Día de Muertos – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Los Claxons

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the poignant lyrics of "Día de Muertos" by Los Claxons, a powerful pop rock ballad that offers a profound reflection on life, loss, and the eternal nature of love, set against the cultural backdrop of Mexico's Day of the Dead. This song provides an excellent opportunity to learn Spanish through its rich vocabulary related to emotions, human experience, and cultural traditions, making it a unique and special way to connect with the language and its heartfelt expressions.

[English]

People pass by and move along

Across the wide and worldly landscape

Some are born, others make

Departure plans at the usual notary

And, in the end, we're just lonely travelers

With different destinations and ways to arrive

Each dealing with their gods and demons

Through satellites on phones and radio waves

They say that to find our way

You have to listen to your heart

So you don’t walk sidelong

And someone once said

All you really need is love

Finally, I believe it

I believe in love, it’s my lifeline

I believe in love, it heals the wounds

I believe in love, it’s my lifeline

Keep in your memory the photographs

Today is Day of the Dead, nothing’s open

Mexico City seems to rest

Some missing loved ones, others imagining

What they'll do when someone special is gone

And they say that to leave in peace

You shouldn’t have your chest about to burst

Take advantage of the one beside you

And someone once said

All you really need is love

Finally, I believe it (finally, I believe it)

I believe in love, it’s my lifeline

I believe in love, it heals the wounds

I believe in love, it’s my lifeline

Keep in your memory the photographs

It never lets the loved ones die or vanish

Who had to leave first

Never lets the loved ones die or vanish

Who had to leave, who had to go ahead

Oh, I believe in love (I believe in love)

I believe in love (I believe in love)

Hey-yeh, oh-oh

...

[Spanish]

La gente pasa y se desplaza

A lo largo y ancho del mundo terrenal

Unos nacen y otros hacen

Planes de partida en la notaría habitual

Y, a fin de cuentas, somos pasajeros solos

Con distintos destinos y maneras de llegar

Cada uno lidiando con sus dioses y diablos

Por teléfonos y radios con señal satelital

Y dicen que para encontrar nuestro camino

Hay que escuchar al corazón

Para no andar caminando de lado

Y alguien dijo alguna vez

Que lo único que necesitas es amor

Finalmente le creo

Creo en el amor, es mi salvavidas

Creo en el amor, sana las heridas

Creo en el amor, es mi salvavidas

Guarda en la memoria las fotografías

Hoy es día de muertos, nada está abierto

La Ciudad de México parece descansar

Unos extrañando y otros imaginando

Qué harán cuando alguien especial les llegue a faltar

Y dicen que para irse en paz

No hay que tener el pecho a punto de explosión

Aprovechar al que tienes al lado

Y alguien dijo alguna vez

Que lo único que necesitas es amor

Finalmente le creo (finalmente le creo)

Creo en el amor, es mi salvavidas

Creo en el amor, sana las heridas

Creo en el amor, es mi salvavidas

Guarda en la memoria las fotografías

Nunca deja morir ni ausentarse

Al que tuvo que irse antes

Nunca deja morir ni ausentarse

Al que tuvo que, al que tuvo que ir delante

Oh, creo en el amor (creo en el amor)

Creo en el amor (creo en el amor)

Ey-yeh, oh-oh

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
gente /ˈxente/ A1	noun - people
mundo /ˈmundo/ A1	noun - world
planes /ˈplanes/ A2	noun - plans
pasajeros /pasaˈxeɾos/ B1	noun - passengers
destino /desˈtino/ B1	noun - destination, destiny
dioses /ˈdjoses/ B1	noun - gods
diablos /ˈdjablos/ B1	noun - devils
camino /kaˈmino/ A2	noun - path, way
corazón /koɾaˈθon/ A2	noun - heart
amor /aˈmoɾ/ A1	noun - love
salvavidas /salβaˈβidas/ B2	noun - lifesaver
heridas /eˈɾidas/ B1	noun - wounds
memoria /meˈmoɾja/ A2	noun - memory
muertos /ˈmweɾtos/ A2	noun - dead adjective - dead
paz /pas/ A2	noun - peace
pecho /ˈpeʧo/ B1	noun - chest

Key Grammar Structures

• Unos nacen y otros hacen

  ➔ Use of coordinating conjunction 'y' to connect two independent clauses.

  ➔ 'Y' is used to connect two independent clauses, indicating addition or contrast.

• Somos pasajeros solos

  ➔ Use of 'somos' (we are) as the present tense of 'ser' for states or qualities.

  ➔ 'Somos' is the first person plural conjugation of 'ser', meaning 'we are'.

• Guarda en la memoria las fotografías

  ➔ Use of 'en' as a preposition to mean 'in' or 'on'.

  ➔ 'En' indicates the location or state where something is stored or held, here 'in memory'.

• Nunca deja morir ni ausentarse

  ➔ Use of 'deja' as the third person singular present tense of 'dejar', meaning 'to let' or 'to allow'.

  ➔ 'Deja' is used here to express allowing something to continue or to not die out.

• Que lo único que necesitas es amor

  ➔ Use of 'que' as a conjunction introducing a relative clause.

  ➔ 'Que' introduces a subordinate clause specifying what is needed.

• Creo en el amor, sana las heridas

  ➔ Use of 'creo en' to express belief or faith in something.

  ➔ 'Creo en' means 'I believe in', indicating faith or trust.

• Nunca deja morir ni ausentarse

  ➔ Use of 'deja' with an infinitive to indicate allowing an action.

  ➔ 'Deja' followed by an infinitive means to allow someone to do something.