La Primera Vez Lyrics in English by Sebastián Yatra

Linternas translates to "lanterns". While it might seem like a simple word, its appearance in this song is quite specific and evocative, making it stand out from more common vocabulary.

In the lyrics, Sebastián Yatra sings about "ese cumpleaños de linternas en las olas" (that birthday of lanterns on the waves). This imagery creates a beautiful, almost magical scene, suggesting a memorable and romantic moment shared with the person he loves. It's a unique detail that paints a vivid picture of a special memory.

Yatra spends the first half of this song arguing with a thought the listener has probably already had. “Sé que es fácil pensar que lo hicimos mal” (I know that it's easy to think that we did it wrong), he sings, and then refuses the conclusion: “Unos pierden y otros ganan, eso es el amor” (Some lose and others win, that is love). The kindest line is the one that asks for nothing back. “Nunca sientas que tienes que ser otra por mí” (Never feel that you have to be someone else for me), and then simply “Te quiero así” (I love you like this).

Then the chorus starts counting. “La primera vez que te vi me gustaste” (The first time I saw you, I liked you), “La segunda vez me encantaste” (The second time you enchanted me), “La tercera vez pensé en cómo enamorarte” (The third time I thought about how to make you fall in love). Each meeting gets a bigger verb, and the payoff is a small trick of grammar: “Porque cada vez vuelve a ser la primera vez” (Because every time it becomes the first time again). The details stay very specific. A birthday of lanterns floating on the waves, “Cada vela la soplé por ti” (I blew out each candle for you), and a complaint about verb tenses that turns out to be the whole point: “Tal vez es 'hubiera' en futuro / Y yo no quiero un 'tal vez', quiero un futuro” (Maybe it's 'would have' in the future / And I don't want a 'maybe', I want a future).