El Jefe Lyrics in English by 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.

Shakira is back with a song for anyone who's ever had a terrible boss. "El Jefe" tells the story of someone stuck in the daily grind, waking up at seven thirty to the same old routine, or as she puts it, "Otro día de mierda" (Another shitty day). The song points out the huge gap between the worker and the boss: "Yo llego caminando y él en Mercedes-Benz" (I arrive walking and he's in a Mercedes-Benz). It's a protest song about being underpaid and overworked by a boss who treats you like a "recluta" (recruit).

The song is full of big dreams of getting rich and leaving the neighborhood, but there's one small problem: "Sólo te falta el salario" (You only lack the salary). Shakira even throws in a very specific complaint about her ex-father-in-law who "no pisa sepultura" (isn't six feet under yet). The song ends with a shout-out to a real person, Lilly Melgar, who was reportedly a nanny for Shakira's children. Shakira sings, "Lilly Melgar, para ti esta canción, que no te pagaron la indemnización" (Lilly Melgar, this song is for you, they didn't pay your severance). It's a bold and direct message about worker exploitation.

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Shakira El Jefe Lyrics