Las Mujeres Lyrics in English by Carlos Vives, Juanes
Vaina is a quintessential Colombian slang word and one of the most versatile in the entire Spanish language. While it can literally mean "thing" or "stuff," its meaning changes dramatically with context.
In this song, Carlos Vives sings, "¡Hombre, qué vaina las mujeres!" He uses it as an exclamation of frustration, similar to saying, "Man, what a pain women are!" or "What a nuisance!" Learning vaina is a key step to understanding the soul of Colombian Vallenato music and everyday conversation.
This song is a classic, over-the-top lament about heartbreak, and it's fantastic. Colombian legend Carlos Vives teams up with Juanes to complain, very dramatically, about their troubles with women. The song kicks off with the blunt statement, "Hombre qué vaina las mujeres" (Man, what a pain women are). The singer declares his soul is in "tormento" (torment), that he's "arruinada y sin calma porque ya no me quieren" (ruined and without calm because they don't love me anymore). Even his friends are annoyed with him because they just don't understand his pain!
The singers ask what will become of them, specifically wondering, "¿Qué será del pobre Carlos sin dinero y sin cariño?" (What will become of poor Carlos without money and without affection?). He's been left with nothing but scars on his chest. But just when the self-pity gets really thick, there's a switch. He decides he has to find a girl "que me quiera y me comprenda" (who loves me and understands me). He ends on a hopeful note, insisting that sincere hearts still exist and that "no sólo el dinero, es la dicha completa" (money alone isn't complete happiness).
