El Viento Lyrics in English by Manu Chao

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song El Viento by Manu Chao from Spanish to English.

These lyrics have verified word for word translations. Click any lyric word to see the translation and hear the pronunciation!

Verse 1

The wind comes, the wind goes

Across the border

Or: Along the border

The wind comes, the wind goes

For no reason

Along the road, along the road

Verse 2

Hunger comes, the man goes

Across the border

Hunger comes, the man goes

When will it return?

Along the road, along the road

Verse 3

Here comes the man across the border

Or: The man is already coming along the border

Here comes hunger, for no reason

Or: Hunger is already coming for no reason at all

Death comes, luck goes

Across the border

Death comes, luck goes

When will it return?

Along the road, along the road

Verse 4

The hunger is already coming across the border

Here comes the man, Babylon Route

Or: The man is already coming, Ruta Babylon

Along the road, along the road

Death comes, luck goes

Across the border

Verse 5

Death comes, luck goes

When will it return?

Along the road, along the road

The hunger is already coming across the border

Here comes the man, Babylon Route

Along the road, along the road

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frontera — border

Frontera literally translates to "border". It's a key word in the music of Manu Chao, who often sings about themes of migration, movement, and globalization.

In "El Viento," the frontera is the physical and symbolic line that is crossed by the wind, by a man, and even by abstract forces like hunger (el hambre) and luck (la suerte). It represents a place of constant transition and struggle, making it a powerful and essential word to unlock the song's deeper message.

Manu Chao starts this song with a simple, powerful image: the wind. He sings, "El viento viene, el viento se va / Por la frontera" (The wind comes, the wind goes / Through the border). The wind doesn't care about borders; it just moves freely. But then he immediately contrasts this with a human story: "El hambre viene, el hombre se va" (Hunger comes, the man leaves). Suddenly, the song isn't about the weather. It's about people forced to cross those same borders, not freely like the wind, but out of desperation.

The journey described is full of risk and uncertainty. The question "¿Cuándo volverá?" (When will he return?) is asked but never answered. It's a dangerous path where "La muerte viene, la suerte se va" (Death comes, luck goes). Manu Chao calls this the "Ruta Babylon" (Babylon Route). In reggae culture, "Babylon" often refers to oppressive systems of power. So, this isn't just any road; it's a difficult journey through a hostile world, all because of hunger.

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Manu Chao El Viento Lyrics