El Blues del Esclavo Mecano Translation Meaning and Lyrics

Song Meaning

'El Blues del Esclavo' means 'The Slave's Blues' in English. It is a name of a song by 'Mecano' human translated here by a native speaker.

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Lyrics and Translations

'El Blues del Esclavo' human translated and annotated. Look for notes about interesting vocabulary, language constructions, idioms, changes to transcribed words, grammar rules and general info that our members have discovered

Song is in Spanish which is has full support in the Cloudlingo system. Use the controls below to turn on and off different views of the lyrics and their translations.

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Line 1
Original Lyrics: El ser negrito

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Aligned Translation: Being black

Free Translation: Being black

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Line 2
Original Lyrics: Es un color

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Aligned Translation: It is a color

Free Translation: It's a color

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Line 3
Original Lyrics: Lo de ser esclavo

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Aligned Translation: The thing about being a slave

Free Translation: The thing about being a slave

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Line 4
Original Lyrics: No lo trago

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Aligned Translation: I don't buy it

Free Translation: I don't buy it

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Line 5
Original Lyrics: Me tiene frito

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Aligned Translation: It got me fried

Free Translation: It got me fried

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Line 6
Original Lyrics: Tanto trabajar de sol a sol

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Aligned Translation: So much work from sun to sun

Free Translation: So much work from sun to sun

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Line 7
Original Lyrics: Las tierras del maldito señorito

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Aligned Translation: The lands of the damned lord

Free Translation: The lands of the damned lord

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Line 8
Original Lyrics: Los compañeros

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Aligned Translation: The partners

Free Translation: The partners

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Line 9
Original Lyrics: Piensan igual

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Aligned Translation: They think alike

Free Translation: They think alike

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Line 10
Original Lyrics: O hay un espartaco

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Aligned Translation: Or there is a spartacus

Free Translation: Or there is a spartacus

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Line 11
Original Lyrics: Que entre a saco

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Aligned Translation: To enter in full

Free Translation: To do the right thing

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Line 12
Original Lyrics: Y esto cambia

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Aligned Translation: And this changes

Free Translation: And this changes

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Line 13
Original Lyrics: O tos pa Gambia

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Aligned Translation: O tos pa Gambia

Free Translation: Or everyone to Gambia

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Line 14
Original Lyrics: Desde Kunta Kinte a nuestros días

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Aligned Translation: From Kunta Kinte to the present day

Free Translation: From Kunta Kinte to the present day

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Line 15
Original Lyrics: Pocas mejorías

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Aligned Translation: Few improvements

Free Translation: Few improvements

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Line 16
Original Lyrics: A ver si ahora con la guerra de secesión

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Aligned Translation: Let's see if now with the war of secession

Free Translation: Let's see if now with the Civil War

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Line 17
Original Lyrics: Se admite nuestro sindicato del algodón

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Aligned Translation: Our cotton union is admitted

Free Translation: Our cotton union is admitted

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Line 18
Original Lyrics: Que a saber

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Aligned Translation: That to know

Free Translation: That for your information

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Line 19
Original Lyrics: Quiere obtener

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Aligned Translation: Wants to get

Free Translation: Wants to get

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Line 20
Original Lyrics: Descanso dominical, un salario normal

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Aligned Translation: Sunday rest, a normal wage

Free Translation: Sunday rest, a normal wage

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Line 21
Original Lyrics: Dos pagas, mes de vacaciones

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Aligned Translation: Two payments, month's vacation

Free Translation: Two payments, month's vacation

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Line 22
Original Lyrics: Y una pensión tras la jubilación

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Aligned Translation: And a pension after retirement

Free Translation: And a pension after retirement

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Line 23
Original Lyrics: Que se nos trate

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Aligned Translation: To be treated

Free Translation: To be treated

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Line 24
Original Lyrics: Con dignidad

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Aligned Translation: With dignity

Free Translation: With dignity

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Line 25
Original Lyrics: Como a semejantes

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Aligned Translation: As equals

Free Translation: As equals

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Line 26
Original Lyrics: Emigrantes

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Aligned Translation: Migrant

Free Translation: Migrant

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Line 27
Original Lyrics: Que se terminen

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Aligned Translation: Let it be finished

Free Translation: Let it be finished

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Line 28
Original Lyrics: Las pasadas

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Aligned Translation: The past

Free Translation: The abuses

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Line 29
Original Lyrics: Las palizas del patrono

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Aligned Translation: The beatings of the boss

Free Translation: The beatings of the boss

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Line 30
Original Lyrics: Y el derecho de pernada

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Aligned Translation: And the right of pernada

Free Translation: And the right of pernada

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Line 31
Original Lyrics: Y el que prefiera que se vuelva

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Aligned Translation: And the one who prefers to return

Free Translation: And those who prefers to return

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Line 32
Original Lyrics: Al Senegal

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Aligned Translation: To Senegal

Free Translation: To Senegal

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Line 33
Original Lyrics: Correr desnudos por la selva

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Aligned Translation: Running naked through the jungle

Free Translation: Running naked through the jungle

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Line 34
Original Lyrics: Con la mujer y el chaval

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Aligned Translation: With the woman and the boy

Free Translation: With the wife and the kid

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Line 35
Original Lyrics: Ir natural

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Aligned Translation: Going natural

Free Translation: Going natural

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Line 36
Original Lyrics: Irguiendo cuello y testuz

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Aligned Translation: Erecting neck and forehead

Free Translation: Erecting neck and forehead

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Line 37
Original Lyrics: Como hermana avestruz

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Aligned Translation: Like sister ostrich

Free Translation: Like sister ostrich

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Line 38
Original Lyrics: Para que no digan

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Aligned Translation: So that they don't say

Free Translation: So that they don't say

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Line 39
Original Lyrics: Que somos unos zulús

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Aligned Translation: That we are Zulus

Free Translation: That we are Zulus

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Line 40
Original Lyrics: Ir cantando este blues

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Aligned Translation: Go singing this blues

Free Translation: Going singing this blues

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Line 41
Original Lyrics: Y el que prefiera que se vuelva

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Aligned Translation: And the one who prefers to return

Free Translation: And those who prefers to return

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Line 42
Original Lyrics: que se vuelva

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Aligned Translation: To return

Free Translation: To return

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Line 43
Original Lyrics: Y el que prefiera que se vuelva

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Aligned Translation: And the one who prefers to return

Free Translation: And those who prefers to return

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Line 44
Original Lyrics: Al Senegal

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Aligned Translation: To Senegal

Free Translation: To Senegal

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Line 45
Original Lyrics: Correr desnudos por la selva

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Aligned Translation: Running naked through the jungle

Free Translation: Running naked through the jungle

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Line 46
Original Lyrics: Con la mujer y el chaval

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Aligned Translation: With the woman and the boy

Free Translation: With the wife and the kid

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Line 47
Original Lyrics: Ir natural

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Aligned Translation: Going natural

Free Translation: Going natural

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Line 48
Original Lyrics: Irguiendo cuello y testuz

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Aligned Translation: Erecting neck and forehead

Free Translation: Erecting neck and forehead

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Line 49
Original Lyrics: Como hermana avestruz

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Aligned Translation: Like sister ostrich

Free Translation: Like sister ostrich

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Line 50
Original Lyrics: Para que no digan

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Aligned Translation: So that they don't say

Free Translation: So that they don't say

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Line 51
Original Lyrics: Que somos unos zulús

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Aligned Translation: That we are Zulus

Free Translation: That we are Zulus

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Line 52
Original Lyrics: Hemos hecho este blues

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Aligned Translation: We have made this blues

Free Translation: We have made this blues

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Review

Mecano El Blues del Esclavo meaning and lyrics explained

El Blues del Esclavo“The Slave’s Blues” is a song by the Spanish band Mecano. The song was released in 1989. The lyrics talk about the slavery in the USA to Afro-Americans in the past, but the song does not make a polemic statement against it but in a humorous tone validating the fight for their rights.

The song starts by saying that being black it’s just a color but being a slave just for that reason is illogical, the song speaks as if we were listing to a slave saying that he’s tired of working so much under the sun.

The slave then says that his friends and working companion think alike, they want rights or everybody is going to the Gambia. They expected that with the Civil War now their Cotton Syndicate will be admitted and with that obtaining certain rights like Sunday rest, a normal payment, and even vacation, they just want to be treated with dignity.

The song also stated that those who wanted should have the right to return to their countries and run naked through the jungle with their wife and kids.

El Blues del Esclavo by Mecano is a great song because it gives people another view of slavery and how bad it is, but it doesn’t do it with a sad and cruel story but with a nice theme and comfy lyrics. 

El Blues del Esclavo is a great song for practicing Spanish, Mecano does a great job with the lyrics and the singer is very clear on each line so you won’t have problems understanding what she is saying. Overall a magnificent song with a great message.

Submitted by user: ANITA

Average Ratings

Most people find the song lyrics very easy to understand lyrics, lyrics sung very slowly and it has very easy to remember verbs and nouns

Many words used are not in common daily usage.RAE

El Blues del Esclavo has 127 BPM (beats per minute)

References

RAE Based on a median word frequency of 7028 using the frequency database from the Royal Spanish Academy (La Real Academia Española)

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