El Jefe Lyrics in English Shakira , Fuerza Regida

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song El Jefe by Shakira 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

Seven thirty, the alarm has rang

I want to be in bed

But it's not possible

Lit: But it can not be done

I take the kids at nine

The same coffee, the same kitchen

The same as always, the same routine

Or: The same old thing, the same routine

Another shitty day

Another day at the office

Chorus 1

I have a shitty boss who doesn't pay me well

I arrive walking and he in a Mercedes-Benz

Or: I arrive on foot and he (arrives) in a Mercedes-Benz

He has me as a recruit

The very son of a b*tch

You're dreaming of leaving the neighborhood

You have everything to be a millionaire

Expensive tastes, the mentality

You only lack the salary

Verse 2

The bills accumulate, being poor is garbage

Or: The bills pile up, being poor is trash

Mom always told me that studying ensures everything

I studied and nothing happened, damn life so hard

Or: I studied and nothing happened, damn tough life

I work harder than a b*stard, but I f*ck less than a priest

What irony, what madness, this yes is torture

You kill yourself from sunrise to sunset and don't even have a deed

They say that there's no evil that lasts more than a hundred years

But there's still my ex-father-in-law who doesn't step into the grave

Chorus 2

I have a shitty boss who doesn't pay me well

I arrive walking and he in a Mercedes-Benz

He has me as a recruit

The very son of a b*tch

You're dreaming of leaving the neighborhood

You have everything to be a millionaire

Expensive tastes, the mentality

You only lack the salary

Chorus 3

You have a shitty boss who doesn't pay you well

You arrive walking and he in a Mercedes-Benz

Or: You arrive on foot and he (arrives) in a Mercedes-Benz

He has you as a recruit

The very son of

I'm dreaming of leaving the neighborhood

I have everything to be a millionaire

Expensive tastes, the mentality

I only lack the salary

Lilly Melgar, this song is for you, because they didn't pay you your compensation

Lilly Melgar is Shakira's ex-employee, nanny for her children

Another party, as always, f* it

Outro

You're dreaming of leaving the neighborhood

You have everything to be a millionaire

Expensive tastes, the mentality

I only lack the salary

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indemnización — severance pay / compensation

Indemnización is a formal word for the compensation or severance pay an employer owes an employee when they are fired without cause. It's a very unusual and specific word to find in a pop song!

Shakira uses it to call out a real-life injustice, dedicating the song to her children's nanny, Lilly Melgar, who was allegedly fired without receiving her indemnización. This single word transforms the song from a general complaint about a bad boss into a powerful anthem for workers' rights.

Ready for some cathartic sing-along therapy? “El Jefe” pairs Colombia’s global superstar Shakira with the Mexican-American group Fuerza Regida to turn everyday frustration into a rebellious pop anthem.

Through playful slang and razor-sharp humor, the song paints the picture of an overworked employee stuck in a monotonous 9-to-5: same alarm at 7:30, same coffee, same bills piling up. The narrator watches the boss glide by in a flashy Mercedes while workers trek in on foot and dream of escaping the barrio. Beneath the catchy beat lies a raw social commentary on wage inequality, broken promises of education, and the grit of Latin American working-class life. “El Jefe” is part complaint, part pep talk, and part protest song, reminding listeners that their million-dollar mindset deserves a paycheck to match.

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In addition to reading lyric translations, you can now learn Spanish with music and lyrics from your favorite artists.

Yes, including El Jefe by Shakira!

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Shakira El Jefe Lyrics