El Amigo – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Christian Nodal

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a journey through raw emotion with Christian Nodal's "El Amigo." This powerful Regional Mexican track offers an incredible opportunity to dive into authentic Spanish, rich with expressions of love, loss, and longing. Its relatable theme of moving on (or struggling to) and Nodal's evocative storytelling make it a compelling song to learn Spanish with, revealing the nuanced ways feelings are expressed in everyday language and music.

[English]

(Music)

♪ It makes me happy from the heart ♪

♪ That your life is no longer dark ♪

♪ That she added color and things are - much better ♪

♪ It shows, and they tell me ♪

♪ It's no secret that you - deserved more ♪

♪ Than what I gave you, he was the one - who won ♪

♪ I was the one who lost ♪

♪ And it frustrates me ♪

♪ I don't like talking about that ♪

♪ I don't give my opinion on that topic ♪

♪ But now, with the drinks, I tell you ♪

♪ That he treats her like a queen ♪

♪ But she treats him like a friend ♪

♪ And he seems classy ♪

♪ One of those who gets drunk - with wine ♪

♪ But I, who know her - well ♪

♪ She doesn't like it, it's not her style ♪

♪ And the truth is ♪

♪ Together, they don't look so bad ♪

♪ But she looked better with me ♪

♪ (Uh) ♪

♪ The friend is the leading man ♪

♪ Of the boyfriend, it might weigh on him ♪

♪ He might kiss her ♪

♪ But he doesn't kiss her the way - I kissed her ♪

♪ Sometimes I think she thinks - about that ♪

♪ Sometimes she says she's happy, - but it doesn't seem like it ♪

♪ She doesn't get wet with him ♪

♪ It's with me that she - belongs ♪

♪ I give it a couple of months ♪

♪ For her to come back to me ♪

♪ Not even if she prays, not - even if she begs ♪

♪ Not even if he offers a lot ♪

♪ She won't grow old with him ♪

♪ She doesn't know where those points are ♪

♪ That drive her crazy ♪

♪ He touches her body ♪

♪ But I'm the one who touches her soul ♪

♪ I ask you, friends ♪

♪ Not to make me open - my mouth ♪

♪ Because I don't give my opinion on that topic ♪

♪ But now, with the drinks, I tell you ♪

♪ That he treats her like a queen ♪

♪ But she treats him like a friend ♪

♪ And he seems classy ♪

♪ One of those who gets drunk - with wine ♪

♪ But I, who know her - well ♪

♪ She doesn't like it, it's not her style ♪

♪ And the truth is ♪

♪ Together, they don't look so bad ♪

♪ But she looked better with me ♪

(Incidental sounds)

[Spanish]

(Música)

♪ De cora me alegra ♪

♪ Que ya tu vida no esté negra ♪

♪ Que le puso color y están mucho mejor ♪

♪ Se te nota y me cuentan ♪

♪ No es secreto que tú merecías más ♪

♪ De lo que te di, él fue el que ganó ♪

♪ Yo fui el que perdí ♪

♪ Y me frustra ♪

♪ Hablar de eso no me gusta ♪

♪ Yo de ese tema no opino ♪

♪ Pero ya con los tragos les digo ♪

♪ Que la trata como a una reina ♪

♪ Pero ella lo trata como amigo ♪

♪ Y él se ve fino ♪

♪ De esos que se emborrachan con vino ♪

♪ Pero yo que la conozco a ella ♪

♪ No le gusta, no es su estilo ♪

♪ Y la verdad ♪

♪ Juntos no se ven tan mal ♪

♪ Pero se veía mejor conmigo ♪

♪ (Uh) ♪

♪ El amigo es el titular ♪

♪ Del novio, puede que le pese ♪

♪ Puede que la bese ♪

♪ Pero no la besa como yo la besé ♪

♪ A veces pienso que ella piensa en eso ♪

♪ A veces dice que es feliz, pero no parece ♪

♪ Con él ella no se humedece ♪

♪ Conmigo es que ella pertenece ♪

♪ Yo le doy un par de meses ♪

♪ Pa' que conmigo regrese ♪

♪ Ni aunque ore, ni aunque rece ♪

♪ Ni aunque es mucho lo que ofrece ♪

♪ Ella con él no envejece ♪

♪ No sabe dónde quedan esos puntos ♪

♪ Que la vuelven loca ♪

♪ Él le toca el cuerpo ♪

♪ Pero soy yo el que al alma le toca ♪

♪ Les pido de compas ♪

♪ Que no me hagan abrir la boca ♪

♪ Que yo de ese tema no opino ♪

♪ Pero ya con los tragos les digo ♪

♪ Que la trata como a una reina ♪

♪ Pero ella lo trata como amigo ♪

♪ Y él se ve fino ♪

♪ De esos que se emborrachan con vino ♪

♪ Pero yo que la conozco a ella ♪

♪ No le gusta, no es su estilo ♪

♪ Y la verdad ♪

♪ Juntos no se ven tan mal ♪

♪ Pero se veía mejor conmigo ♪

(Sonidos Incidentales)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
alegra /aˈleɣɾa/ A2	verb - to cheer up
negra /ˈneɣɾa/ A1	adjective - black
color /koˈloɾ/ A1	noun - color
merecías /meˈreθi.as/ B1	verb - you deserved
frustra /ˈfɾustɾa/ B1	verb - frustrates
reina /ˈrejna/ A2	noun - queen
amigo /aˈmiɣo/ A1	noun - friend
emborrachan /em.bo.ˈra.tʃan/ B1	verb - get drunk
estilo /esˈti.lo/ A2	noun - style
titular /ti.tuˈlar/ B2	adjective - official
humedece /u.meˈðe.se/ C1	verb - gets wet
pertenece /pe.ɾteˈne.se/ B1	verb - belongs
envejece /em.be.ˈxe.se/ B2	verb - ages
loca /ˈloka/ A2	adjective - crazy
compás /komˈpas/ B2	noun - compassion

Key Grammar Structures

• Que ya tu vida no esté negra

  ➔ Subjunctive mood after *que* expressing a wish/desire.

  ➔ The subjunctive mood is used because the speaker is expressing a desire for the other person's life to no longer be dark. "Esté" is the subjunctive form of "estar".

• De lo que te di, él fue el que ganó

  ➔ Relative clause with a definite article (*el que*) to emphasize the subject.

  ➔ *El que* emphasizes that *he* was the one who won. It's not just anyone, but specifically him.

• Puede que le pese

  ➔ Subjunctive mood after *puede que* expressing uncertainty or possibility.

  ➔ The phrase *puede que* always requires the subjunctive mood. *Pese* is the subjunctive form of *pesar*.

• Pero no la besa como yo la besé

  ➔ Comparison using *como* with past tense (Pretérito Indefinido/Simple Past) to describe a past action.

  ➔ This sentence compares how the current boyfriend kisses her to how the speaker used to kiss her in the past. *Besé* is the Pretérito Indefinido of *besar*.

• Con él ella no se humedece

  ➔ Use of the reflexive pronoun *se* with an intransitive verb to indicate a state or condition.

  ➔ The verb *humedecerse* means 'to become wet' or 'to moisten'. The reflexive pronoun *se* indicates that she isn't experiencing that state (sexual arousal) with him.

• Conmigo es que ella pertenece

  ➔ Cleft sentence with *es que* for emphasis.

  ➔ Using *es que* highlights the phrase *conmigo*, emphasizing that she belongs with *him* and not the current boyfriend.

• Pa' que conmigo regrese

  ➔ Subjunctive mood after *para que* expressing purpose or intention.

  ➔ The phrase *pa' que* (short for *para que*) requires the subjunctive mood because it expresses the speaker's intended result. *Regrese* is the subjunctive form of *regresar*.