Farolero – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: José José

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the Spanish of ultimate devotion and romantic despair with "Farolero." This classic ballad by the 'Prince of Song,' José José, offers a rich vocabulary through its elaborate metaphors, where you can learn professions like *farolero* (lamplighter) and *barrenero* (miner), all linked to poetic expressions of sacrifice. Its power lies in the emotional weight of simple phrases, making it perfect for grasping the deeply felt language of Spanish *balada* music.

[English]

I'd be a lamplighter

If you'd become a lamp for me

Waiting for me in the night

Lit up, but all alone

I'd be a street sweeper

If you'd become a broom

To take you in my hands

And sweep your room together

But you just look at me, and nothing

Days go by, months go by

Fate was already sealed

Things always go the wrong way

And now you see, the years go by

Leaving traces as they pass

Our love is impossible

I'm a river fish, you're a sea fish

I'd be a miner

If you'd become a rock

To carve a path

And reach your lips

I'd be a clockmaker

If you'd become an hour

Though it's hard to fix

What time won't forgive

But you just look at me, and nothing

Days go by, months go by

Fate was already sealed

Things always go the wrong way

And now you see, the years go by

Leaving traces as they pass

Our love is impossible

I'm a river fish, you're a sea fish

...

I'd be a sailor

If you'd become a seagull

But you don't want wings

And my boat no longer floats

I'd be a healer

If you'd become a drug

To cure this pain

That drowns me when I think of you

But you just look at me, and nothing

Days go by, months go by

Fate was already sealed

Things always go the wrong way

And now you see, the years go by

Leaving traces as they pass

Our love is impossible

I'm a river fish, you're a sea fish

...

[Spanish]

Yo sería farolero

Si tú te hicieras farola

Que me espera por las noches

Encendida pero sola

Yo sería barrendero

Si tú te hicieras escoba

Para tomarte en mis manos

Y barrer juntos tu alcoba

En cambio tú me ves y nada

Y pasa un día y pasa un mes

Y es que la suerte estaba echada

Las cosas salen al revés

Y ya lo ves pasan los años

Dejando huellas al pasar

Nuestro amor es imposible

Yo soy pez de río, tú eres pez de mar

Yo sería barrenero

Si tú te volvieras roca

Para abrir alguna brecha

Y llegar hasta tu boca

Yo sería relojero

Si tú te volvieras hora

Aunque tiene mal arreglo

Lo que el tiempo no perdona

En cambio tú me ves y nada

Y pasa un día y pasa un mes

Y es que la suerte estaba echada

Las cosas salen al revés

Y ya lo ves pasan los años

Dejando huellas al pasar

Nuestro amor es imposible

Yo soy pez de río, tú eres pez de mar

Yo sería marinero

Si tú te hicieras gaviota

Pero tú no quieres alas

Y mi barca ya no flota

Yo sería curandero

Si tú te volvieras droga

Para curar este mal

Que al pensar en ti me ahoga

En cambio tú me ves y nada

Y pasa un día y pasa un mes

Y es que la suerte estaba echada

Las cosas salen al revés

Y ya lo ves pasan los años

Dejando huellas al pasar

Nuestro amor es imposible

Yo soy pez de río, tú eres pez dde mar

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
farolero fa.ro.ˈle.ɾo A2	noun - lamplighter, a person who tends or lights lamps
farola fa.ˈro.la A2	noun - street lamp, a large lamp, especially in the street
barrendero ba.rren.ˈde.ɾo A2	noun - street sweeper, a person who sweeps streets
escoba es.ˈko.ba A1	noun - broom, a tool for sweeping
alcoba al.ˈko.ba B1	noun - small room, especially a bedroom
relojero re.lo.ˈxe.ɾo A2	noun - watchmaker, a person who repairs or makes watches
brecha ˈbre.tʃa B1	noun - gap, breach, or crack
marinero ma.ri.ˈne.ɾo A2	noun - sailor, a person who works on a ship
gaviota ɡa.ˈβjo.ta A2	noun - seagull, a seabird
curandero ku.ɾan.ˈde.ɾo B1	noun - healer, a person who cures illnesses, often in a traditional way
imposible im.po.si.ˈble A2	adjective - impossible, unable to be done or achieved
ahoga a.ˈo.ɣa A2	verb - to drown or suffocate
suerte ˈsweɾ.te A1	noun - luck, fortune, or destiny
huellas ˈwe.ʎas A2	noun - footprints or marks left by something or someone
pez pes A1	noun - fish, aquatic animal

Key Grammar Structures

• Yo sería farolero / Si tú te hicieras farola

  ➔ Conditional Tense

  ➔ The conditional tense is used to express hypothetical or unreal situations. Here, 'sería' (would be) and 'hicieras' (would make) indicate a condition that is not fulfilled.

• Que me espera por las noches / Encendida pero sola

  ➔ Present Tense in Subordinate Clause

  ➔ The present tense 'espera' (waits) and 'encendida' (lit) is used in a subordinate clause to describe a continuous state or action.

• Para tomarte en mis manos / Y barrer juntos tu alcoba

  ➔ Infinitive after Preposition

  ➔ The infinitive 'tomarte' (to take you) and 'barrer' (to sweep) are used after the preposition 'para' (to) to express purpose.

• Y es que la suerte estaba echada

  ➔ Past Perfect Tense

  ➔ The past perfect tense 'estaba echada' (had been cast) is used to describe an action that occurred before another past action.

• Yo soy pez de río, tú eres pez de mar

  ➔ Present Tense Contrast

  ➔ The present tense 'soy' (am) and 'eres' (are) are used to contrast the speaker's and the listener's identities.