of the plastic, faces of hope are also seen

(Faces are seen) faces of pride are seen that work for a united Latin America

(Faces are seen) and for a tomorrow of hope and freedom

(Faces are seen)

Faces of work and sweat are seen (faces are seen)

Of people of flesh and blood who have not sold out (faces are seen)

Of people working, looking for the new path (faces are seen)

Proud of their heritage and of being Latino (faces are seen)

Of a united race, the one Bolívar dreamed of (faces are seen)

Sow!

Panama (present!)

Puerto Rico (present!)

Mexico (present!)

Venezuela (present!)

Peru (present!)

Dominican Republic (present!)

Cuba (present!)

Costa Rica (present!)

Colombia (present!)

Honduras (present!)

Ecuador (present!)

Bolivia (present!)

Argentina (present!)

Nicaragua without Somoza (present!)

The neighborhood (present!)

The corner (present!)

...

[Spanish]

Ella era una chica plástica

De esas que veo por ahí

De esas que cuando se agitan

Sudan Chanel Number Three

Que sueñan casarse con un doctor

Pues él puede mantenerlas mejor

No le hablan a nadie si no es su igual

A menos que sea fulano de tal

Son lindas, delgadas, de buen vestir

De mirada esquiva y falso reír

Él era un muchacho plástico

De esos que veo por ahí

Con la peinilla en la mano

Y cara de yo no fui

De los que por tema y conversación

Discuten qué marca de carro es mejor

De los que prefieren el no comer

Por las apariencias que hay que tener

P'andar elegantes y así poder

Una chica plástica recoger

¡Qué fallo!

Era una pareja plástica

De esas que veo por ahí

Él pensado solo en dinero

Ella en la moda en París

Aparentando lo que no son

Viviendo en un mundo de pura ilusión

Diciendo a su hijo de cinco años

"No juegues con niños de color extraño"

Ahogados en deudas para mantener

Su estatus social en boda o cóctel

¡Qué fallo!

Era una ciudad de plástico

De esas que no quiero ver

De edificios cancerosos

Y un corazón de oropel

Donde en vez de un sol amanece un dólar

Donde nadie ríe, donde nadie llora

Con gente de rostros de poliéster

Que escuchan sin oír y miran sin ver

Gente que vendió por comodidad

Su razón de ser y su libertad

Oye, latino, oye, hermano, oye, amigo

Nunca vendas tu destino

Por el oro ni la comodidad

Nunca descanses, pues nos falta andar bastante

Vamos todos adelante

Para juntos terminar

Con la ignorancia que nos trae sugestionados

Con modelos importados que no son la solución

No te dejes confundir, busca el fondo y su razón

Recuerda se ven las caras, pero nunca el corazón

No te dejes confundir, busca el fondo y su razón

Recuerda se ven las caras, pero nunca el corazón

Recuerda se ven las caras y jamás el corazón

(Se ven las caras, se ven las caras, ¡vaya! Pero nunca el corazón)

Del polvo venimos todos y allí regresaremos

Como dice la canción

(Se ven las caras, se ven las caras, ¡vaya! Pero nunca el corazón)

Recuerda que el plástico se derrite

Si le da de lleno el sol

(Se ven las caras, se ven las caras, ¡vaya! Pero nunca el corazón)

Dubi-dubi-dubi-rubi

Dubi-dubi-dubi-rubi

(Se ven las caras, se ven las caras, ¡vaya! Pero nunca el corazón)

Estudia, trabaja y sé gente primero

Allí está la salvación

(Se ven las caras, se ven las caras, ¡vaya! Pero nunca el corazón)

Pero que mira, mira, no te dejes confundir

Busca el fondo y su razón

(Se ven las caras, se ven las caras, ¡vaya! Pero nunca el corazón)

P'alante, p'alante, p'alante, p'alante, p'alante y así seguiremos unidos

Y al final venceremos

(Se ven las caras, se ven las caras, ¡vaya! Pero nunca el corazón)

Pero señoras y señores

(Se ven las caras) en medio del plástico también se ven las caras de esperanza

(Se ven las caras) se ven las caras orgullosas que trabajan por una Latinoamérica unida

(Se ven las caras) y por un mañana de esperanza y de libertad

(Se ven las caras)

Se ven las caras de trabajo y de sudor (se ven las caras)

De gente de carne y hueso que no se vendió (se ven las caras)

De gente trabajando, buscando el nuevo camino (se ven las caras)

Orgullosa de su herencia y de ser latino (se ven las caras)

De una raza unida, la que Bolívar soñó (se ven las caras)

¡Siembra!

Panamá (¡presente!)

Puerto Rico (¡presente!)

México (¡presente!)

Venezuela (¡presente!)

Perú (¡presente!)

República Dominicana (¡presente!)

Cuba (¡presente!)

Costa Rica (¡presente!)

Colombia (¡presente!)

Honduras (¡presente!)

Ecuador (¡presente!)

Bolivia (¡presente!)

Argentina (¡presente!)

Nicaragua sin Somoza (¡presente!)

El barrio (¡presente!)

La esquina (¡presente!)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
plástico /ˈplastiko/ B1	noun - plastic adjective - artificial, superficial
sueñan /ˈsweɲan/ B1	verb - dream
mantener /man.teˈneɾ/ B2	verb - maintain, support
lindas /ˈlindas/ A2	adjective - pretty, beautiful
delgadas /delˈɡaðas/ A2	adjective - thin, slim
vestir /besˈtiɾ/ A2	verb - to dress, to wear
mirada /miˈɾaða/ B1	noun - look, gaze
falso /ˈfalso/ A2	adjective - false
peinilla /peiˈniʎa/ B2	noun - small comb
apariencias /apaˈɾjenθjas/ B2	noun - appearances
dinero /diˈneɾo/ A1	noun - money
moda /ˈmoða/ A2	noun - fashion
mundo /ˈmundo/ A1	noun - world
ilusión /iluˈsjon/ B1	noun - illusion
ciudad /θjuˈðað/ A1	noun - city
corazón /ko.ɾaˈθon/ A1	noun - heart

Key Grammar Structures

• Ella era una chica plástica

  ➔ Imperfect tense (era) to describe characteristics in the past.

  ➔ The use of the imperfect tense, 'era,' indicates a continuous or habitual state in the past, describing the girl's enduring characteristic as being a 'plastic' girl.

• De esas que cuando se agitan Sudan Chanel Number Three

  ➔ Relative clauses with 'que' and reflexive verbs (se agitan)

  ➔ 'De esas que...' introduces a relative clause defining the type of girl. 'Se agitan' is a reflexive verb meaning 'they stir/shake themselves', emphasizing their artificiality.

• Que sueñan casarse con un doctor Pues él puede mantenerlas mejor

  ➔ Subjunctive mood (sueñan) expressing desires and ability (puede). 'Pues' as a causal conjunction.

  ➔ 'Sueñan' is in the present subjunctive, expressing a general desire or dream. 'Pues' connects the dream to the doctor's financial ability. 'Mejor' is an adverb of comparison

• Aparentando lo que no son Viviendo en un mundo de pura ilusión

  ➔ Gerund phrases (Aparentando, Viviendo) to describe simultaneous actions.

  ➔ Both 'Aparentando' and 'Viviendo' use the gerund to describe how the couple live - by pretending and living in illusion simultaneously.

• Diciendo a su hijo de cinco años "No juegues con niños de color extraño"

  ➔ Imperative mood (No juegues) for giving commands and indirect speech with quotation marks.

  ➔ 'No juegues' is a negative command in the imperative mood, showing the parents' discriminatory attitude. Direct speech enclosed in quotation marks shows the exact words spoken.

• Donde en vez de un sol amanece un dólar

  ➔ Use of 'en vez de' to express substitution.

  ➔ 'En vez de' indicates that instead of a sun, a dollar dawns, highlighting the city's materialistic values.

• Nunca vendas tu destino

  ➔ Negative imperative (vendas) with possessive adjective (tu)

  ➔ 'Nunca vendas' is a negative command in the subjunctive, urging listeners not to sell their destiny. 'Tu destino' uses a possessive adjective to emphasize personal ownership.

• Recuerda se ven las caras, pero nunca el corazón

  ➔ Impersonal 'se' (se ven) and contrastive conjunction 'pero'.

  ➔ 'Se ven las caras' uses the impersonal 'se' to mean 'faces are seen' or 'appearances are visible.' 'Pero' contrasts this with the deeper, unseen aspect: the heart.