La Bicicleta Lyrics in English by Shakira, Carlos Vives

Home / Lyrics translation / Shakira / La Bicicleta

Below, I translated the lyrics of the song La Bicicleta 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

I will do nothing

Digging in the wounds of the past

Or: Searching through the wounds of the past

I'm not going to lose

I don't want to be a guy from the other side

In your way, uncomplicated

On a bike that takes you everywhere

A desperate vallenato

Vallenato, along with cumbia, is a popular folk music genre of Colombia

Chorus 1

A little letter that I keep where I wrote to you

That I dream of you and that I love you so much

That for a while, my heart is

Beating for you, beating for you

The one that I keep where I wrote to you

That I dream of you and that I love you so much

That for a while, my heart is

Beating for you, beating for you

Verse 2

I can be happy

Walking relaxed among people

I want you like this

And I like you because you're different

In my way, disheveled

Despelucado means disheveled, when your hair is messy. Another similar word in Spanish is 'despeinado'

On a bike that takes me everywhere

A desperate vallenato

Vallenato primarily comes from Colombia's Caribbean region

Chorus 2

A little letter that I keep where I wrote to you

That I dream of you and that I love you so much

That for a while, my heart is

Beating for you, beating for you

The one that I keep where I wrote to you

That I dream of you and that I love you so much

That for a while, my heart is

Beating for you, beating for you

Verse 3

She is the favorite, the one who sings in the area

She moves her hips like a boat on the waves

She has bare feet like a child who is adored

And her long hair is a sun that you crave

She likes to be told that she's the girl, the girl

She likes to be watched when she dances alone

She likes more the home, that the hours don't pass

She likes Barranquilla, she likes Barcelona

Barranquilla is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. Barcelona is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain.

Bridge 1

Take, take me on your bicycle

Listen to me, Carlos, take me on your bicycle

I want us to travel that area together

From Santa Marta to La Arenosa

Santa Marta is a city in Colombia. La Arenosa (meaning The Sandy) is another name given to Barranquilla, a large city in Colombia, located near the Caribbean Sea.

Bridge 2

Take, take me on your bicycle

So that we play bola-'e-trapo there in flip-flops

Bola-'e-trapo is the name of a traditional game of Barranquilla (city of Colombia). It's basically soccer played in the streets. Can be baseball too.

Because if some day you show Pique the Tayrona

The Tayrona National Natural Park is an area in the Colombian northern Caribbean region

After he won't want to go to Barcelona

Prechorus

In my way, uncomplicated

On a bike that takes me everywhere

A desperate vallenato

Vallenato literally means 'born in the valley'

Chorus 3

A little letter that I keep where I wrote to you

That I dream of you and that I love you so much

That for a while, my heart is

Beating for you, beating for you

The one that I keep where I wrote to you

That I dream of you and that I love you so much

That for a while, my heart is

Beating for you, beating for you

Outro 1

Take, take me on your bicycle

Listen to me, Carlos, take me on your bicycle

Because if some day you show Pique the Tayrona

Pique is Shakira's long term partner. He is a football player, who plays for FC Barcelona.

After he won't want to go to Barcelona

Outro 2

Take, take me on your bicycle

Listen to me, Carlos, take me on your bicycle

Because if you show my Pique the Tayrona

After he won't want to go to Barcelona

Did you like this lyrics translation?

despelucado — disheveled / with messy hair

Despelucado literally means 'disheveled' or 'having messy hair', creatively originating from the root word for wig (peluca).

It is a fun, highly descriptive adjective that perfectly captures the carefree feeling of riding a bicycle and letting the coastal wind mess up your hairstyle. In the lyrics, it paints a vivid picture of a relaxed journey and highlights the laid-back, uncomplicated vibe of the song.

This song is a celebration of simple, uncomplicated love and a huge love letter to Colombia. Carlos Vives and Shakira sing about leaving the past behind, saying, "Nada voy a hacer / Rebuscando en las heridas del pasado" (I'm not going to do anything / Rummaging through the wounds of the past). Instead, they are all about living in the moment, riding a bike everywhere, and enjoying a love that's easy and free. They trade verses about how much they like each other's unique, relaxed styles, whether it's being "descomplicado" (uncomplicated) or "despelucado" (disheveled).

What makes this song so special is how it's filled with pride for their home country. They aren't just riding any bike; they're taking a nostalgic trip through Colombia's Caribbean coast, from Santa Marta to Barranquilla. Shakira even drops a playful line about her then-partner, Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué. She jokes that if he ever saw the beautiful Tayrona National Park in Colombia, "Después no querrá irse pa' Barcelona" (He won't want to leave for Barcelona afterward). It's a fun, sunny track that feels like a road trip with two friends who are deeply in love with each other and where they come from.

Did you know?

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

Yes, including La Bicicleta by Shakira!

No more boring lessons. You can now learn with engaging and culturally relevant lyrics from the best artists.

Shakira La Bicicleta Lyrics