8 Sad Spanish Songs for When Your Heart Is Broken
Is there anything more cathartic than singing sad Spanish songs when you’re feeling down?
Admittedly, as a native Spanish speaker, my adoration for sad Spanish songs may be a bit biased, but I’m almost certain that you feel the same way if you found your way to this list!
So today, let me share with you 8 sad Spanish songs that you can use to sing your heart out and enjoy (or let’s face it, be depressed by) on those days you need it most.
Why Do We Do This to Ourselves?
Let’s be honest—isn’t it weird that when we’re sad, the first thing we crave is listening to a sad song to make ourselves properly suffer?
Shouldn’t it be the opposite?
Shouldn’t we be seeking happy, perky music with a good beat to help us feel better?
Well, I have news for you!
The need for sad music during moments of emotional turmoil is a common phenomenon in humans. In fact, several psychological studies center around the branch of music therapy, suggesting that people find pleasure in the act of listening to sad music. A combination of factors exist to promote this pleasurable reaction to sadness, such as:
- nostalgia
- vicarious emotion
- the secretion of the hormone prolactin
- empathy
- mood regulation
- the comfort that music brings
Sadness is not only a universal emotion, but manifests similarly in facial expressions and behavior of people around the world—think teary eyes and a strained voice about to break.
Music is universal too, and, most of the time, we don’t require musical training to feel and understand what music expresses. For example, I don’t know how to play any musical instrument, but not having that knowledge doesn´t stop me from feeling happy and energetic at the beat of the drums, or sad and melancholic when hearing a cello or a piano.
8 Sad Spanish Songs to Sing When You’re Feeling Down
Now that you can tell your family, friends, or interested strangers all about why they probably love sad music when they’re feeling blue—it’s time for me to share my top 8 most-favorite sad Spanish songs to listen to when you’re feeling gloomy.
Keep in mind that when you hear sad Spanish songs, many of them have engaging, pop-like rhythms—some even danceable! But the lyrics? Oh! There is where the sad part is. So put your Spanish skills to the test and get to translating those lyrics!
1. Corazón Sin Vida – Aitana ft. Sebastian Yatra
This song by Aitana, featuring Sebastian Yatra, is Spanish pop at its finest. But don´t let the cool guitar, great beat, and applause-like sounds distract you from the sadness of the lyrics.
In this song, Aitana talks about her recently lost love— a love that healed her broken heart, only to break it all over again. When she decides to forget about him, to give him back all the letters and memories he gave her, she realizes that her heart can’t forget him.
Here’s the second part of the chorus:
Dime para qué me curaste cuando estaba herida
Si hoy me dejas de nuevo un corazón sin vida
Un corazón que no te olvida
Un corazón que no te olvida
English translation:
Tell me why you healed me when I was wounded
If today you leave me again a lifeless heart
A heart that doesn’t forget you
A heart that doesn’t forget you
2. La Bella y la Bestia – Morat ft. Reik
Reik was one of the leading Spanish pop groups during the 2000s. So you can understand how excited people were when it was announced that Reik was going to collaborate with one of the newest and most popular Spanish pop bands today: Morat.
In my opinion, Morat is an amazing group. As a fan, I love their cool attitude, how down-to-earth they appear to be, and how humble they present themselves. And honestly, they alone are responsible for a good number of current sad Spanish songs.
Let’s check the chorus:
Y si se apaga la luna, y si se van las estrellas
Y si se calla la música que me inventé por ella
Tal vez se acabe esta noche, tal vez se borren sus huellas
Tal vez termine esta historia de una bestia sin su bella que me obliga a no dejarte
Y no me deja olvidarte, y no me deja olvidarte
English translation:
And if the moon turns off, and if the stars go away
And if the music that I invented for her stops
Maybe tonight will end, maybe her footprints will be erased
Maybe this story about a beast without his Belle will end that obliges me not to leave you
And doesn’t let me forget you, and doesn’t let me forget you
3. Como la Flor – Selena
This song is a classic. What I like the most about Como la Flor (“Like the Flower”) is that you can be sad and still dance while hearing it. Time management at its best!
Selena Quintanilla, best known as “The Queen of Tejano music” was a Mexican-American entertainer and one of the most influential singers of the 1990s. Sadly, Selena passed away at a young age, but her voice and musical influence live on.
Como la Flor describes how Selena feels after her sweetheart left her. Although she is a good sport and easily understands that she can’t win his heart again, it doesn’t reduce the heartbreaking element of the song—especially when the chorus hits and she compares the pain of her loss to a flower that he had gifted her that’s wilted over time.
Here’s what the chorus says:
Como la flor con tanto amor
Me diste tú, se marchitó
Me marcho hoy, yo sé perder
Pero, ah-ah-ay, ¡cómo me duele!
Ah-ah-ay, ¡cómo me duele!
English translation:
Like the flower that with so much love
You gave me, it wilted
I leave today, I know how to lose
But, ah-ah-ay, how much it hurts me!
Ah-ah-ay, how much it hurts me!
4. Amor Eterno – Rocío Dúrcal
This song is one of the saddest on the list, perfect for when you’re heartbroken, grieving, or nostalgic. I have witnessed people crying along to this song as it prompted them to remember their dearly departed parents, siblings, or spouses. And I have seen others cry even when they hadn’t lost a loved one, but just the sheer amount of raw emotion in Rocío Durcal’s song could make anyone cry.
Rocío Dúrcal’s voice is not only melodic, but provokes a powerful feeling of nostalgia, making it one of the most compelling sad Spanish songs on our list. And in her album Amor Eterno (Eternal Love), her voice, the lyrics, and the music are a perfect combination to make us feel regret, nostalgia, and even hope, for she assures us there will be a future where we reunite with our lost loved ones.
Amor Eterno is classified both as ranchera tradicional (“traditional ranchera” music) and balada romántica (romantic ballad).
Here’s a look at some of the lyrics:
Como quisiera que tú vivieras
Que tus ojitos jamás se hubieran
Cerrado nunca y estar mirándolos
Amor eterno e inolvidable
Tarde o temprano estaré contigo
Para seguir amándonos
English translation:
How much I want for you to live,
That your eyes would never
Have closed and see each other
Eternal Love and unforgettable
Sooner or later I will be with you
To keep on loving us
5. Me Voy – Julieta Venegas
This song is sad, but it will give you hope. Me Voy (“I’m Leaving”) will empower you to leave a comfortable place when you’re not loved. You deserve better. While it takes great courage to do so, it’s a sad life experience for anyone who has to go through it.
Julieta Venegas is a Mexican-American singer whose 30-year musical career and several Grammy awards proves she’s worth listening to. She’s one of the most successful, and, ironically, one of the most understated Latin musicians of all time. Her music has some alternative elements mixed with traditional Mexican music, that’s even reflected in the lyrics.
In Me Voy, Julieta Venegas explains her reasons for leaving her love. Among other complaints, he didn’t notice her much while they were together and she felt like she wasn’t good enough for him. She recognizes that in order to feel better, she has to leave him.
The lyrics are sad but enlightening. The music, on the other hand, is pretty catchy with some pop and ranchera elements.
Here’s a verse of this amazing song:
Porque sé que me espera algo mejor
Alguien que sepa darme amor
De ese que endulza la sal y hace que salga el sol
English translation:
Because I know that something better awaits me
Someone that know how to give me love
That love that sweetens salt and makes the sun rise
6. Rosas – La Oreja de Van Gogh
La Oreja de Van Gogh (Van Gogh’s ear) is a Pop band from Spain. Their lyrics focus on love, friendship, and relationships. Rosas (Roses) was released in 2003 and the soft rhythm, heartbreaking lyrics, and the soft voice tone of Amaia Montero made this song an instant success. Rosas is a pop song that’s carved into the memory of all the generations that heard it and loved it dearly.
The song tells a story of heartbreak and sadness. The protagonist of the song still waits for the love of her life, even when she knows it’s impossible for them to be together again. During the duration of the song, she remembers his last words, all she felt when her world fell apart, and her wishful thinking of him coming back to her.
Here’s the chorus:
Por eso esperaba con la carita empapada
A que llegaras con rosas, con mil rosas para mí
Porque ya sabes que me encantan esas cosas
Que no importa si es muy tonto, soy así
Y aún me parece mentira que se escape mi vida
Imaginando que vuelves a pasarte por aquí
Donde los viernes cada tarde, como siempre
La esperanza dice quieta, hoy quizás sí
English translation:
That’s why I waited with my little face wet
For you to arrive with roses, a thousand roses for me
Because you know how much I love that stuff
It doesn’t matter if it’s dumb, I’m like that
And it still seems like a lie that my life escapes
Imagining that you came back around here
When every Friday afternoon, as always
Hope tells me to be still, maybe today.
7. Corre – Jesse y Joy
As this sad Spanish song starts, we only need to hear the first notes of piano to know we’re in for a heartbreak.
Jessy and Joy are a Mexican pop duo. But plot twist! They are siblings! They have been making music since 2005, have five studio albums, and they’ve won several Grammy awards. Latin Times describes them as “probably some of the purest, most talented artists of our generation.”
In the Spanish pop song Corre (Run), Joy urges her heart to run (corre, corre, corre, corazón) from potential pain. But, she is also urging her love interest, to whom she refers to as “corazón” (heart or my heart), to run away, as he’s always done. She describes how she knows him so well, she knows how their discussions would end, what “tricks” he will use to try to convince her, and sadly, the song gives us a glimpse that this is not the first time he’s broken her heart by running. But unlike all the other times, she doesn’t care anymore.
Here’s the chorus:
Así que corre, corre, corre, corazón
De los dos tú siempre fuiste el más veloz
Toma todo lo que quieras pero vete ya
Que mis lágrimas jamás te voy a dar
Así que corre como siempre, no mires atrás
Lo has hecho ya y, la verdad, me da igual
English translation:
So, run, run, run, my heart
Of the two you were always the fastest
Take everything you want but go now
I will never give you my tears
So run like you have always done, don´t look back
You have done it before, and, the truth is, I don´t care
8. Tu falta de querer – Mon Laferte
Don´t let the rhythm fool you, this song will break your heart!
Mon Laferte is a Chilean singer, songwriter, and actress. She has been active since the year 2000, after which she received a Latin Grammy in 2017. Listening to Laferte and the wild and fast-paced variations in her tones is a unique pleasure. What’s more, the depth of the lyrics and catchy rhythm make you want to listen to this song again and again.
In Tu Falta de Querer (Your Lack of Love), Mon Laferte sings about how she is still so in love with her sweetheart that she would have endured much more time loving him, even while knowing that he doesn’t love her anymore.
Here’s a glimpse at the lyrics:
Ven y cuéntame la verdad
Ten piedad
Y dime por qué, no, no no, oh
¿Cómo fue que me dejaste de amar?
Yo aún podía soportar
Tu tanta falta de querer
English translation:
Come and tell me the truth
Have mercy
And tell me why no, no, no, oh
How did you stopped loving me
I still could bear
All your lack of love
Can You Promote Fluency With Sad Spanish Songs?
Short answer: Absolutely!
Music and singing are amazing tools for practicing your Spanish. Not only do they help you memorize new phrases and vocabulary, but also teach you how to correctly pronounce the words.
The best way to learn through music is to sing along with the lyrics and attempt to understand as much of it as possible.
I hope this list of sad Spanish songs is enough to bring you to tears when you need a helping hand! If you’re ready to start having conversations in Spanish, sign up for a free class to learn Spanish 1-on-1 with our certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala.
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