Te Conozco – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

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

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of Spanish through 'Te Conozco.' This song is a perfect gateway to learning conversational romantic expressions and the rhythmic cadence of Caribbean Spanish, all while experiencing the timeless chemistry of salsa royalty Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe.

[English]

Bacalao!

Ha, ha, ha, you're bad luck!

...

I know you, you fake

Don't come to me with your tricks

Because you come by all the time

Asking me for a penny

I know you, you fake

Don't try to mess with me

...

I know you, you fake

Don't try to persuade me

Every time I see you, you tell me:

"My friend, I'm completely broke"

Don't try to mess with me

I know you, you're bad luck

I have to close the doors

And the windows of my house

When I see you walking by

And hanging around close

What a nuisance of a guy

What a cheapskate

I'm already tired of him

I know you, you fake

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

Because I know you, you fake, I know you're bad luck, bad luck

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

At stop 25, a fake has climbed aboard

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

Ay, one fake, two fakes, three fakes, four fakes

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

Eh, when I see you, you tell me: "Go away with your nonsense"

...

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

Ay, be careful, be careful

Because here comes the fake, the bad luck one

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

Eh, those clothes you're wearing are borrowed, ay, from your brother-in-law

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

Eh, you don't have a single bill, and you're always in debt

...

Get your own, kid, leave me alone already

...

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

Ay, be careful, my fake friend, or they're going to arrest you

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

Always in debt, always desperate, and always broke

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

Eh, with all these stories, you've got me exhausted

(I know you, you fake

Even if you come in disguise)

Ay, go on fake, take it fake, here comes the fake, look, the fake, bad luck

...

[Spanish]

¡Bacalao!

Ja, ja, ja, sala'o

Yo te conozco, bacalao

No vengas con pugilatos

Que tú vienes cada rato

Pidiéndome una peseta

Te conozco, bacalao

Conmigo tú no te metas

Te conozco, bacalao

No trates de persuadirme

Siempre que te veo me dices:

"Compadre estoy arranca'o"

Conmigo tú no te metas

Te conozco, estás sala'o

Tengo que cerrar las puertas

Y ventanas de mi casa

Cuando te veo caminar

Y pegadito la pasas

Qué muchacho tan incordio

Qué tipo más agarra'o

Me tiene ya hasta cansado

Te conozco, bacalao

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

Que te conozco, bacalao, te conozco estás sala'o, sala'o

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

En la parada 25 se ha montado un bacalao

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

Ay, un bacalao, dos bacalao', tres bacalao', cuatro bacalao'

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

Eh, cuando yo te veo me dices: "Vete con la muña a otro la'o"

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

Ay, ten cuida'o, que ten cuida'o

Que allá viene el bacalao, sala'o

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

Eh, que esa ropa que tú tienes es presta', ay, de tu cuñado

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

Eh, tú no tienes ni un billete, y siempre 'tás anota'o

Ten lo tuyo, chico, suéltame ya

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

Ay, ten cuidado, mi bacalao, que te van a llevar arresta'o

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

Siempre anota'o el bacalao, siempre arrebatado y siempre pela'o

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfraza'o)

Eh, que ya con tanto cuento, ya tú me tienes cansa'o

(Te conozco bacalao

Aunque vengas disfrazao')

Ay, dale bacalao, toma bacalao, viene el bacalao, mira bacalao, sala'o

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Bacalao ba-ka-la-o B2	noun - codfish (literally); slang for a person who is broke or untrustworthy.
Sala'o sa-la-o C1	adjective - unlucky; jinxed (Caribbean slang).
Pugilatos pu-hi-la-tos C2	noun - fistfight; boxing match.
Persuadir per-sua-dir B2	verb - to persuade; to convince.
Arranca'o a-rran-ka-o C1	adjective - broke (no money).
Incordio in-kor-djo C1	adjective - annoying; tiresome.
Agarra'o a-ga-ra-o B2	adjective - stingy; tight-fisted.
Disfraza'o dis-fra-sa-o B1	adjective - disguised; masked.
Cansado kan-sa-do A1	adjective - tired; weary.
Cuñado ku-nya-do A2	noun - brother-in-law.
Billete bi-ye-te A2	noun - banknote; cash.
Anota'o a-no-ta-o B1	adjective - recorded; listed (as a debtor/on a tab).
Arresta'o a-rres-ta-o B2	adjective - arrested.
Arrebatado a-rre-ba-ta-do C1	adjective - carried away; impetuous; drug-influenced (slang).
Pela'o pe-la-o C1	adjective - penniless; broke.

Key Grammar Structures

• No vengas con pugilatos

  ➔ Negative Imperative (Subjunctive)

  ➔ The verb 'venir' becomes 'vengas' in the negative imperative (tú form).

• Compadre estoy arranca'o

  ➔ Colloquial Adjective (Past Participle as adjective)

  ➔ Used here to mean 'broke' or 'out of money' (slang).

• Cuando te veo caminar

  ➔ Temporal Clause with 'Cuando' + indicative

  ➔ Describes a recurring action in the present. 'Veo' is in the present indicative.

• Aunque vengas disfraza'o

  ➔ Concessive Clause with 'Aunque' + subjunctive

  ➔ 'Aunque' triggers the subjunctive when expressing a hypothesis or concession.

• Se ha montado un bacalao

  ➔ Present Perfect (Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto)

  ➔ Uses 'ha' (haber) + 'montado' (past participle) to indicate a past action with current relevance.

• Que te van a llevar arresta'o

  ➔ Periphrastic Future ('Ir a' + infinitive)

  ➔ 'Van' + 'a' + 'llevar' indicates an action that is about to happen.

• Esa ropa que tú tienes es presta'

  ➔ Relative Clause (que)

  ➔ 'Que' functions as a relative pronoun connecting 'ropa' to the description.

• Siempre 'tás anota'o

  ➔ Apocope (contraction/shortening of words)

  ➔ Informal pronunciation: 'estás' becomes 'tás'.