Un Veneno – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: C. Tangana, José Feliciano, Niño de Elche

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the lyrical depth of "Un Veneno" by C. Tangana, featuring José Feliciano and Niño de Elche, to explore rich Spanish vocabulary used to describe the internal cost of artistic ambition and fame. This song, blending traditional Latin bolero with modern introspection, offers a special, complex look at the language of desire and self-confrontation.

[English]

This unchecked ambition

For women

Money and the spotlight

Is taking my life away

Little by little, bit by bit

Ah, the press asks

Puchito, what’s your secret?

Without singing or tuning up

So all of Spain can hear me

It’s a poison I carry inside

Deep in my blood

That’s going to make me kill myself

Without you ever even loving me

I did it for you, eh

I did it for you, of course

I did it for you, I did it for you, mami

I did it for you, let’s go, let’s go

I did it for you, so you’d look at me

I did it for you, so you’d love me

I did it for you

I was born a bohemian

But your love has changed me

And now I want to succeed

To win, to be on TV and the radio

It’s a cruel and violent poison

That you’re feeding

That’s going to make me kill myself

While you all just keep watching

I did it for you, of course

I did it for you, that’s it

I did it for you, for you, my love, for you

I did it for you, so you’d look at me

I did it for you, I did it for you

I did it for you

I still remember the hungry kid

You wouldn’t invite to the party

Back when I was innocent

Back then, but back then, I was nobody

And now I’m partying all day

Pushing forward

Trying to forget you

Bullfighting memories that burn

...

It’s a poison I carry inside

Deep in my blood

That’s going to make me kill myself

Without you ever even loving me

It’s a poison I carry inside

Deep in my blood

That’s going to make me kill myself

Without you ever even loving me

I did it for you, I did it for you

I did it for you, I did it for you

I did it for you, I did it for you

I did it for you

...

[Spanish]

Esta ambición desmedida

Por las mujeres

La pasta y los focos

Me está quitando la vida

Muy poquito a poquito a poco

Ah, pregunta la prensa

Puchito, ¿Cuál es la maña?

Sin cantar ni afinar

Pa' que me escuche to'a España

Es un veneno que llevo dentro

En la sangre metido

Que va hacer que me mate

Sin que me haya siquiera querido

Lo hice por ti, eh

Lo hice por ti, cómo no

Lo hice por ti, lo hice por ti mami

Lo hice por ti, vámonos, vámonos

Lo hice por ti, pa' que me mires

Lo hice por ti, pa' que me quieras

Lo hice por ti

Ha nacido bohemio

Pero tu amor me ha cambiado

Y ahora quiero triunfar

Y ganar y salir en la tele y la radio

Es un veneno cruel y violento

Que estáis alimentando

Que va hacer que me mate

Mientras todo seguís, ahí mirando

Lo hice por ti, cómo no

Lo hice por ti, eso

Lo hice por ti, por ti, mi amor, por ti

Lo hice por ti, pa' que me mires

Lo hice por ti, lo hice por ti

Lo hice por ti

Aún recuerdo al chaval hambriento

Que no invitábais al baile

Antes cuando era inocente

Antes, pero antes, yo no era nadie

Y ahora to'o el día metido en farra

Escabando pa' lante'

Intentando olvidarte

Toreando recuerdos que arden

Es un veneno que llevo dentro

En la sangre metido

Que va hacer que me mate

Sin que me haya siquiera querido

Es un veneno que llevo dentro

En la sangre metido

Que va hacer que me mate

Sin que me haya siquiera querido

Lo hice por ti, lo hice por ti

Lo hice por ti, lo hice por ti

Lo hice por ti, lo hice por ti

Lo hice por ti

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ambición am.biˈθjon A2	noun - ambition
desmedida des.meˈði.ða B1	adjective - excessive
pasta ˈpas.ta A1	noun - money
focos ˈfo.kos A2	noun - spotlights
veneno be.ˈne.no A1	noun - poison
sangre ˈsaŋ.ɡre A1	noun - blood
bohemio bo.ˈe.mi.o B1	adjective - bohemian
triunfar tɾjuŋ.ˈfaɾ A2	verb - to triumph
farra ˈfa.ra B1	noun - partying
toreando to.re.ˈan.do B2	verb - bullfighting
quitando kiˈtan̪do A2	verb - taking away
alimentando ali.men.ˈtan.do B1	verb - feeding
hambriento am.bɾjen.to A2	adjective - hungry
escabando es.ka.ˈban.do B2	verb - digging
mirando mi.ˈran.do A1	verb - looking

Key Grammar Structures

• Esta ambición desmedida

  ➔ Feminine singular adjective agreement

  ➔ The adjective 'desmedida' agrees in gender and number with the noun 'ambición', both being feminine singular.

• Me está quitando la vida

  ➔ Present progressive tense

  ➔ The verb 'está quitando' is in the present progressive tense, indicating an action that is currently happening.

• Sin que me haya siquiera querido

  ➔ Subjunctive mood in a subordinate clause

  ➔ The verb 'haya querido' is in the subjunctive mood, used in a subordinate clause introduced by 'sin que', expressing a hypothetical or uncertain situation.

• Lo hice por ti, eh

  ➔ Personal pronoun as direct object

  ➔ The pronoun 'ti' is used as a direct object, referring to the person for whom the action was done.

• Ha nacido bohemio

  ➔ Perfect tense

  ➔ The verb 'ha nacido' is in the perfect tense, indicating an action that occurred in the past with relevance to the present.

• Que estáis alimentando

  ➔ Present tense of a reflexive verb

  ➔ The verb 'estáis alimentando' is in the present tense and is reflexive, indicating an action performed by the subject on itself.

• Antes cuando era inocente

  ➔ Imperfect tense

  ➔ The verb 'era' is in the imperfect tense, used to describe a past habitual action or a state of being in the past.

• Toreando recuerdos que arden

  ➔ Gerund as a verbal noun

  ➔ The gerund 'toreando' functions as a verbal noun, describing an action that is happening simultaneously with the main verb.