Learn Spanish With Alfredo Olivas with these 14 Song Recommendations (Full Translations Included!)

Alfredo Olivas
LF Content Team | Updated on 2 February 2023
Learning Spanish with Alfredo Olivas's music is fun, engaging, and includes a cultural aspect that is often missing from other language learning methods. It is also great way to supplement your learning and stay motivated to keep learning Spanish!
Below are 14 song recommendations by Alfredo Olivas to get you started! Alongside each recommendation, you will find a snippet of the lyric translations with links to the full lyric translations and lessons for each of the songs!
CONTENTS SUMMARY
El Día De Los Muertos (The Day Of The Dead)
Se llegó el momento
Ya ni escogí la madera
Hace mucho tiempo
Que estaba en lista de espera
The moment's arrived
I didn't even pick the wood
A long time ago
that I was on a waiting list

El Día De Los Muertos paints a witty, almost cheeky self-eulogy. The narrator speaks from beyond the grave, joking that he never chose his coffin wood or picked the gospel readings, yet here he is in his “new address” between tomb and cross. With dark humor he owns his faults, insists he was never “just one of the crowd,” and even calls himself alérgico a la muerte—allergic to death—while earth literally closes over him. The song balances irony and regret: he apologizes for ignoring the mortal danger that finally caught up with him, but also claims his impending legacy, refusing to let death rob him of his unique spark.

Rooted in Mexico’s vibrant Día de Muertos tradition, the lyrics use playful banter with the afterlife to tackle big themes—ego, legacy, and acceptance. Instead of mourning, the voice invites listeners to celebrate: lower the coffin, toss the dirt, and then bring on the sugar skulls and marigolds. For Alfredo Olivas, death is not a full stop; it is a graduation into the “clan of the dead,” a moment when the living offer gifts and stories that keep personalities alive. The result is a song that turns fear of mortality into a colorful, cultural fiesta, reminding us to live boldly now because, sooner or later, everyone is on the waiting list.

El Precio De La Soledad (The Price of Loneliness)
Qué cobarde eres ya vi el miedo que me tienes
Debí de suponerlo pero no quería creerte
Me duele lo que hiciste, lo acepto, sí estoy muy triste
Pero eso se pasa con traer liquido en la panza y eso haré
How cowardly you are I saw the fear you have of me
I must have assumed but I didn't want to believe you
It hurts me what you did, I accept it, yes I am very sad
But that happens with bringing liquid in the belly and that I will do

"El Precio De La Soledad" is a heartbreak song about confronting someone who cheated and pretended everything was fine.

The singer calls out their partner's cowardice for hiding the truth, admits how much the betrayal hurts, and says the only cure right now is a drink. Underneath the anger is a real question: when the excuses run out and the friends stop believing the story, what will loneliness actually cost?

By the end, the song isn't really about revenge. It's about making sure the other person eventually has to face the same emptiness they caused.

Soy Lo Que Ves (I Am What You See)
Puedes oír, pero no me puedes hablar
Puedo oír, pero no me podré quedar
Te puedo querer, pero nunca llegarte a amar
Yo puedo pedir, pero tú me puedes no dar
You can hear, but you can't talk to me
I can hear, but I won't be able to stay
I can like you, but never get to love you
I can ask, but you don't have to give

"Soy Lo Que Ves" is a quiet confession from someone who would rather be honest than say what the other person wants to hear. He can listen, he can care, but he's upfront that he can't promise to stay or to fall fully in love — that plainness is what he calls his religion, the truth over comfort.

The chorus turns to a very modern kind of heartbreak: being left on read. He knows the risk of being this honest is losing her, and he's willing to take it anyway, even as it slowly wears him down.

It's a song about choosing sincerity over a performance of love, and living with the loneliness that choice can bring.

Sin Explicaciones (Without Explanations)
No me des explicaciones
Cuando no las he pedido
Evita los sermones si ya lo tienes decidido
No me gustan los rodeos
Don't give me explanations
When I haven't asked for them
Avoid sermons if you have already decided
I don't like rodeos

"Sin Explicaciones" is Alfredo Olivas asking for a clean break, not a long conversation about it.

He opens by refusing to hear the reasons: if the other person has already made up their mind, he doesn't want the lecture or the runaround, just the truth stated plainly. As the song moves on, he admits he actually made the same decision himself a while ago, without fully knowing how or when it happened. He isn't angry, and he isn't asking to be talked out of it.

What he does ask for is honesty on the way out. He'd rather the two of them call it even than have one side sneak away quietly, and he makes clear he wasn't the first to give up on the relationship. It's a song about ending things with dignity instead of drama.

Hoy Te Pierdo (Today I Lose You)
Hoy te pierdo
Ya es oficial siendo las once con cuarenta
Hoy te pierdo
Y lo peor que fui el último en darme cuenta
I lose you today
It's official now, eleven forty
I lose you today
And the worst is I was the last to notice

Alfredo Olivas ties the breakup to a literal clock time: 'Hoy te pierdo' ('Today I lose you') opens fixed to 'las once con cuarenta' ('eleven forty'), which reads like a diary entry rather than a metaphor. Before he says anything else, he notices what's on her hand — 'Por cierto, bonito anillo' ('By the way, nice ring'), 'Luce muy bien en tu dedo' ('It looks great on your finger') — and admits he was the last one to catch on.

By the chorus he stops narrating and repeats the loss instead: 'Te pierdo como se pierde la oscuridad de la aurora' ('I lose you the way darkness fades at dawn'), then 'Pierdo algo que nunca tuve, maldita sea la hora' ('I lose what I never had, damn this hour') — his own admission that whatever they had was already gone before he lost it. He ends the song lighting a candle for it: 'préndele una veladora' ('light a candle').

A Estas Horas (At This Hour)
A estas horas de la noche
Cuando todo es tan incierto
Pareciera que viene el sol
Pero el grillo
At this time of night
When everything is so uncertain
It seems that the sun is coming
But the cricket

Have you ever been up late, when it's super quiet, and your mind just starts racing? That's exactly where Alfredo Olivas takes us in "A Estas Horas." He's awake in the middle of the night, when "todo es tan incierto" [everything is so uncertain], and even though it feels like the sun should be coming up, the crickets are still singing. He should be asleep, but for some reason, he's wide awake.

And guess who he's thinking about? You guessed it – an ex! Her memory just pops up "de la nada" [out of nowhere]. He wonders if she's sleeping, or if she's also talking to her pillow. He really doesn't want the dawn to break "Sin por lo menos escuchar tu voz" [Without at least hearing your voice]. He's hoping that maybe, just maybe, at this late hour, she might even fall in love with him again. He wants her to forget the past, because he's a "hombre nuevo desde tu adiós" [new man since your goodbye]. It's a really honest look at those late-night thoughts when you're missing someone and hoping for a second chance.

La Mejor De Las Historias (The Best Of Stories)
Yo simplemente estaba al borde
Mi corazón ya no aguantaba
Pero algo me tenía el destino
Y que pone en mi camino
I was just on the edge
My heart couldn't stand anymore
But something had fate for me
And that puts in my way

Alfredo Olivas's "La Mejor De Las Historias" is such a sweet song about finding unexpected love! He starts by telling us he was at his limit, his heart couldn't take any more, but then fate stepped in and brought someone into his life. He sings, "El azul de su mirada" [the blue of her gaze] brought the sparkle back to his eyes, and suddenly all his desires woke up. He even tried to find a flaw in her, a "pero" [but], but he couldn't! That's when he knew he was standing "Frente al amor de mi vida" [in front of the love of my life].

It's clear he's been through a lot of disappointments, but this new love has given him so many reasons to be happy. He's ready to give her all the glory and even says, "Mírenme aquí haciendo canciones / Totalmente meritorias" [Look at me here making songs / Totally meritorious] because of her! He wants to invite her to something big: to write "la mejor de las historias" [the best of stories] together. He keeps looking for a flaw, and still can't find one, which just makes him feel incredibly lucky. This love is getting stronger, and there's no way to stop it!

Medalla De Plata (Silver Medal)
Tan cerca de perderte, tan lejos de olvidarte
Haciendo por tenerte, lo que está de mi parte
Tú ya estás decidida y yo estoy desesperado
Me apartas de tu vida y yo te quiero a mi lado
So close to losing you, so far from forgetting you
Doing to have you, what is on my side
You are already determined and I am desperate
You take me away from your life and I want you by my side

Alfredo Olivas's "Medalla De Plata" is a really direct and emotional song about a guy who's desperately trying to hold onto a relationship that's clearly ending. He feels like he's "Tan cerca de perderte, tan lejos de olvidarte" [So close to losing you, so far from forgetting you], and he's doing everything he can to keep her, even though she's already made up her mind. He describes himself as "más que acorralado" [more than cornered] and says this "jueguito ya me tiene sin salida" [little game has left me with no way out].

He's not interested in being friends or getting a consolation prize. He bluntly tells her, "No me beses la mejilla como premio de consolación" [Don't kiss my cheek as a consolation prize] and "No me cuelgues la medalla y menos si es de plata" [Don't hang the medal on me, especially if it's silver]. He'd rather she be honest and "Pon las cartas sobre la mesa" [Put the cards on the table] to see if there's any way to negotiate a second option. He even says, "Mas ni piedad ni compasión, porque eso si que mata" [But neither pity nor compassion, because that really kills]. It's a powerful look at a man facing the end of a relationship, wanting honesty over false kindness.

En Definitiva (Ultimately)
En definitiva
Esto es definitivo
Y es que nuestro adios
Ya tiene nombre y apellido
In short
This is final
And it is that our goodbye
You already have a first and last name

Have you ever felt like you met the right person at the wrong time? In "En Definitiva," Alfredo Olivas sings about a painful and final goodbye. He says their farewell is so certain it has a "first and last name" (nombre y apellido). Even though he believes they could make it work, he feels they shouldn't continue.

The singer is heartbroken, struggling to understand why their relationship has to end when it felt so right. He admits it's hard to accept that they "arrived late" (llegamos tarde). He's going to miss everything about this person, especially their unique way of making love. He even compares them to a new partner, admitting that what they shared is something his current partner "still lacks" (aún le falta), making the goodbye even more difficult.

Y Por Qué No (And Why Not)
Y por qué no
Quitarnos esa duda de una vez
Por qué no intentar burlar la sociedad
Ir en contra de la ley
And why not
Take away that doubt once and for all
Why not try to circumvent society
Going against the law

Alfredo Olivas's "Y Por Qué No" is a bold and direct serenade, where he's basically asking, "Why not?" to a secret romance. He's tired of the unspoken tension and wants to throw caution to the wind, suggesting they "quitarnos esa duda de una vez" [get rid of that doubt once and for all]. He's ready to "burlar la sociedad" [mock society] and "ir en contra de la ley" [go against the law] that keeps them apart.

Alfredo is laying it all out, proposing they give passion a chance. He's pretty blunt, asking for a date "en una cama" [in a bed] to "cerrar el trato" [close the deal] and fulfill his immense desire for her. He even playfully corrects himself, saying, "ya no soy alfredito, soy alfredo, pero solo para usted" [I'm not little Alfredo anymore, I'm Alfredo, but only for you], emphasizing his maturity and serious intentions. He's convinced she feels something too, saying, "algo se trae entre piernas" [she's got something going on between her legs], and he's ready to ignore any age differences, insisting "este niño ya no es niño" [this boy is no longer a boy]. It's a fun, confident, and very direct plea for a secret love to finally come out into the open.

Y Por Lo Pronto (And For Now)
Aunque el mundo se encuentre al revés
Yo mantendré una sonrisa
Y todo porque sé muy bien que las cosas
Van a cambiar un día, para bien
Even if the world is upside down
I'll keep a smile
And all because I know very well that things
They're going to change one day, for the better

Alfredo Olivas's "Y Por Lo Pronto" is all about keeping a positive outlook and staying patient, even when life throws you curveballs. He sings, "Aunque el mundo se encuentre al revés / Yo mantendré una sonrisa" [Even if the world is upside down / I will keep a smile], because he believes things will get better. For now, he's just waiting it out, saying, "Y por lo pronto yo espero en la banca" [And for now I wait on the bench], but he's not idle. He's making the most of his time, staying entertained, and recognizing that "el tiempo es muy buen amigo" [time is a very good friend].

It's a really personal song where Alfredo reflects on his past, mentioning how he made friends and got ahead in school, which he thought would be harder. He also touches on some heavy stuff, like missing his family ("Veo la foto de mi sangre / Sé bien que mi dios es grande y le pido / ¡Volver a verlos!" [I see the photo of my blood / I know my God is great and I ask him / To see them again!]) and the pain he's caused them. But through it all, he holds onto hope, believing that "la balanza esté de mi lado" [the scales are on my side] and that he'll return, no matter what. It's a powerful message of resilience and faith in the future.

La Ley Del Chinito (The Law of the Sly One)
¿Qué puedan decirme que no haya escuchado?
¿Qué puedan mostrarme que no lo haya visto?
Cuando están aquí, con los ojos vendados
Juran que andan por los senderos de Cristo
What can you tell me that I haven't heard?
What can you show me that I haven't seen?
When they are here, blindfolded
They swear they walk in the ways of Christ

"La Ley Del Chinito" is Alfredo Olivas calling out people who betrayed him and are now pretending to be innocent. He opens by mocking those who suddenly act pious, swearing they "walk in the ways of Christ" right after making deals with the devil, people he once trusted as messengers.

Midway through, he names the style directly, calling this a corrido, not a caricature, tying the song to the genre's tradition of telling real, hard stories rather than cartoon versions of them.

The rest is a warning. He says it's too late for anyone who wronged him to win back his favor, that cooperating now won't save them, and that "la ley del chinito," a saying about letting a rival walk once he gives up his weapons, does not apply to him. He'd rather deal with people face to face than leave any loose ends.

Vaivén (Swing)
Cuando se puede y no llueve sobre mojado
Cuando los moros en la costa no se ven
Cuando calculo que las aguas se han calmado
Es cuando escribo pa saber si es que estás bien
When we can and it ain't raining on soaked ground
When the coast is clear and nobody's watching
When I figure the waters have calmed down
That's when I text to see if you're okay

"Vaivén" is about a love that only gets to exist in secret, in the back-and-forth ("vaivén") between what's allowed and what isn't. The singer only reaches out when the timing feels safe, when "the coast is clear" and the waters have calmed, and he admits he lowers his voice even just saying how much she means to him.

Even so, he treats her as the best part of his day: the last thing on his mind before sleep, the first thing when he wakes up, the song that comes on over drinks and pulls him straight back to the day they met. He calls her his favorite sin, the kiss he can't do without.

By the end the song turns into a toast, celebrating music, tequila, and the two of them together, daring nothing to go wrong.

Ave De Mal Agüero (Bird Of Bad Omen)
Nunca me he considerado ave de mal agüero
Pero ese perro mañana se muere
Comentó unas cosas que no debió haber comentado
Llegó a mis oídos y ahora está en la lista de los desahuciados
I've never considered myself a bird of ill omen
But that dog dies tomorrow
He said some things that he shouldn't have said
It reached my ears and now he's on the list of the doomed

Ave De Mal Agüero paints a raw, cinematic picture of revenge in the style of a modern Mexican corrido. The narrator begins by insisting he is not normally a harbinger of doom, yet someone’s careless words have signed their own death warrant. As the verses unfold, we hear his inner monologue shift from simmering frustration to icy certainty: he now knows where, when, and how the traitor will pay. Vivid images of rifles, vultures, and muddy boots create a western-like atmosphere where nature itself seems to conspire with him, turning the coming execution into a harsh ritual of “divine justice.”

Beneath the violent storytelling lies a cautionary tale about the steep price of betrayal and gossip. By calling himself an “ave de mal agüero” only at the end, the singer admits he will embrace the role of ill omen to restore respect and balance. In other words: speak carelessly, and you might summon more than angry words—you might summon the very embodiment of poetic, merciless justice. The song’s intensity, dark humor, and vivid rural imagery make it a gripping study of honor, retribution, and the thin line between man and beast.

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