El Camino Lyrics in English by Alvaro Soler
Cicatrices means "scars." It's a vivid, evocative word that goes beyond simple vocabulary, touching on themes of experience and memory.
In the song, Álvaro Soler sings "Cicatrices cuentan que pasó" (Scars tell what happened). He uses this word not literally, but as a powerful metaphor for the lasting marks left by past struggles and lessons learned on life's path. It beautifully captures the idea that our hardest moments become part of our permanent story.
Alvaro Soler turns the road into a person here. First it is "El hermano del destino" (destiny's brother), and by the last line it is "Mi viejo amigo el camino" (my old friend the road). The chorus rests on that idea: "Nunca solo me sentí / A mi lado el camino" (I never felt alone / the road beside me). It's a slightly corny trick, but he commits to it completely.
The verses are where it gets more honest. He admits "Yo pensé que me había perdido" (I thought I'd lost myself) and says he couldn't explain why he had "Que pasarlo mal" (to go through hard times). Pasarlo mal is an everyday Spanish phrase worth stealing: literally "to pass it badly", it just means having a rough time. The climb leaves marks, too: "El bolsillo de polvo se llenó" (my pocket filled with dust) and "Cicatrices cuentan que pasó" (scars tell what happened). His verdict on the bad stretch is that it "Es parte del recorrido" (it's part of the journey), about as cheerful a take on getting lost as you'll hear.
