Reverdecer is a beautiful and uncommon verb that means "to become green again" or "to flourish anew." It's formed from the prefix re- (again) and verde (green), creating a vivid image of renewal and life.
In "Hay Amores," Shakira uses this word poetically to describe a love that defies the seasons. She sings that even in autumn, a time when nature typically fades, this love reverdece—it revives and thrives, just like a plant sprouting new green leaves. It's a powerful metaphor for an enduring and ever-renewing passion.
This song is a beautiful and dramatic declaration of a love that lasts through anything, even separation. Shakira compares her feelings to things that get better and stronger over time. She sings, "Hay amores / Que se vuelven resistentes a los daños / Como el vino, que mejora con los años" (There are loves / that become resistant to damage / like wine, that gets better with the years).
But this isn't just a happy love song. There's a deep sadness here because the lovers are apart. She asks her love not to forget the sea, which has seen her cry over memories of them. She even references a specific river from her home country of Colombia, the Magdalena, saying she wants to merge with her love the way the river merges with the sea: "Como el Río Magdalena / Que se funde en la arena del mar / Quiero fundirme yo en ti" (Like the Magdalena River / that melts into the sand of the sea / I want to melt into you). It's a powerful image of wanting to be completely united with someone you miss terribly.
Shakira signed to Sony Music Colombia at thirteen, and her debut album Magia sold about 1,200 copies in Colombia. Born in Barranquilla in 1977 to a family of Lebanese, Catalan and Colombian descent, she was belly dancing by four, after hearing Arabic drumming at a Middle Eastern restaurant near home, and she has written or co-written most of what she records.
The breakthrough came with Pies Descalzos (1995) and its single "Estoy Aquí", and ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998) followed with "Ciega, Sordomuda" and "Ojos Así". She moved into English on Laundry Service (2001), whose "Whenever, Wherever" was released in Spanish as "Suerte", then topped the US Hot 100 in 2006 with "Hips Don’t Lie", featuring Wyclef Jean. "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", recorded with the South African band Freshlyground, was the official song of the 2010 World Cup. Her 2023 session with Argentine producer Bizarrap won Latin Grammy Song of the Year, and Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran took Best Latin Pop Album at the 2025 Grammys, her fourth Grammy next to fifteen Latin Grammys.