This is somewhat loosely based on an unknown authors’ text dedicated to a famous Argentinian soap which I watched and treasured as a little soap-watching latino in my teens [lol]

I’m on vocals and “Nodea” [who I can’t find on ccmixter anymore] is on the music. Much thanks to him and Vadim of course for the instruments.

::Lyrics::

Perla Negra
Loosely based on text by unknown author & performed by COFFEEEUROPE

Oye, Che! = Hey, Che [common Argentinean folk denominator]!
Esto es pa’ tu Argentina. = This is goes out to your Argentina.
Desde la Perla del Caribe, = From the Caribbean Pearl [Puerto Rico],
Pa’ tu perla negra. = to your black pearl.

Dios nos presta la vida por un ratito, = God lends us life for a tiny while,
es tonto gastarla en las tinieblas del rencor. = Is silly to waste it amidst the darkness of rancor.
Al tiempo se le caen las hojas secas = The dry leafs of time fall
y no se puede esperar al amor sentado en la vereda; = and one can’t wait for love to come while sitting on the sidewalk
hay que vestirse de besos y de sueños = one must dress up in dreams and kisses
y correr a encontrarlo en cada esquina, = and run to find it on every corner,
porque el amor está, = because love is there,
nunca falla, = never fails,
a veces la que falla es nuestra vista. = Sometimes is our sight that fails.

Amor es el rubio de la vuelta, = Love is the hot blond that lives around the corner,
o el vecino que está en silla de ruedas, = or the neighbor who is in a wheel chair,
los ojos de un niño que Batman y luchan contra guasones y pingüinos, = the eyes of a child who is Batman and fights Jokers and pinguins,
la ternura del cachorro que nos mira. = is the tenderness of the pup who stares back at us.

Al amor hay que enfrentarlo = Love must be faced
y ponerle el pecho, = with front,
abrirle el pecho. = an open front.
Puedo morir aquí, hoy, = I could die here, today,
y confesar como Neruda que he vivido, = and confess that I have lived as Neruda [Pablo Neruda] once did,
porque no me gasté la vida en cremas inútiles, = because I did not waste my life in useless beauty products,
en ropas inútiles, = in useless clothes,
en vanidades inútiles. = in useless vanity.
Me gasté los pies corriendo hacia adelante con los brazos abiertos = I wore out my feet running forward with open arms
Y tu sabes que? = And you know what?
No encontré al amor esperándome con los brazos abiertos. = I didn’t find love waiting for me with open arms.

Para volar no es necesario tener alas, = Flying doesn’t require wings,
Sólo debemos creer en las alas de nuestro corazón. = only trust on the wings of our heart.

Ja! Hay te digo… te digo y no es cuento. = Ha! I’m telling you… and it ain’t no tall tale.
El mundo es fiesta cuando descubrimos que los amuletos del amor, son los besos = The world is joy when we discover that kisses are amulets of love
y tenemos las entrañas frescas para seguir pariendo ilusiones. = and we have fresh bowels to keep bearing hopes.

El mundo es fiesta cuando el amor me mira = The world is joy when love looks at me
con sus ojos que son como dos lagos de agua cristalina, = with its eyes like two lakes of crystal water,
agua que me llama, = water that calls me,
agua que me inunda, = water that fills me,
agua que me ahoga. = water that drowns me.