Learn Spanish With Mecano with these 12 Song Recommendations (Full Translations Included!)

Mecano
LF Content Team | Updated on 2 February 2023
Learning Spanish with Mecano's music is fun, engaging, and includes a cultural aspect that is often missing from other language learning methods. It is also great way to supplement your learning and stay motivated to keep learning Spanish!
Below are 12 song recommendations by Mecano to get you started! Alongside each recommendation, you will find a snippet of the lyric translations with links to the full lyric translations and lessons for each of the songs!
ARTIST BIO

Mecano was a pioneering Spanish pop band formed in Madrid in 1981, consisting of Ana Torroja and brothers Nacho and José María Cano. They are celebrated as one of the best-selling Spanish bands of all time, with over 20 million records sold worldwide. Known for their evolution from synth-pop and new wave sounds to more acoustic pop rock infused with diverse genres such as flamenco, bossa nova, and salsa, Mecano left a lasting imprint on Spanish and Latin American music scenes.

Their hits include timeless classics like "Hijo de la luna," "Me cuesta tanto olvidarte," and the groundbreaking "Mujer contra mujer," which was adapted into several languages and became a worldwide number one hit. Their music inspired a successful musical, Hoy no me puedo levantar, viewed by over 1.5 million spectators across Spain and Mexico. Though their original run ended in the early 1990s, Mecano's innovative style and cultural impact continue to resonate with new generations of music lovers.

CONTENTS SUMMARY
Hijo De La Luna (Son Of The Moon)
Tonto el que no entienda
Cuenta una leyenda
Que una hembra gitana
Conjuró a la luna hasta el amanecer
Foolish the one who doesn't understand
Tells a legend
That a gypsy woman
Conjured the moon until dawn

“Hijo de la Luna” wraps a centuries-old legend in shimmering electronic sounds, inviting us into a world where desire, superstition, and tragedy collide. The lyrics recount the story of a gitana (Roma woman) who begs the full moon for a husband. The moon agrees, but only if she receives the woman’s firstborn child. When the baby arrives with pale skin and gray eyes - clear signs that he belongs to the moon, not to any earthly father - suspicion and jealousy erupt. The child’s presumed father, feeling betrayed, turns violent, and the haunting chain of events ends with the baby abandoned on a mountaintop.

From that night on, folklore says every full moon glows brightly to comfort the lonely hijo de la luna, and it wanes whenever the child cries so that its crescent can cradle him like a silver cradle. Mecano’s tale blends romance and fatalism, reminding listeners of the price of bargains with forces beyond our control, the destructive power of prejudice, and the eternal tenderness of a mother’s love - even when that mother is the moon itself.

Cruz De Navajas (Knife Cross)
A las cinco se cierra la barra del 33
Pero Mario no sale hasta las 6
Y si encima le toca hacer caja despídete
Casi siempre se le hace de día
At five the bar at 33 shuts
But Mario doesn't leave until six
And if on top of that he has to balance the till, say goodbye
Almost always daybreak catches him

Imagine a slice-of-life tale that suddenly turns into a crime-scene headline. Cruz De Navajas follows Mario, a bar worker who finishes his shifts when the sun is already peeking through the Madrid skyline, and María, his restless wife who spends her mornings waiting with coffee, longing and half-dressed promises. Their routine paints a picture of working-class exhaustion: opposite schedules, mismatched desires and an intimacy that slips through the cracks of everyday life. The title means “cross of switchblades” and foreshadows the razor-sharp tension that hovers over this couple.

One unlucky dawn, Mario’s shift ends early because of a police raid, and he heads home expecting the usual silence. Instead, he catches María kissing another man in the empty street. Passion snaps into tragedy: knives flash, blood stains the lilac-coloured dawn and the news report later blames “two drug addicts,” hiding the real story of jealousy, betrayal and social indifference. Mecano wraps this dark urban ballad in an upbeat pop-synth melody, creating a chilling contrast that reminds listeners how easily ordinary lives can end in sensational tragedy.

Me Colé En Una Fiesta (I Sneaked Into A Party)
No me invitó, pero yo fui
Tras la esquina espero el momento
En que no me miren y meterme dentro
Era mi oportunidad
He didn't invite me, but I went
Around the corner I wait for the moment
When nobody's looking at me and I slip inside
It was my chance

“Me Colé En Una Fiesta” is a playful snapshot of youthful rebellion set against the vibrant backdrop of Spain’s early-80s music scene. The narrator, uninvited but undeterred, slips past the door of a lively party, drawn in by flashing lights, free Coca-Cola, and the promise of fun. As crowds ebb and flow, our mischievous gate-crasher fixates on a dazzling guest in a transparent dress and wonders how to approach her. The song captures that electric mix of curiosity, boldness, and nervous excitement we feel when we crash an event we were never meant to attend.

With its upbeat synth-pop groove, Mecano turns a simple story of sneaking in into an anthem of spontaneity—celebrating the thrill of breaking small rules, meeting new people, and living in the moment. It’s less about causing trouble and more about grabbing life’s surprises, dancing under colored lights, and believing the night will be unforgettable.

Una Rosa Es Una Rosa (A Rose Is A Rose)
Es por culpa de una hembra
Que me estoy volviendo loco
No puedo vivir sin ella
Pero con ella tampoco
It's because of a woman
that I'm going crazy
I can't live without her
but I can't with her either

Una Rosa Es Una Rosa paints love as a gorgeous but thorny rose. The singer confesses he is going crazy for a woman: he cannot live without her, yet living with her hurts just as much. By trying to pluck “la flor más tierna del rosal,” he believes he can hold on to pure romance without getting hurt… until the thorns pierce his skin. The repeated line “una rosa es una rosa es una rosa” reminds us that a rose will always have both petals and thorns, just as love always carries pleasure and pain.

The song’s lively rumba rhythm and playful call to “ponte los zapatos de tacón y taconea” invite us to keep dancing even while our hearts bleed a little. Every petal soothes the wounds it just caused, showing that affection and suffering are inseparable parts of the same feeling. Mecano’s message is clear: real love is beautiful, risky, and impossible to tame—accept it for what it is, thorns and all.

El Fallo Positivo (Positive Failure)
El fallo positivo anunció
Que el virus que navega en el amor
Avanza soltando velas
Aplastando las defensas por tus venas
The positive verdict announced
that the virus that sails through love
moves forward unfurling sails
crushing the defenses through your veins

In El Fallo Positivo, Mecano transforms a personal tragedy into a powerful social statement. The title refers to a positive HIV test result, portrayed in the lyrics as “the virus that sails through love.” The narrator’s partner, terrified of passing the disease on, bans any intimacy. Yet love refuses to obey cold precautions, leaving both of them caught between science and conscience. This tension turns into an unjust "sentence" that crushes their happiness.

The song then widens its lens to expose the cruelty of public opinion. Moralistic voices point fingers, calling the illness a “divine punishment.” Overwhelmed by shame and stigma, the partner ultimately ends their own life, “hanging from a rope in the attic.” Through heartbreaking lines and soaring melodies, Mecano condemns ignorance and fear, while reminding us that love remains the most vital force of all. The final refrain—“you are what I love most, and without you life is zero”—underscores the message: prejudice can kill, but compassion can save.

Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte (It's So Hard For Me To Forget You.)
Entre el cielo y el suelo hay algo
Con tendencia a quedarse calvo de
Tanto recordar
Y ese algo que soy yo mismo
Between the sky and the ground there's something
With a tendency to go bald from
So much remembering
And that something that is me

“Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte” is a bittersweet pop gem in which the Spanish band Mecano paints the struggle of trying to move on from a past love. The singer feels suspended “between the sky and the ground,” caught in a swirl of memories that won’t let go. On the outside, they present a perfect smile – “a toothpaste-ad face” – yet inside, their thoughts are bald from overthinking. Every recollection of the ex reveals how many “15,000 charms” there are to erase, turning the act of forgetting into a full-time job.

What makes the song so relatable is its honest contradiction: the narrator chose to end the relationship, but letting go still hurts. They repeat promises that there will be “no second part,” only to admit that everyday tasks feel robotic without their former partner. The catchy melody hides a confession we all understand – breaking up may be rational, but the heart takes its own slow path to heal, and for Mecano that path is paved with nostalgic hooks you’ll be humming long after the song ends.

Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar (I Can't Get Up Today)
Hoy no me puedo levantar
El fin de semana me dejó fatal
Toda la noche sin dormir
Bebiendo, fumando y sin parar de reír
Today I can't get up
The weekend left me wrecked
All night without sleep
Drinking, smoking and not stopping laughing

“Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar” ("Today I Can’t Get Up") is Mecano’s cheeky confession of the Monday-morning hangover. After a weekend crammed with drinking, smoking, laughing, and zero sleep, the singer wakes up feeling wrecked: legs, arms, eyes, and even hands ache, the head is pounding, and the very idea of work sounds impossible. The repetitive chorus mimics the stubborn refusal to leave the bed, making the song instantly relatable to anyone who has ever partied a little too hard.

Beneath the humor, Mecano taps into a bigger truth about youthful rebellion. The track contrasts the carefree joy of nightlife with the dull obligation of the weekday grind; it’s a playful protest against alarm clocks and responsibility. Energetic synth-pop beats keep the mood light, yet the lyrics turn the everyday struggle of dragging oneself to work into an anthem of ¡me niego! (“I refuse!”). Whether you hear it as a nostalgic 80s dance tune or a wink at your own snooze-button battles, the song celebrates the universal quest for one more hour of sleep.

Naturaleza Muerta (Dead Nature)
No ha salido el Sol
Y Ana y Miguel
Ya prenden llama
Ella sobre él
The sun hasn't come out
And Ana and Miguel
Already light a flame
She on top of him

A love story so intense even the ocean gets jealous – that is the heart of Naturaleza Muerta, the haunting hit by Spanish pop sensation Mecano. At sunrise, sweethearts Ana and Miguel share a fiery embrace, unaware that a third suitor is watching: the sea itself. The waves whisper with envy, vowing not to share Ana’s affection. When Miguel sails out to fish, the ocean seizes its chance, swallowing the young man in a storm of possessive fury.

Left waiting on the shore, Ana turns to stone – literally – becoming a white rock forever gazing at the horizon. Locals say tempests are Miguel’s eternal struggle to break free, while the weeping surf echoes Ana’s endless tears. The song blends romance, myth, and tragedy, reminding us that nature can love, envy, and punish with the same passion as any human heart.

El 7 De Septiembre (September 7)
Parece mentira
Que después de tanto tiempo rotos nuestros lazos
Sigamos manteniendo
La ilusion en nuestro aniversario
It seems unbelievable
that after so much time our ties are broken
we keep maintaining
the thrill on our anniversary

El 7 de Septiembre is a nostalgic toast to a love that has officially ended yet stubbornly refuses to die. Every year, on that exact date, the former couple meets at the same little table, hands brushing like they used to beneath the surface, keeping their private tradition alive. The song paints their anniversary as a bittersweet ritual: flowers wilt, laughter lines appear, but the spark they share keeps glowing even when both try to blow it out.

Instead of mourning what's lost, Mecano celebrates the fragile magic that survives past the breakup. The lyrics swing between tender memories and awkward present-day questions—Do we kiss on the cheek or on the lips?—showing how love can linger in the spaces between habit and hope. Ultimately, it is a reminder that some flames are so deep-rooted that not even an ocean can extinguish them.

Hawaii Bombay
Hawaii, domingo 42 de diciembre del 321 de la era Walter
Aprovechando el principio del verano
Invité a Sally a pasar un fin de semana en las playas de Bombay
Pero algunos acontecimientos imprevistos
Hawaii, Sunday, December 42, 321 of the Walter era
Taking advantage of the start of summer
I invited Sally to spend a weekend on the beaches of Bombay
But some unforeseen events

Picture a lazy, dreamy afternoon in a cramped Spanish apartment. The narrator of “Hawaii Bombay” is fed up with routine, so he invents his own calendar—“Sunday, December 42, year 321 of the Walter Era”—and whisks his friend Sally away on an imaginary getaway. When real-world hiccups ruin their travel plans, he turns his bathtub into the Pacific, a hammock into a tropical beach, and a desk lamp into island sunshine. By chanting Hawaii-Bombay like a mantra, he transforms everyday objects into two far-off paradises, proving that wanderlust can live inside four walls.

Beneath the playful steel-drum vibe and tongue-in-cheek humor lies a bittersweet message about escapism. The singer’s homemade vacation lets him flirt, daydream, and beat the heat, yet reality keeps crashing in: a mysterious detour “not on any map,” a mother who might be lonely, and a final twist where Sally vanishes after a motorcycle accident. Mecano reminds us that imagination is a powerful life raft, but it cannot shield us forever. The result is a fun, quirky anthem about longing for places we may never reach, while warning us not to ignore the real world—especially when someone needs a helmet.

No Es Serio Este Cementerio (It's Not Serious This Cemetery)
Colgado del cielo
Por doce cipreses
Doce apóstoles de verde
Velan doce meses
Hanging from the sky
By twelve cypresses
Twelve apostles in green
Keep watch twelve months

“No Es Serio Este Cementerio” turns the usually grim setting of a graveyard into a playful, almost carnival-like scene. Sung from the point of view of the residents of the cemetery, the lyrics paint a picture of the dead joking about marble headstones, bargain-priced niches, and even Friday-night outings that never go beyond the gate. Instead of mourning, the song serves up vivid imagery—twelve cypress trees as green apostles, Cuban war heroes sharing a common grave, and African choirs singing Misa Luba—all to show that life (and after-life) can still sparkle with humor, rhythm, and colorful flowers.

Beneath the wit lies a gentle social critique. The dead poke fun at class differences (“dukes of Medina and Luengo” rest in luxury) and at society’s obsession with solemnity. Mecano suggests that if everyone ends up in the same place, perhaps we should laugh at our own pretensions while we can. In short, the song turns fear of death into a celebration of equality, community, and the irresistible urge to keep the party going—because “heaven, for me, can wait.”

Barco A Venus (Boat To Venus)
Dices que siempre estás viajando
Pero me estás engañando
Yo sé que tú estás solo y que no sales de tu cuarto
Las luces de la calle te hacen daño cuando sales
You say that you're always traveling
But you're lying to me
I know that you're alone and that you don't leave your room
The street lights hurt you when you go out

“Barco A Venus” invites us into the room of someone who would rather dream than face daylight. In the song, Mecano’s narrator calls out a friend who claims to be forever “traveling” yet never leaves his bedroom. Those streetlights that should guide him only hurt his eyes because his real journey happens in a darker, inner world fueled by addiction and self-deception. The image of sailing to Venus sounds romantic, but the chorus snaps back to reality: he has never even stepped on a boat. Every attempt to “float” ends in sinking, showing how the desire to escape turns into a downward spiral.

Beneath the catchy synth-pop beat, the lyrics paint a vivid picture of dependency: secretive nights, run-ins with the police, and a mounting web of lies that friends, strangers, and even the underworld keep feeding. The repeated plea “Déjalo ya” (“Give it up already”) is both a warning and a lifeline, urging him to break free before the fantasy swallows him whole. In short, “Barco A Venus” is a bright-sounding anthem about a very dark voyage—one that never leaves the harbor but still risks drowning the dreamer.

We have more songs with translations on our website and mobile app. You can find the links to the website and our mobile app below. We hope you enjoy learning Spanish with music!