Desengaño translates to "disillusionment" or "disappointment". It's a profound and emotionally charged word that goes beyond simple sadness.
In "Eso Es Amor," Alejandro Sanz uses desengaño to describe the painful realization that something or someone isn't what you believed them to be. It captures the bittersweet essence of love, where one must "aceptar el desengaño" (accept the disillusionment) as part of the experience, highlighting the complex and often challenging nature of deep affection.
Alejandro Sanz builds this one almost entirely out of infinitives, the way you would list symptoms rather than tell a story. "Salir pronto, llegar tarde" (Leave soon, arrive late). "Tan valiente, tan cobarde" (So brave, so cowardly). Every line pairs two opposites that are somehow both true at once, and he refuses to name what he is describing until the chorus turns up to do it for him. What makes the list sting is how unflattering it is: cold, thirst, crying, accepting the disappointment, and then "Es beber veneno puro" (It's drinking pure poison), followed straight away by "Y disfrutar a lo que sabe" (And savor its taste). That second half is the actual confession.
The chorus states the paradox flat out: "Pensar que el cielo, en un infierno cabe" (To think that heaven fits inside a hell), and then "Eso es amor, y el que lo probó lo sabe" (That is love, and whoever has tasted it knows). He repeats that last line six times to finish, which reads less like a hook than like a man who has run out of argument and is simply insisting. The quietest line is the best one: "Nada mío, tú eres arte" (Nothing is mine, you are art). He had already decided how this would go, though, promising "Guardaré el corazón" (I will lock my heart away) and then, one line later, "Y regalar la llave" (And give away the key).
Alejandro Sanz, born Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro on December 18, 1968, in Madrid, Spain, is a celebrated Spanish musician, singer, and composer known for his flamenco-influenced ballads. Starting guitar at seven, inspired by his Andalusian roots, he rose to fame with his 1997 album Más, featuring the iconic hit "Corazón Partío," which established him internationally.
With a career spanning over three decades, Sanz has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has skillfully blended genres such as pop, rock, funk, R&B, and jazz into his music while maintaining his flamenco essence. Collaborations with global artists like Shakira, Juanes, and Alicia Keys highlight his versatile artistry. Notably, he was the first Spanish artist to record an MTV Unplugged album, further cementing his status as a Latin music icon.