Un Veneno Lyrics in English by C. Tangana, Niño de Elche
Toreando is the present participle of the verb torear, which literally means "to fight a bull". It's a word deeply rooted in Spanish culture, evoking the image of a matador skillfully confronting and dodging a bull in the ring.
In "Un Veneno", C. Tangana uses this verb in a powerful metaphor: "Toreando recuerdos que arden" (Fighting off/dodging memories that burn). He's not in a bullring; he's describing the act of skillfully evading his own painful memories, treating them like a dangerous, fiery beast. This creative and culturally rich use of language is what makes the word so enticing to learn.
In "Un Veneno", Spanish artist C. Tangana teams up with flamenco innovator Niño de Elche to confess a dark obsession with fame and love. Tangana admits right away that his "ambición desmedida / Por las mujeres, la pasta y los focos" ("uncontrolled ambition / For women, cash, and spotlights") is slowly killing him. Pasta is everyday Spanish slang for money. He pokes fun at his own music career by answering nosy journalists: they ask for his secret, and he boasts about making all of Spain listen to him "sin cantar ni afinar" ("without singing or staying in tune"). The nickname he drops here, Puchito, is his own childhood moniker.
The song treats ambition like a fatal substance: "Es un veneno que llevo dentro / En la sangre metido" ("It is a poison I carry inside / Sunk into my blood"). Yet the whole hustle is aimed at one person. He repeats like a mantra that he chases TV, radio, and success just to get your attention: "Lo hice por ti, mami... Pa' que me mires" ("I did it for you, baby... So you'd look at me"). He looks back at being an innocent, hungry kid nobody invited to the dance, before diving into nonstop partying (farra) and "toreando recuerdos que arden" ("dodging burning memories", borrowing the bullfighting verb torear). You get a fascinating clash here: an artist drowning in the very spotlight he begged for, all because someone never loved him back.
