Despite its status as an international sensation, some of English-speaking fans may have had a hard time understanding the song and want to know what the English language lyrics to the Macarena. In the first section of this page, we’ll provide the words to the English language version of the song. In the second section, we will provide the Spanish version, that is to say, the original, lyrics to the song.
One last note: different song translations have yielded different lyrics (and interpretations) depending on the translator. In fact the song is a prime example of how linguistic, cultural, and contextual differences can impact the translation and understanding of lyrics. Not to force a lesson of cultural linguistics on the reader, but here are some specific aspects of the song that highlight these differences:
- Cultural References: The song’s lyrics mention “Macarena,” a woman from the Andalusian region of Spain. People outside of Spain may not understand the cultural significance of the name or the region. Additionally, the song is associated with a specific dance that originated in Spain, which may not have the same cultural meaning in other countries.
- Idiomatic Expressions: The lyrics of “Macarena” include idiomatic expressions and colloquial phrases unique to Spanish. For example, the line “Dale a tu cuerpo alegría, Macarena” translates to “Give your body some joy, Macarena,” but the phrase “dale a tu cuerpo” might not have the same impact in English as it does in Spanish.
- Grammatical Differences: As mentioned earlier, Spanish has a different grammatical structure than English, which can lead to translation challenges. For instance, how verbs are conjugated in Spanish depends on the subject and tense, which may not have a direct equivalent in English.
- Contextual Differences: The song’s lyrics touch on themes like infidelity and desire, which can be interpreted differently depending on the cultural context. For example, some lines in the song could be seen as playful or humorous in Spanish-speaking cultures, while they might be considered inappropriate or offensive in other cultural contexts.
English Lyrics to The Macarena
See below for the full lyrics to the song Macarena, translated into English, which begins with the song’s iconic chorus. Note this is the English language version of the song, for the words in the Spanish version language please see the section below.
(Chorus)
Give your body joy Macarena
That your body is to give you joy and good thing
Give your body joy, Macarena
Hey Macarena
Give your body joy Macarena
That your body is to give joy and good thing
Give your body joy, Macarena
Hey Macarena
(Verse 1)
Macarena has a boyfriend
named Vitorino’s last name
That the boy swears in the flag swear
He gave it to two friends
Macarena has a boyfriend’s name
That is called Vitorino surname
And in the jury the boy
gave it to him with two friends
(Chorus)
Give your body joy Macarena
That your body is to give joy and good thing
Give your body joy, Macarena
Hey Macarena
Give your body joy Macarena
That your body is to give joy and good thing
Give your body joy, Macarena
Hey macarena
(Verse 2)
Macarena Macarena Macarena
What do you like the summers of Marbella
Macarena Macarena Macarena
What do you like the guerrilla movement
(Chorus)
Give your body joy Macarena
That your body is to give joy and good thing
Give your body joy, Macarena
Hey Macarena
Give your body joy Macarena
That your body is to give joy and good thing
Give your body joy, Macarena
Hey Macarena
(Verse 3)
Macarena sounds with the English Court
And you buy the most modern models
He would like to live in New York
And flirting a new boyfriend
Macarena sounds with the English Court
And he buys the most modern models.
He would like to live in New York
and tie a new boyfriend.
(Chorus)
Give your body joy Macarena
That your body is to give joy and good thing
Give your body joy, Macarena
Hey Macarena
Give your body joy Macarena
That your body is to give joy and good thing
Give your body joy, Macarena
Hey Macarena
(Bridge)
Macarena has a boyfriend whose
name is Vitorino’s surname
And on the boy’s sworn flag
He gave it to two friends
Macarena has a boyfriend’s name
That is called Vitorino’s surname
And in the boy swears on the flag
He gave it to two friends
(Chorus)
Give your body joy Macarena
That your body is to give you joy and good thing
Give your body joy, Macarena
Hey Macarena
Give your body joy Macarena
That your body is to give joy and good thing
Give your body joy, Macarena
Hey Macarena
Lyrics to the Spanish Version of the Song
As promised, the lyrics to the Spanish language version of the same song are below.
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa’ darle alegria y cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Hey Macarena
Macarena tiene un novio que se llama
Que se llama de apellido Vitorino,
Que en la jura de bandera el muchacho
Se metio con dos amigos
{X2}
{Au Refrain, x2}
Macarena sueña con El Corte Ingles
Que se compra los modelos mas modernos
Le gustaria vivir en Nueva York
Y ligar un novio…
Now that you know the lyrics, now go learn the steps to the Macarena dance. You’ll thank us the next time you are at an uncomfortable wedding or ceremony.