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Learn Spanish with “Volver, Volver”: Lyrics & English Translation

By: Author David Issokson

Posted on  - Last updated:

Vicente Fernández’s 1973 hit, “Volver, Volver” (meaning to return, to return) is one of the greatest Mexican ranchera songs of all time. The song’s lyrics depict heartbreak and the yearning to return to a lost lover. This post provides and English translation of the Spanish lyrics, and explains the Spanish lyrics vocabulary and grammar.

Volver, Volver: Spanish Lyrics and English Translation

Listen to “Volver, Volver”

Spanish Lyrics of “Volver, Volver” & English Translation

Este amor apasionado
This passionate love
Anda todo alborotado
Is all in turmoil
Por volver
To return
Voy camino a la locura y aunque todo me tortura
I’m on the road to madness and although everything tortures me
Sé querer
I know how to love

Nos dejamos hace tiempo
We left each other a long time ago
Pero me llegó el momento
But my time has come
De perder
To lose
Tú tenías mucha razón
You were so right
Le hago caso al corazón
I listen to my heart
Y me muero por volver
And I’m dying to get back

Y volver volver, volver
And return, return, return
A tus brazos, otra vez
To your arms, again
Llegaré hasta donde estés
I’ll go to where you are
Yo sé perder, yo sé perder
I know how to lose, I know how to lose
Quiero volver, volver volver
I want to return, return, return

Aaah ah ah ah ah

Y no vuleves porque no quieres, papacito
And you don’t come back because you don’t want to, honey

(Stanzas with Nos dejamos hace tiempo/Y volver volver, volver repeat)

Volver, Volver vocabulary and grammar notes

SPANISHNOTES
Este amor apasionadoThis passionate love; Este is a demonstrative adjective meaning “this” when preceding masculine noun.
Anda todo alborotadoIs all in turmoil; Alborotado is an adjective meaning messy; Related to alborotar (to disrupt)
Por volverTo return; The preposition por can translate to “for” or “in order to”. Volver means to come back, to return.
aunque todo me torturaAlthough everything tortures me; aunque is a conjunction meaning, even if, although, though.
Sé quererI know how to love; Sé is the first-person singular of saber (to know); Sé+ infinitive = to know how to + verb.
Nos dejamosWe left each other; Dejar means “to leave”. Nos dejamos is reciprocal, suggesting “each other”. This line is in the preterite tense.
hace tiempoLiterally, “makes time”, this expression means a long time ago.
Pero me llegó el momentoThis line translates literally to “the moment has arrived to me”. Llegar means “to arrive” or “to reach”.
Tú tenías mucha razónYou were right; The expression tener razón means to be right. Tenías is the verb tener in the tú-form imperfect tense.
Le hago caso al corazónI listen to my heart; The expression hacer caso means “to listen to”. Le is an indirect object pronoun meaning “to it”.
Y me muero por volverAnd I’m dying to get back; Morirse is a reflexive verb meaning “to die”.
A tus brazos, otra vezTo your arms, again; Otra vez (literally other time) can translate to again, once again.
Llegaré hasta donde estésI’ll go to where you are; Literally “I’ll arrive to where you are”. Llegaré is the future tense of llegar in the yo form. Estés is the present subjunctive of estar (to be).
Quiero volverI want to return; Quiero is the first-person singular (yo) form of querer (to want, to love).
Y no vulevesAnd don’t come back; Vuelves is the negative imperative of form of volver in the tú form.
porque no quieres, papacitoBecause you don’t want to, honey; Papacito is a diminutive of papá and term of endearment meaning “honey” or “babe”.
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Reference

Volver, Volver (Wikipedia)

David Issokson
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