In honor of the new month of March (aka the start of SPRING in my mind), I want to share the lyrics to a song that always feels like instant sunshine to me when I hear it. It also REALLY makes me wish I were a better salsa dancer, and that I could instantly transport myself to Havana or maybe sunny Miami Beach.
It’s called “La vida es un carnaval” by superstar Cuban singer Celia Cruz.
It’s very likely that you may have head this song before. It plays on the restaurant soundtrack pretty much every time we eat at our friend’s Mexican restaurant, and it just makes me happy. The cheery song + Friday night + happily dipping my tortilla chip into delicious salsa = perfection. 🙂
I’ll list it in the original Spanish first (sorry, I can’t make the accent marks work in WordPress), and English down below.
I just love the message of this song!!!! Life is a party! It’s meant to be enjoyed. It’s beautiful. All bad things pass. You’re never alone.
(I know, people hate to click on links in posts. But I highly recommend taking a few minutes to enjoy this song! I really feel like it’s an instant mood boost. 🙂 ☀ )
La vida es un carnaval– Spanish version
Todo aquel que piense que la vida es desigual
Tiene que saber que no es asi.
Que la vida es una hermosura, hay que vivirla.
Todo aquel que piense que esta solo y que esta mal
Tiene que saber que no es asi.
Que en la vida no hay nadie solo, siempre hay alguien.
Chorus:
Ay, no hay que llorar (no hay que llorar)
Que la vida es un caranval
Y es mas bello vivir cantando…
Oh-oh-oh, ay, no hay que llorar (no hay que llorar)
Que la vida es un carnaval
Y las penas se van cantando (Repeat)
Todo aquel que piense que la vida siempre es cruel
Tiene que saber que no es asi
Que tan solo hay momentos malos y todo pasa
Todo aquel que piense que esto nunca va a cambiar
Tiene que saber que no es asi
Que al mal tiempo, buena cara, y todo cambia
(Repeat chorus x2)
(Carnaval) Es para reir,
(No hay que llorar) Para gozar
(Carnaval) Para disfrutar
(Hay que vivir cantando)
(Carnaval)… la vida es un carnaval
(No hay que llorar)… todos podemos cantar
(Carnaval) Ay, senores
(Hay que vivir cantando)
Todo aquel que piense
(No hay que llorar) Que la vida es cruel
(Carnaval) Nunca estara solo
(Hay que vivir cantando))
Dios esta con el.
Para aquellos que se quejan tanto
Para aquellos que solo critican
Para aquellos que usan las armas
Para aquellos con nos contaminan
Para aquellos que hacen la guerra
Para aquellos que viven pecando
Para aquellos que nos maltratan
Para aquellos que nos contagian
La vida es un carnaval – English version!
Anyone who thinks that life is unfair
Has to know that it isn’t so
That life is a beautiful thing, you have to live it
Anyone who thinks they’re alone and in a bad place
You have to know that it isn’t so
That in life there is no one alone, there is always someone
Oh, there’s no need to cry (no need to cry)
Life is a carnival (party)….
And it is more beautiful to live life singing
oh-oh-oh, oh…there’s no need to cry
Life is a carnival
And sorrows go away with singing…
Anyone who thinks that life is always cruel
Has to know that it isn’t so
That there are only bad moments, and everything passes
Anyone who thinks that this will never change
You have to know that it isn’t so
To bad weather, put on a good face, and everything changes
(Repeat chorus x2)
It’s for laughing!
(No need to cry) To have fun!
(Carnaval) To enjoy!
You have to live singing!
Life is a carnival
(No need to cry)…we can all sing
(Carnival)… Oh, everyone
(We should live life singing).
Anyone who thinks that life is cruel
Will never be alone
God is with him.
For those who complain so much
For those who only criticize
For those who use weapons
For those who contaminate us
For those who make the wars
For those who live sinning
For those who mistreat us
For those who infect us
NGS if you’re reading this, I am assigning you to listen to it and follow along the Spanish lyrics to practice your Spanish. 😉 (Sorry everyone else; this will make sense to her.)
Do you have a favorite “mood boost” song? Anyone reading this know how to Latin dance?? I know enough to make my way through a song with my husband, but it ain’t too pretty. 😆 (On my end- he’s a good dancer!)
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for a mini heat wave today!! Forecasted high of 51!!!
GRATEFUL KAE 
I have MANY mood boost songs and they tend to cycle through; I listen to songs an obscene number of times and then start to hate them before moving on to a new “mood boost” song.
Joy by Andy Grammer has been a big one for me the last 6 months. And recently, after my son started learning it in music class, the Wellerman sea shanty. It’s so catchy and it makes me feel happy and also gives me a major energy boost.
LikeLike
OMG – 51. That feels like it is SO FAR OFF for us. We woke up to snow! As Phil said, “dippin’ dots” were falling from the sky – so a rain/snow hybrid. It is pretty I guess?
I don’t have a go to song to lift my mood, though. I probably should! I love the lyrics of that song. I am having a frustrating week at work so I needed that message that life isn’t that bad!
LikeLike
We have sunshine and warm temps, too! It’s lovely and I am trying to enjoy it (rather than wish for snow). Yay for mood boosting songs! I don’t have a go-to, but it would be fun to sit down and think of a bunch and make a mood lifter playlist.
LikeLike
Okay, I read the lyrics in Spanish and only got hung up on a couple of lines. Gozar is a new word for me! I’m getting there!
Yay indeed for the warmer weather! I’m trying to be outside as much as possible!
LikeLike
ugh, I’m pretty close to Miami Beach but it’s toooo hot here already, I honestly would rather be where you are !!!!! Feel free to visit though, that would be fun!
LikeLike
OK, I really needed to read those comments. Thank you. I was in a funk (a bad funk) the day I read this and it reminded me that no, actually – life is ALWAYS worth celebrating. So thank you. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person