Amarillo Lyrics in English by Shakira
Anclada is the feminine past participle of the verb anclar, which means "to anchor". It's a wonderfully poetic word that you don't often hear in everyday conversation.
In "Amarillo", Shakira sings "Estoy perdida, vivo anclada a ti" (I'm lost, I live anchored to you). She uses this powerful image of an anchor to describe a deep, immovable emotional connection to her lover, suggesting stability and a feeling of being completely devoted.
Colombian superstar Shakira goes completely head over heels in "Amarillo", turning the dizziness of being obsessed with someone into bright, punchy pop. She admits right away that she cannot be impartial when thinking about this person: "Te has vuelto todo y más allá" ("You have become everything and beyond"). Her obsession is totally out in the open, and she compares her devotion to a creature stuck to the sky: "Estoy perdida, vivo anclada a ti / Así como un pájaro a su cielo azul" ("I am lost, I live anchored to you / Just like a bird to its blue sky"). Then, right before the chorus bursts wide open, she drops a tiny, heartfelt "T'estimo" ("I love you" in Catalan).
The chorus is where things get truly playful and color-coded. Shakira invents a rhyming color palette for her devotion. She sings "Amarillo, me tienes en los bolsillos" ("Yellow, you have me in your pockets"), using the Spanish idiom tener a alguien en el bolsillo (to have someone wrapped around your finger, completely won over). Then she moves down the spectrum: purple wipes away the past, light blue (celeste) brings dedication whatever the cost, and gold (dorado) means she refuses to lose him. She even goes a bit dramatic with "En rojo, por que me sangran los ojos de llorarte" ("In red, because my eyes bleed from crying for you"). It is sweet, dramatic, and totally unapologetic about being wrapped around someone's finger.
