Tu No Puedes Conmigo – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe
• Album: Cosa Nuestra

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of Spanish through this salsa classic! By listening to 'Tu No Puedes Conmigo,' you can learn colloquial expressions of confidence and defiance, while experiencing the rhythmic complexity and street-smart vocabulary of the Nuyorican movement.

[English]

You're always going around talking

saying that I'm your enemy.

That I can't afford a cigar,

that I sell charcoal by the bag,

that all I eat is stew, and the truth is,

you can't handle me,

you can't handle me.

And honestly, what's happening to you,

I'll tell you right now,

is that I've got a plan,

I've always got a way up,

I'm moving forward and the truth is,

you can't handle me,

you can't handle me.

Now, just to make a point,

listen, for your own good,

I don't care what they say,

nobody supports me,

and you can't handle me,

you can't handle me.

That you can't handle me.

You were my best friend.

(That you can't handle me)

And you turned out to be a traitor.

(That you can't handle me)

But he who laughs last,

(That you can't handle me)

laughs the best.

(That you can't handle me)

Your time will come.

(That you can't handle me)

I swear it to you, my friend.

(That you can't handle me)

You are not my friend.

(That you can't handle me)

You don't even come close to me.

Eh...

(That you can't handle me)

I'm telling you.

(That you can't handle me)

You are not my friend.

(That you can't handle me)

Your time will come.

(That you can't handle me)

In the long run, you'll see.

(That you can't handle me)

[Spanish]

Tu siempre te la pasas hablando

que yo soy tu enemigo.

que no tengo pa un tabaco,

vendo carbon en un saco

lo que como, es agiaco y la verdad,

que tu no puedes conmigo,

tu no puedes conmigo.

Y en verdad lo que te está pasando

ahora mismo te lo digo

es que yo tengo el plante,

siempre tengo un levate

estoy echando pa'lante y la verdad

que tu no puedes conmigo,

tu no puedes conmigo.

Ahora pa' ponerte un punto

oyelo que te conviene

no me importa lo que digan

a mi nadie me mantiene

y tu no puedes conmigo,

tu no puedes conmigo.

Que tu no puedes conmigo.

Eras mi mejor amigo.

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

Y me saliste un traidor.

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

Eh pero el último que rie.

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

Ese si se rie mejor.

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

Eh... lo tuyo llegará.

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

Te lo juro camará.

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

Eh no eres mi amigo.

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

Ay tu me llega hasta el ombligo.

Eh...

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

Ay yo te lo digo.

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

Eh. . no eres mi amigo.

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

Eh... lo tuyo llegará.

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

A la larga tu verás.

(Que tu no puedes conmigo)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
enemigo enemiɣo A2	noun - enemy
tabaco taβako A2	noun - tobacco / cigar
carbón karβon A2	noun - coal
ajiaco axjako C2	noun - a traditional Latin American soup
plante plante C1	noun - stance / style / attitude
traidor traiðor B2	noun - traitor
hablando aβlando A1	verb - talking / speaking
verdad βerðað A1	noun - truth
ombligo ombliɣo B1	noun - navel / belly button
juro xuro B2	verb - to swear / vow
camará kamara C2	noun - friend / pal (colloquial)
rie rje A1	verb - laughs
importa importa A2	verb - to matter
larga larɣa A1	adjective - long
conviene komβjene B1	verb - to suit / to be advisable

Key Grammar Structures

• Tu siempre te la pasas hablando

  ➔ Periphrastic construction 'Pasarse + gerund'

  ➔ The structure "te la pasas" + gerund indicates an action performed continuously or habitually.

• lo que como, es agiaco

  ➔ Relative pronoun 'lo que' (what/that which)

  ➔ "lo que" acts as a noun phrase meaning "that which" or "the thing that".

• y en verdad lo que te está pasando

  ➔ Present continuous (estar + gerund)

  ➔ Used to describe an action "está pasando" occurring at the moment of speaking.

• no me importa lo que digan

  ➔ Subjunctive mood (present tense)

  ➔ The verb "digan" is in the subjunctive because it expresses a general, non-specific opinion of others.

• a mi nadie me mantiene

  ➔ Double negative / Negative pronouns

  ➔ Spanish often uses double negatives (nadie + verb) where English requires a single negative.

• Eras mi mejor amigo

  ➔ Imperfect tense (Pretérito Imperfecto)

  ➔ "Eras" (you were) describes a state or identity in the past.

• Y me saliste un traidor

  ➔ Preterite tense (Pretérito Indefinido)

  ➔ "Saliste" refers to a completed action or a change in perception at a specific time in the past.

• Ese si se rie mejor

  ➔ Reflexive verb 'reírse'

  ➔ 'Reírse' is the pronominal form of 'reír', emphasizing the action of laughing at someone or a situation.