Marcha atrás literally translates to "reverse gear," like in a car. It's a fantastic idiomatic phrase that means 'to go backwards' or 'to backtrack'.
In this poignant song about his father, Enrique Iglesias uses it metaphorically, singing "A veces hemos ido marcha atrás" (Sometimes we have gone backwards) to describe the regressions and setbacks in their relationship. It’s a perfect example of how a practical phrase can be used poetically to express a complex, relatable feeling.
This song feels like listening in on a very personal phone call that's been a long time coming. Enrique Iglesias is singing to his father, who he calls "viejo" (old man), after years of not speaking. He starts off simply, asking "Hola viejo dime como estás" (Hello old man, tell me how you are), and quickly makes it clear he hasn't forgotten him. He gives a quick update on his own life, saying he's working as usual but also admits to a deep loneliness: "Aunque confieso que en mi vida / Hay mucha soledad" (Although I confess that in my life / There is a lot of loneliness).
Despite their differences and past arguments, he feels a powerful connection, saying "En el fondo tú y yo somos casi igual" (Deep down, you and I are almost the same). The chorus is full of these maybes, wondering why they've drifted apart. Maybe they're just too different, like one person looking for a desert while the other looks for the sea. But through it all, there's this surprising twist of love. He realizes that despite the distance and the disagreements, or maybe because of them, "gracias a la vida hoy te quiero más" (thanks to life, today I love you more).
Enrique Iglesias shopped his first demos around Madrid under the name Enrique Martínez, so that no label would sign him for being Julio Iglesias's son. Fonovisa signed him anyway and flew him to Toronto, where he recorded Enrique Iglesias (1995) in near anonymity. All five of its singles, "Si Tú Te Vas" and "Experiencia Religiosa" among them, reached number one on Billboard's Latin chart, and the album won the 1997 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album.
Enrique (1999) moved him onto English-language radio, with "Bailamos" and "Be with You" both topping the Hot 100, and Escape (2001) sold past eight million copies on the back of "Hero". The chart he owns outright is Hot Latin Songs: 27 number ones, more than any other artist, plus the two longest runs at the top in its history, "Bailando" with Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona at 41 weeks in 2014 and "El Perdón" with Nicky Jam at 30 weeks in 2015. He wound the recording career down on his own terms, calling Final (Vol. 1) in 2021 and Final (Vol. 2) in 2024 his last albums.