One of the easiest and most engaging ways to improve your Spanish is listen to and sing songs. When you learn Spanish with songs it can help you in these ways:
- Repeatedly listening to a song accomplishes the important step of repetition.
- There is research that points to the positive role song plays in language learning – in the areas of tone, rhythm and memory which are all basic to both music and language.
- The process of repeatedly listening to and practicing a song is not boring; in fact, most people find that it’s fun and emotionally rewarding.
- Singing a song out loud (singing along with a recording, alone or with others) is a great way to practice pronunciation and self-expression.
- Songs help us expand our vocabulary and ways of expressing ourselves beyond our ‘comfort zone.’
Here is a song, Canción de Adiós, that’s good for learning Spanish because it’s clear and easy to hear the words, and the song is melodically simple. The song was written and performed by Andrea Galindo-Escamilla who is a member of Rice University’s Mariachi Luna Llena Band.
If you’d like to view the video directly on YouTube (where you will be able to see the video in higher resolution), click here.
Below are the full lyrics of the song along with the English translation. Enjoy singing along with the song – and even memorizing it so that you can sing to yourself while you drive. Canción de Adiós has a rich vocabulary and has 7 instances of subjunctive mood verbs and this can be very helpful; we English speakers learning Spanish often find the frequent use of the subjunctive in Spanish a little challenging.
Canción de Adiós
| Que en la vida te encontrara | That in life I found you |
| y que enseguida te amara | and that immediately I loved you |
| fue el destino que seguí. | was the destiny I followed. |
| Poco a poco fue creciendo | Little by little it grew |
| este amor que floreciendo | this love that flourishing |
| ahora tiene que morir. | now has to die. |
| La distancia tiene culpa | The distance has blame |
| pero no tiene disculpa | but it doesn't have justification |
| que no lucharas por mí. | that you wouldn't fight for me. |
| Vete ya, no tengas duda | Go away now, don't doubt |
| que en mi corazón se queda | that in my heart remains |
| este amor que es para tí. | this love that is for you. |
| Quién no sabe en este mundo | Who doesn't know in this world |
| que al amar se da la vida | that when loving one gives one's life |
| y se entrega el corazón. | and one surrenders one's heart. |
| Es por eso que hoy lloro | That is why today I cry |
| por amarte y adorarte | for loving you and adoring you |
| y aun así decirte adiós. | and yet tell you good bye. |
| Ojalá que nuestra historia | Hopefully our story |
| permanezca en tu memoria | remains in your memory |
| y vuelvas a ser feliz. | and you are happy again. |
| Sigue ahora tu camino | Continue now your way |
| así lo quiso el destino | that is how destiny wanted it |
| que no fueras para mí. | that you were not for me. |
| Te doy gracias por tu tiempo | I thank you for your time |
| por crear tantos recuerdos | for creating so many memories |
| de mi vida junto a ti. | of my life with you. |
| Quiero que sepas que el llanto | I want you to know that the tears |
| también se convierte en canto, | also transform into song, |
| y así nació esta canción. | and that is how this song was born. |
| Quién no sabe en este mundo | Who doesn't know in this world |
| que al amar se da la vida | that when loving one gives one's life |
| y se entrega el corazón. | and one surrenders one's heart. |
| Es por eso que hoy lloro | That is why today I cry |
| por amarte y adorarte | for loving you and adoring you |
| y aun así decirte adiós. | and yet tell you good bye. |
The Pars Omni Spanish Voices program that you saw in action in the video above is a language acquisition and language learning tool that can help you become more fluent in Spanish. It gives you access to dozens of recorded, unrehearsed conversations (and songs) with native Spanish speakers. Download Pars Omni Spanish Voices to find out how it can help you become fluent in Spanish.
