Qué Te Pasa – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Manolo Tena

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the melancholic world of Manolo Tena's "Qué Te Pasa," a poignant Spanish song that captures the feeling of confusion and disorientation after a loss. Through repetitive questioning and vivid imagery of brokenness, this song offers a unique opportunity to explore Spanish language and emotions, making it a memorable piece for language learners.

[English]

I have a broken motorcycle

And I have a car that doesn't run

I have a fish that doesn't know how to swim

And I have a dog that doesn't know how to bark

I have a broken radio

And I have a parrot that doesn't talk

I have a monkey that can't imitate

And a fly that won't leave me alone

Everyone tells me: "what's wrong with you?"

And I don't know what to answer

Everyone thinks I'm sad

Since you left home

And they ask me: "what's wrong with you?"

And I don't know what to answer

And I don't know what to answer

...

I have the morning blues

And three clocks that are slow

I have a friend who can't dream

And a guitar that I can't tune

Everyone tells me: "what's wrong with you?"

And I don't know what to answer

And I don't know what to answer

...

Everyone thinks I'm sad

Since you left home

And they ask me: "what's wrong with you?"

And I don't know what to answer

And I don't know what to answer

I have a house without windows

And a love-struck sadness

I have a costume but it's not carnival

And this madness that I can't stop

Everyone tells me: "what's wrong with you?"

And I don't know what to answer

Everyone thinks I'm sad

...

Because today you didn't come home again

And they ask me what I'm missing

And I don't know what to answer

And I don't know what to answer

And I don't know what to answer

...

[Spanish]

Tengo una moto estropeada

Y tengo un coche que no anda

Tengo un pez que no sabe nadar

Y tengo un perro que no sabe ladrar

Tengo una radio estropeada

Y tengo un loro que no habla

Tengo un mono que no sabe imitar

Y una mosca que no me deja en paz

Todos me dicen: "qué te pasa?"

Y yo no sé qué contestar

Todos se piensan que estoy triste

Desde que tú te fuiste de casa

Y me preguntan: "qué te pasa?"

Y yo no sé qué contestar

Y yo no sé qué contestar

Tengo el blues de la mañana

Y tres relojes que se atrasan

Tengo un amigo que no sabe soñar

Y una guitarra que no puedo afinar

Todos me dicen: "qué te pasa?"

Y yo no sé que contestar

Y yo no se que contestar

Todos se piensan que estoy triste

Desde que tú te fuiste de casa

Y me preguntan: "qué te pasa?"

Y yo no sé qué contestar

Y yo no sé qué contestar

Tengo una casa sin ventanas

Y una tristeza enamorada

Tengo un disfraz pero no es carnaval

Y esta locura que no puedo parar

Todos me dicen: "qué te pasa?"

Y yo no sé qué contestar

Todos se piensan que estoy triste

Porque hoy tampoco volviste a casa

Y me preguntan qué me falta

Y yo no sé qué contestar

Y yo no se que contestar

Y yo no se que contestar

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
moto /ˈmoʊtoʊ/ A1	noun - motorcycle
coche /ˈkoʊʧɛ/ A1	noun - car
pez /pɛz/ A1	noun - fish
perro /ˈpɛroʊ/ A1	noun - dog
radio /ˈreɪdioʊ/ A1	noun - radio
loro /ˈlɔroʊ/ A2	noun - parrot
mono /ˈmoʊnoʊ/ A2	noun - monkey
triste /ˈtriste/ A2	adjective - sad
casa /ˈkasa/ A1	noun - house
amigo /aˈmiɡo/ A1	noun - friend
guitarra /ɡiˈtarra/ A2	noun - guitar
tristeza /trisˈteθa/ B1	noun - sadness
locura /loˈkura/ B2	noun - madness
disfraz /disˈfɾaz/ B2	noun - costume
contestar /konˈtestar/ B1	verb - to answer
falta /ˈfaltə/ B1	noun - lack

Key Grammar Structures

• Tengo una moto estropeada

  ➔ Use of "tener" + adjective describing the object's state (past participle as adjective).

  ➔ The verb "Tengo" (I have) is followed by a noun ("moto") and an adjective derived from a past participle ("estropeada" - broken down). "estropeada" describes the state of the motorcycle.

• Y tengo un coche que no anda

  ➔ Use of "que" introducing a relative clause specifying the noun.

  ➔ The word "que" introduces a relative clause "que no anda" which specifies which car the speaker is talking about. In English, it is equivalent to 'that doesn't run'.

• Todos me dicen: "qué te pasa?"

  ➔ Indirect question structure and reflexive pronoun "te".

  ➔ "Qué te pasa?" is literally "What happens to you?" The reflexive pronoun "te" indicates that the action is happening *to* the person being addressed. This is the direct question. "Todos me dicen: '¿qué te pasa?'" shows the direct question being quoted.

• Desde que tú te fuiste de casa

  ➔ Use of "desde que" meaning "since" introducing a time clause.

  ➔ "Desde que" establishes a point in the past from which the situation began. "tú te fuiste" also shows use of the reflexive pronoun in conjunction with *ir* meaning to leave (as in leave *oneself* from a place).

• Tengo el blues de la mañana

  ➔ Use of "de" to indicate possession or association.

  ➔ "de la mañana" means "of the morning" or more idiomatically, "morning's." It describes the blues that the speaker is experiencing, linking it to the morning.

• Y una guitarra que no puedo afinar

  ➔ Modal verb "poder" + infinitive to express ability (or lack of it).

  ➔ "No puedo afinar" means "I cannot tune." The verb *poder* is conjugated in the first person singular, and it's followed by the infinitive *afinar* to express the inability to perform the action.

• Y una tristeza enamorada

  ➔ Past participle used as adjective, indicating a state.

  ➔ "Enamorada" is the past participle of "enamorar" (to make someone fall in love). Here, it functions as an adjective modifying "tristeza" (sadness), meaning a sadness that is "in love" or perhaps "infatuated".

• Porque hoy tampoco volviste a casa

  ➔ Use of "tampoco" meaning "neither/either".

  ➔ "Tampoco volviste" meaning "You didn't come back either." It implies that the person didn't return home on previous days as well.