Se Acaba Este Mundo – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe
• Album: The Hustler

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of salsa with "Se Acaba Este Mundo" by the legendary duo Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe. This iconic track from their 1968 album, "The Hustler," is a masterclass in witty social commentary set to an irresistible Afro-Cuban beat. By exploring its playful yet poignant lyrics in Spanish, you can uncover rich cultural insights and experience the authentic "Fania Sound." It's an excellent opportunity to enhance your Spanish vocabulary and immerse yourself in the storytelling prowess that made Colón and Lavoe pioneers of tropical music.

[English]

The world, the world... is coming to an end (Oh God!)

With so many hairy hippies

Girls in miniskirts

They don’t even want to bathe (The world is ending!)

Ah, ah, la, la, la, la...

(Oh, oh, oh, the world is ending, boncó!)

Yeah, sing to [?] that leaves you stunned, up in the sky they have a [?] now

(Oh, oh, oh, the world is ending, boncó!)

The world is coming to an end, and it’s your fault

It’s your fault, it’s your fault, you’ll see

(Oh, oh, oh, the world is ending, boncó!)

Belelembé, belelembé, belelembé, belelembá... it’s coming to an end

(Oh, oh, oh, the world is ending, boncó!)

The world, the world... this world is ending

(Oh, oh, oh, the world is ending, boncó!)

Let go of the pacifier, stop bothering, because the world... is coming to an end

(Oh, oh, oh, the world is ending, boncó!)

Eh, [Belén?] it’s coming to an end

(The world is ending, boncó!)

Come on, keep going, keep going, keep going now

(The world is ending, boncó!)

But no, but no, don’t stay... don’t be foolish

(The world is ending, boncó!)

The world, the world...

(The world is ending, boncó!)

It’s going, it’s coming to an end, mom

(The world is ending, boncó!)

Don’t take me over there, let me stay here

(The world is ending, boncó!)

Play, play [?] and you’ll see

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(The world is ending, boncó!)

(Oh, oh, oh, the world is ending, boncó!)

(Oh, oh, oh, the world is ending, boncó!)

(Oh, oh, oh, the world is ending, boncó!)

...

[Spanish]

El mundo, [00:12.33] el mundo... se va a acabar (¡Ay Dios!)

Con tanto hippy peludo

Las jevas en minifalda

No se quieren ni bañar (¡Se acaba este mundo!)

Ah, ah, la, la, la, la...

(¡Ay, ay, ay, se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

Yeh, canta al [?] te que deja mona que en el cielo tienen un [?] ahora

(¡Ay, ay, ay, se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

El mundo se va a acabar y la culpa

La tienes tu, la tienes tu, ya tu veras

(¡Ay, ay, ay, se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

Belelembé, belelembé, belelembé, belelembá... se va a acabar

(¡Ay, ay, ay, se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

El mundo, el mundo... se acaba este mundo

(¡Ay, ay, ay, se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

Suelta la chupetín, no molestes más, porque el mundo... se va a acabar

(¡Ay, ay, ay, se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

Eh, [Belén?] se va a acabar

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

Dale, que dale, que dale, que dale ahora

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

Pero que no, pero que no, no te quedes a... a mona

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

El mundo, el mundo...

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

Se va, se va a acabar, mamá

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

Que no me lleven para allá, que me dejen por acá

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

Juega, juega [?] y verá

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Ay, ay, ay, se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Ay, ay, ay, se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

(¡Ay, ay, ay, se acaba este mundo, boncó!)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
acabar a.kaˈβaɾ A2	verb - to end, to finish
mundo ˈmun.do A1	noun - world, Earth
hippy ˈi.pi B1	noun - person following the hippie movement
peludo pe.ˈlu.do A2	adjective - hairy
jeva ˈxe.ba B1	noun - young woman, girl
minifalda mi.ni.ˈfal.da B1	noun - miniskirt
bañar ba.ˈɲaɾ A2	verb - to bathe
culpa ˈkul.pa A2	noun - blame, fault
chupetín tʃu.pe.ˈtin B1	noun - lollipop
molestar mo.les.ˈtaɾ A2	verb - to bother, to annoy
boncó bon.ˈko B2	noun - colloquial term, possibly of Afro-Caribbean origin
mona ˈmo.na B1	noun - colloquial term for a woman
suelta ˈswel.ta A2	verb - to release, to let go
jugar xu.ˈɣaɾ A1	verb - to play

Key Grammar Structures

• El mundo, el mundo... se va a acabar

  ➔ Present tense of 'ir' (to go) + infinitive

  ➔ The phrase 'se va a acabar' uses the present tense of 'ir' (va) followed by the infinitive 'acabar' to express future action.

• La tienes tu, la tienes tu, ya tu veras

  ➔ Pronoun placement (direct object pronoun 'te' before the verb)

  ➔ In 'ya tu veras', the pronoun 'tu' is placed after the verb for emphasis, while 'te' would typically precede the verb in affirmative commands.

• Belelembé, belelembé, belelembé, belelembá... se va a acabar

  ➔ Reduplication for emphasis or rhythm

  ➔ The repetition of 'belelembé' serves as a stylistic device to create rhythm and emphasize the impending end.

• ¡Ay, ay, ay, se acaba este mundo, boncó!

  ➔ Interjection and exclamatory sentence

  ➔ The interjection '¡Ay!' expresses distress or surprise, while the exclamatory structure emphasizes the urgency of the message.

• Suelta la chupetín, no molestes más, porque el mundo... se va a acabar

  ➔ Imperative mood and causal conjunction

  ➔ The imperative 'Suelta' gives a direct command, while 'porque' introduces the reason for the action.