Crimen Lyrics in English by Gustavo Cerati
Crimen literally means "crime". While it can refer to an illegal act, in this iconic rock ballad, Gustavo Cerati uses it as a powerful metaphor for a painful breakup.
He sings, "Y otro crimen quedará sin resolver" (And another crime will remain unsolved), comparing the unresolved feelings and unanswered questions at the end of a relationship to a mystery that will never be solved. This poetic twist turns a common heartbreak into a profound and haunting enigma.
Gustavo Cerati kicks off this song with a mood. He sings, "Ultimamente los días y las noches se parecen demasiado" (Lately the days and nights are too much alike). It's the feeling of being stuck after something bad happens. He compares a painful breakup to a mystery that needs to be solved, calling it a "crimen" (crime). The problem is, he has no clues. He just knows the waiting has worn him out and that he went to sleep "En llamas" (In flames), waking up to the slow realization that he'd lost someone.
The whole song is a dramatic internal monologue. He asks, "¿Qué otra cosa puedo hacer? Si no olvido, moriré" (What else can I do? If I don't forget, I will die). He feels like the only way to survive the pain is to forget what happened, but that would leave the crime unsolved. He mentions a "rápida traición" (a quick betrayal) and admits his own ego and jealousy are part of the story. By the end, he's just lost, repeating "No lo sé" (I don't know) and concluding with the stark realization: "Ahora sé lo que es perder" (Now I know what it is to lose).
