Se Quiere, Se Mata – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Shakira

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music offers a unique window into its culture, and Shakira's "Se Quiere, Se Mata" is a powerful example. This song uses a compelling and emotional narrative to explore complex social issues, providing a rich context for understanding Spanish vocabulary related to love, societal expectations, and consequence. The poetic and evocative lyrics make it a special and thought-provoking piece for any language learner.

[English]

Braulio has big eyes and dark hair

He never overeats and never sleeps naked

He always dresses in gray, because he has no choice

The tendency to always look for the middle ground

...

Dana is a good girl, that's what her parents say

She never gets home later than ten, not too late

Braulio and Dana love each other like any couple

But one day they fell prey to nature

And their own instincts, they didn't escape with luck

With the fire inside and hormones present

By the law of the magnet, the bodies got closer

But if nothing happens at teatime, uoh-oh

You will only go far away from home, uoh-oh

For having brought one more inhabitant

To enter this rotten city

Where what is not wanted, is killed

Is killed, is killed, is killed

...

That day you arrived a little after ten

But, the scare happened a few weeks later

When your terrible suspicions were confirmed

A child would be born, and you already knew the date

And before the neighbor and the family found out

You went to the doctor to end the problem

Your neighbor is at home taking a good shower

And you, two meters underground watching worms grow

But if nothing happens at teatime, uoh-oh

You will only go far away from home, uoh-oh

For having brought one more inhabitant

To enter this rotten city

Where what is not wanted, is killed

But if nothing happens at teatime, uoh-oh

You will only go far away from home, uoh-oh

For having brought one more inhabitant

To enter this rotten city

Where what is not wanted, is killed

Is killed, is killed, is killed, is killed

...

[Spanish]

Braulio tiene ojos grandes y cabellos oscuros

Nunca come en exceso y jamás duerme desnudo

Siempre viste de gris, pues no tiene remedio

La tendencia a buscarse siempre el punto intermedio

Dana es niña de bien, eso dicen sus padres

Nunca llega a su casa a más de diez, ni muy tarde

Braulio y Dana se quieren como cualquier pareja

Pero un día fueron presa de la naturaleza

Y de sus propios instintos, no escaparon con suerte

Con el fuego por dentro y las hormonas presentes

Por la ley del magneto, se acercaron los cuerpos

Pero si a la hora del té nada pasa, uoh-oh

Solo te irás lejos de casa, uoh-oh

Por haber traído un habitante más

A ingresar a esta podrida ciudad

Donde lo que no se quiere, se mata

Se mata, se mata, se mata

Ese día llegaste un poco más de las diez

Pero, el susto se dio unas semanas después

Cuando te confirmaron tus terribles sospechas

Un niño nacería, y ya sabías la fecha

Y antes de que el vecino y la familia supieran

Fuiste donde el doctor a acabar con el problema

Tu vecino está en casa dándose un buen duchazo

Y tú, dos metros bajo tierra viendo crecer gusanos

Pero si a la hora del té nada pasa, uoh-oh

Solo te irás lejos de casa, uoh-oh

Por haber traído un habitante más

A ingresar a esta podrida ciudad

Donde lo que no se quiere, se mata

Pero si a la hora del té nada pasa, uoh-oh

Solo te irás lejos de casa, uoh-oh

Por haber traído un habitante más

A ingresar a esta podrida ciudad

Donde lo que no se quiere, se mata

Se mata, se mata, se mata, se mata

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ojos /ˈo.xos/ A1	noun - eyes
grandes /ˈɡɾan.des/ A1	adjective - big, large
cabellos /kaˈβe.ʎos/ A2	noun - hair
oscuros /osˈku.ɾos/ A2	adjective - dark
niña /ˈni.ɲa/ A1	noun - girl
quieren /ˈkje.ɾen/ A1	verb - to love, to want
presa /ˈpɾe.sa/ B1	noun - prey, captive
instintos /insˈtin.tos/ B2	noun - instincts
fuego /ˈfwe.ɣo/ A2	noun - fire
hormonas /oɾˈmo.nas/ B2	noun - hormones
cuerpos /ˈkweɾ.pos/ A2	noun - bodies
habitante /a.βiˈtan.te/ B1	noun - inhabitant, resident
podrida /poˈðɾi.ða/ B2	adjective - rotten, corrupt
mata /ˈma.ta/ A2	verb - kills
susto /ˈsus.to/ B1	noun - fright, scare
niño /ˈni.ɲo/ A1	noun - boy, child
tierra /ˈtje.ra/ A1	noun - earth, ground
gusanos /ɡuˈsa.nos/ B1	noun - worms