Tú Me Camelabas – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Los Yakis

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the rhythmic world of Cumbia with Los Yakis! This song is a perfect gateway to learning Spanish through its repetitive, danceable structures and common romantic expressions, making it both fun and effective for language learners.

[English]

He's off to the tavern,

he's already, - he's already in a mess,

he's off to the tavern,

he's been drunk for three days now, - and hasn't eaten all day long

he's off to the tavern,

because he fell in love with a gypsy girl, - who has brought him to ruin.

I drink because I love her lips, - because I've tasted those kisses,

that have led me to ruin, - she is a sin to me,

with just one kiss from her, - look at the heartache I am going through.

You shouldn't have kissed me, - if you didn't want anything to do with me,

if you don't come tonight, - I'll tell your husband.

You were sweet-talking me, - you were sweet-talking me,

at the washhouse, - you were sweet-talking me,

you were sweet-talking me, - at the washhouse,

you were sweet-talking me, - you were sweet-talking me,

and now tell me, - how can I not love you.

You were sweet-talking me, - you were sweet-talking me,

at the washhouse, - you were sweet-talking me,

you were sweet-talking me, - at the washhouse,

you were sweet-talking me, - you were sweet-talking me,

and now tell me, - how can I not love you.

I see you,

I see you with that desperate urge - to keep on lying,

but my soul feels the weight - of the winter cold,

my heart hurts so much, - I don't want to die of love.

You shouldn't have kissed me, - if you didn't want anything to do with me,

if you don't come tonight, - I'll tell your husband.

You were sweet-talking me, - you were sweet-talking me,

at the washhouse, - you were sweet-talking me,

you were sweet-talking me, - at the washhouse,

you were sweet-talking me, - you were sweet-talking me,

and now tell me, - how can I not love you.

You were sweet-talking me, - you were sweet-talking me,

at the washhouse, - you were sweet-talking me,

you were sweet-talking me, - at the washhouse,

you were sweet-talking me, - you were sweet-talking me,

and now tell me, - how can I not love you.

Chala chala, back we go

He's off to the tavern,

he's already, - he's already in a mess,

he's off to the tavern,

he's been drunk for three days now, - and hasn't eaten all day long

he's off to the tavern, - because

he fell in love with a gypsy girl, - who has brought him to ruin.

[Spanish]

Ya está pa la cantina, 

ya está, ya está lía, 

ya está pa la cantina, 

lleva ya tres días de borrachera, y no ha comío na en to’ el día 

ya está pa la cantina, 

que se ha enamorao de una gitana, que le ha buscao la ruina.

Bebo porque me encantan sus labios, porque he probao esos besos, 

que la ruina me han buscao, ella es para mí un pecado, 

con solo un beso suyo, mira la fatiga que yo estoy pasando.

No tuviste que besarme, si no querías na conmigo, 

si no vienes esta noche, se lo digo a tu marido.

Tú me camelabas labas, tú me camelabas, 

en el lavadero, tú me camelabas labas, 

tú me camelabas, en el lavadero, 

tú me camelabas labas, tú me camelabas, 

y ahora dime tú, como no te quiero. 

Tú me camelabas labas, tú me camelabas, 

en el lavadero, tú me camelabas labas, 

tú me camelabas, en el lavadero,

tú me camelabas labas, tú me camelabas, 

y ahora dime tú, como no te quiero.

Te veo, 

te veo con esas ganas locas de seguir mintiendo, 

pero es que a mi alma le pesa el frío del invierno, 

me duele mucho el corazón, morir de amor no quiero.

No tuviste que besarme, si no querías na conmigo, 

si no vienes esta noche, se lo digo a tu marido.

Tú me camelabas labas, tú me camelabas, 

en el lavadero, tú me camelabas labas, 

tú me camelabas, en el lavadero, 

tú me camelabas labas, tú me camelabas, 

y ahora dime tú, como no te quiero.

Tú me camelabas labas, tú me camelabas, 

en el lavadero, tú me camelabas labas, 

tú me camelabas, en el lavadero, 

tú me camelabas labas, tú me camelabas, 

y ahora dime tú, como no te quiero.

Chala chala ya patras

Ya está pa la cantina, 

ya está, ya está lía, 

ya está pa la cantina, 

lleva ya tres días de borrachera, y no ha comío na en to’ el día 

ya está pa la cantina, que  

se ha enamorao de una gitana, que le ha buscao la ruina.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cantina kan-ti-na B2	noun - bar or tavern
borrachera bo-ra-che-ra B2	noun - drunkenness / drinking bout
gitana hi-ta-na B1	noun - gypsy woman
ruina rui-na B1	noun - ruin / downfall
enamorao e-na-mo-rao A1	adjective - in love (colloquial)
pecado pe-ka-do A2	noun - sin
fatiga fa-ti-ga B2	noun - distress / fatigue
camelar ka-me-lar C2	verb - to woo / seduce / flatter (Caló dialect)
lavadero la-va-de-ro B1	noun - laundry area
mentir men-tir A2	verb - to lie
alma al-ma B1	noun - soul
invierno in-bje-rno A1	noun - winter
corazón ko-ra-son A1	noun - heart

Key Grammar Structures

• que se ha enamorao de una gitana

  ➔ Present Perfect

  ➔ The auxiliary verb 'ha' (he/she has) + past participle 'enamorao' (enamorado) indicates an action that has happened recently or with relevance to the present.

• porque he probao esos besos

  ➔ Causal conjunction + Present Perfect

  ➔ Using 'porque' introduces the reason, and 'he probao' (he probado) refers to the experience of having tasted those kisses.

• que la ruina me han buscao

  ➔ Direct Object Pronoun + Pretérito Perfecto

  ➔ The pronoun 'me' acts as the receiver of the action 'han buscao' (han buscado), emphasizing personal impact.

• No tuviste que besarme

  ➔ Pretérito Indefinido + Periphrasis of obligation

  ➔ 'Tuviste' (from tener) describes a past completed obligation/necessity in the negative form.

• si no querías na conmigo

  ➔ Imperfect Indicative (Hypothetical condition)

  ➔ 'Querías' is used here to describe a past state or intention during a conditional period.

• se lo digo a tu marido

  ➔ Present Indicative + Indirect Object Pronoun

  ➔ The 'le' implied in 'se' refers to the husband as the indirect receiver of the action 'digo' (I tell).

• Tú me camelabas

  ➔ Imperfect Indicative (Progressive/Habitual past)

  ➔ 'Camelabas' describes an action that was ongoing or repeated in the past.

• morir de amor no quiero

  ➔ Infinitive structure as the main object

  ➔ 'Morir de amor' (to die of love) functions as the direct object that the subject does not want.