La Carcacha – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Selena y Los Dinos

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a vibrant linguistic journey with Selena y Los Dinos' "La Carcacha"! This iconic Tejano cumbia track is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in everyday Spanish vocabulary, especially terms related to cars and expressions of love and resilience. Listen to how Selena's clear enunciation and the song's catchy, repetitive chorus can help you grasp conversational phrases and idiomatic expressions. The joyful narrative about finding love despite humble beginnings makes it a culturally rich and emotionally resonant piece perfect for language learners to explore.

[English]

One!

Two!

Three!

Four!

...

Hey!

...

What a cloud of smoke that’s choking us

People are wondering, no one knows what it is

An old car coming, honking away

With tricycle tires and the engine backwards

On the corner, I’m waiting

As always, his faithful girlfriend

My friends are making fun of me

They’re whispering things about him

Old car, step by step

Don’t stop wobbling

Old car, little by little

Don’t leave us behind

Old car, step by step

Don’t stop wobbling

Old car, little by little

Don’t leave us behind

...

Hey!

...

Look, girls, I don’t regret it

And I’m not ashamed of my boyfriend either

Even if he’s poor and has an old car

He treats me like a queen

A real man

And even if he’s got an old car

What matters is I’m with him

He might not be the handsomest

But he’s my faithful boyfriend

...

Ooh!

Old car, step by step

Don’t stop wobbling

Old car, little by little

Don’t leave us behind

Old car, step by step

Don’t stop wobbling

Old car, little by little

Don’t leave us behind

...

Old car, step by step

Don’t stop wobbling

Old car, little by little

Don’t leave us behind

Old car, step by step

Don’t stop wobbling

Old car, little by little

Don’t leave us behind

Everybody put your hands up and say

Old car, little by little

Don’t leave us behind

Old car, step by step

Don’t stop wobbling

Old car, little by little

Don’t leave us behind

Old car, step by step

Don’t stop wobbling

Old car, little by little

Don’t leave us behind

Old car, step by step

Don’t stop wobbling

...

[Spanish]

¡Uno!

¡Dos!

¡Tres!

¡Cuatro!

¡Hey!

Que humareda que nos viene ahogando

La gente se pregunta nadie sabe que es

Un carro viejo que viene pitando

Con llantas de triciclo y el motor al revés

En la esquina yo esperando

Como siempre su novia fiel

Mis amigas se están burlando

Murmuran cosas de él

Carcacha, paso a pasito

No dejes de tambalear

Carcacha, poco a poquito

No nos vayas a dejar

Carcacha, paso a pasito

No dejes de tambalear

Carcacha, poco a poquito

No nos vayas a dejar

¡Hey!

Miren muchachas que no me arrepiento

Y tampoco me avergüenzo yo de mi galán

Aunque sea pobre y tenga un carro viejo

Me trata como reina

Un hombre de verdad

Y aunque tenga una carcacha

Lo que importa es que voy con el

Tampoco sera el más guapo

Pero si es mi novio fiel

¡Ouh!

Carcacha, paso a pasito

No dejes de tambalear

Carcacha, poco a poquito

No nos vayas a dejar

Carcacha, paso a pasito

No dejes de tambalear

Carcacha, poco a poquito

No nos vayas a dejar

Carcacha, paso a pasito

No dejes de tambalear

Carcacha, poco a poquito

No nos vayas a dejar

Carcacha, paso a pasito

No dejes de tambalear

Carcacha, poco a poquito

No nos vayas a dejar

Todo mundo con las manos en alto y diciendo

Carcacha, poco a poquito

No nos vayas a dejar

Carcacha, paso a pasito

No dejes de tambalear

Carcacha, poco a poquito

No nos vayas a dejar

Carcacha, paso a pasito

No dejes de tambalear

Carcacha, poco a poquito

No nos vayas a dejar

Carcacha, paso a pasito

No dejes de tambalear

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
carcacha carcacha C1	noun - old, dilapidated car
carro carro A1	noun - car
viejo viejo A1	adjective - old
pasito pasito A2	noun - small step
tambalear tambalear B2	verb - to stagger, wobble
humareda humareda B2	noun - cloud of smoke
llantas llantas B1	noun - tires
triciclo triciclo B1	noun - tricycle
motor motor A2	noun - engine
revés revés B2	noun - reverse, setback
esquina esquina A2	noun - corner
novio novio A2	noun - boyfriend
galán galán B1	noun - handsome man, swain
guapo guapo A2	adjective - handsome, good‑looking
reina reina A1	noun - queen
burlando burlando B1	verb (gerund) - mocking, teasing
murmuran murmuran B1	verb (3rd‑person plural) - they murmur
dejar dejar A1	verb - to leave, to let