Song guide

La Flaca

Jarabe De Palo

La Flaca by Jarabe De Palo, line by line: what the lyrics mean, 24 expressions explained and 218 words translated with their grammar. Learn Spanish from the song, free.

Lyrics with English translation, line by line

Each line as sung, what it means, and — where it needs one — why it's said that way.

1. En la vida conocí mujer igual a la Flaca

   In my life I have never met a woman like La Flaca

   'La Flaca' literally means 'the skinny one' or 'the thin girl' in Spanish. It is used as a nickname throughout the song. The song 'La Flaca' is by the Spanish rock band Jarabe de Palo, released in 1996, and became one of the defining Latin rock hits of the late 1990s.

2. Coral negro de La Habana, tremendísima mulata

   Black Coral from Havana, an absolutely stunning mulata

   'Coral negro de La Habana' evokes the image of black coral, a precious and rare material found in Caribbean waters, used here as a metaphor for La Flaca's beauty and dark complexion. La Habana (Havana) is the capital of Cuba, and its mention grounds the character in Afro-Cuban culture. The word 'mulata' refers to a woman of mixed Black and white ancestry and is a common term in Latin American and Caribbean cultural expression, though it carries a complex colonial history.

3. Cien libras de piel y hueso, cuarenta kilos de salsa

   One hundred pounds of skin and bone, forty kilos of salsa

   The lyric mixes imperial (pounds) and metric (kilos) units playfully. 'Cuarenta kilos de salsa' is a metaphor — salsa here refers to the music and dance genre, not a sauce. It means she is full of rhythm and energy. This is a classic example of Spanish wordplay where 'salsa' (literally 'sauce') doubles as the Afro-Caribbean music genre.

4. Y en la cara dos soles, que sin palabras hablan

   And on her face, two suns that speak without words

   'Dos soles' (two suns) is a poetic metaphor for her eyes — a common trope in Spanish-language poetry and song, comparing bright, expressive eyes to the sun. The idea that they 'speak without words' reinforces the power of her gaze.

5. Que sin palabras hablan

   That speak without words

6. La Flaca duerme de día, dice que así el hambre engaña

   La Flaca sleeps during the day; she says that's how she fools her hunger

   Sleeping during the day to avoid feeling hunger is a real survival strategy associated with poverty. The lyric humanizes La Flaca by hinting at economic hardship beneath her vibrant nightlife persona — a recurring theme in Latin American social realism in music.

7. Y cuando cae la noche baja a bailar a la tasca

   And when night falls, she goes down to the bar to dance

   'La tasca' is a Spanish word for a small, informal bar or tavern, more commonly used in Spain than in Latin America. Its use here gives the song a slightly peninsular Spanish flavor despite the Cuban setting of the character.

8. Y bailar y bailar, y tomar y tomar

   And dance and dance, and drink and drink

   The repetition of 'bailar y bailar, tomar y tomar' mirrors the hypnotic, rhythmic quality of salsa and Latin dance music itself — the song's structure enacts what it describes.

9. Una cerveza tras otra pero ella nunca engorda

   One beer after another, but she never gains weight

   The observation that La Flaca never gains weight despite drinking beer after beer reinforces her almost mythical, otherworldly quality — she defies ordinary physical laws, adding to her allure.

10. Pero ella nunca engorda

    But she never gains weight

11. Por un beso de la Flaca daría lo que fuera

    I would give anything for a kiss from La Flaca

12. Por un beso de ella, aunque sólo uno fuera

    For a kiss from her, even if it were just one

13. Por un beso de la Flaca yo daría lo que fuera

    I would give anything for a kiss from La Flaca

14. Por un beso de ella, aunque sólo uno fuera

    For a kiss from her, even if it were just one

15. Aunque sólo uno fuera

    Even if there were only one

16. Mojé mis sábanas blancas, como dice la canción

    I soaked my white sheets, just like the song says

    'Como dice la canción' (just like the song says) is a self-referential or meta-lyrical device — the narrator may be referencing another song about longing and wet sheets, or playfully acknowledging that this very song is the one being referenced. This kind of intertextual wink is common in Latin popular music.

17. Recordando las caricias que me brindó el primer día

    Remembering the caresses she gave me on the first day

    The machine translation uses 'he' for the subject, but the Spanish is ambiguous — «brindó» has no gender marker. Given the song's subject (La Flaca), 'she' is the more natural reading. This ambiguity is a feature of Spanish's gender-neutral third-person verb forms.

18. Y enloquezco de ganas de dormir a su ladito

    And I'm going crazy with desire to sleep right next to her

    'Ladito' uses the Spanish diminutive suffix -ito, which is extremely productive in Latin American Spanish. Diminutives are used not just to indicate smallness but to express affection, intimacy, or tenderness. 'A su ladito' feels warmer and more longing than the plain 'a su lado.'

19. Porque Dios que esta flaca a mí me tiene loquito

    Because, God, this skinny girl is driving me absolutely crazy

    'Loquito' is another diminutive — «loco» (crazy) + -ito. In this context it does not mean 'a little crazy' but rather intensifies the emotion affectionately, as if to say 'head over heels crazy.' This is a hallmark of colloquial Latin American Spanish expression.

20. A mí me tiene loquito

    She drives me crazy

21. Por un beso de la Flaca yo daría lo que fuera

    I would give anything for a kiss from La Flaca

22. Por un beso de ella, aunque sólo uno fuera

    For a kiss from her, even if it were just one

23. Por un beso de la Flaca yo daría lo que fuera

    I would give anything for a kiss from La Flaca

24. Por un beso de ella, aunque sólo uno fuera

    For a kiss from her, even if it were just one

25. Aunque sólo uno fuera

    Even if there were only one

26. Aunque sólo uno fuera

    Even if there were only one

27. Aunque sólo uno fuera

    Even if there were only one

Expressions and idioms in “La Flaca”

The lines that don't mean what the dictionary says.

En la vida Never in my life / In all my life

The phrase «en la vida» functions as an emphatic negative idiom meaning 'never in one's life.' It implies a strong negation without using the word 'never' explicitly — the context and tone carry the negative force.

igual a like / the same as

«igual a» means 'equal to' or 'like.' In this context it means 'like her' — Spanish uses «igual a» where English would say 'like' or 'the same as.'

piel y hueso skin and bone

«piel y hueso» is the Spanish equivalent of the English idiom 'skin and bones,' used to describe someone very thin. The song uses it affectionately to describe La Flaca's slender figure.

sin palabras hablan speak without words

This is a poetic inversion typical of song lyrics. Standard prose order would be «hablan sin palabras». Placing «sin palabras» before the verb gives it rhythmic and emotional emphasis.

así el hambre engaña that's how she tricks her hunger

«así» here means 'that way' or 'like this,' introducing the manner in which something is done. The subject of «engaña» is ambiguous — it could be 'she tricks hunger' or 'hunger is tricked that way,' adding poetic ambiguity.

de día during the day / by day

«de día» is a fixed time expression meaning 'during the day' or 'in the daytime.' Its counterpart is «de noche» (at night). No article is used in these expressions.

dice que she says that

«decir que» is the standard construction for reported speech in Spanish: verb + «que» + clause. It is equivalent to English 'say that + clause.'

baja a bailar goes down to dance

«bajar a» + infinitive means 'to go down to do something.' The preposition «a» links the motion verb to the purpose. This is a verb + governed preposition construction.

baja a bailar a la tasca goes down to the bar to dance

Two «a» prepositions appear here with different functions: the first «a» (after «baja») introduces purpose ('to dance'), and the second «a» (before «la tasca») indicates destination ('to the bar'). This stacking of «a» is grammatically normal in Spanish.

cuando cae la noche when night falls

«caer la noche» is a fixed idiomatic expression meaning 'for night to fall.' The verb «caer» (to fall) is used figuratively here, just as in English 'nightfall.'

bailar y bailar dance and dance / dancing and dancing

Repeating an infinitive with «y» between them (verb + y + verb) is a colloquial Spanish pattern expressing continuous or repeated action, equivalent to English 'dance and dance' or 'keep on dancing.' It emphasizes the relentless, joyful repetition of the activity.

tomar y tomar drink and drink / keep on drinking

Same repetition pattern as «bailar y bailar». «Tomar» in Latin American Spanish commonly means 'to drink (alcohol),' whereas in Spain «beber» is more typical. The repetition emphasizes excess.

una cerveza tras otra one beer after another

«tras» is a preposition meaning 'after' or 'behind.' The construction «uno/una... tras otro/otra» is a fixed pattern meaning 'one after another,' equivalent to the English idiom.

daría lo que fuera I would give anything / I would give whatever it takes

«lo que fuera» uses the past subjunctive of «ser» to express an open-ended, hypothetical 'whatever.' The full construction «daría lo que fuera» is an idiomatic way of saying 'I would give anything.' The subjunctive «fuera» signals the hypothetical, indefinite nature of what is offered.

aunque sólo uno fuera even if it were just one

«aunque» + subjunctive expresses a concessive hypothetical: 'even if.' When «aunque» is followed by the subjunctive (here «fuera»), it signals that the condition is hypothetical or contrary to fact, unlike «aunque» + indicative which states a known fact.

como dice la canción just like the song says

«como dice» is a common comparative/quotative construction meaning 'as/like [someone/something] says.' It is used to attribute a saying or reference to a source, equivalent to English 'as the song goes' or 'just like the song says.'

Mojé mis sábanas blancas I soaked my white sheets

This line is a lyrical allusion to crying or sweating in bed from longing — a common poetic device in Latin music. The image of wet white sheets evokes sleepless nights of desire and memory.

me brindó gave me / offered me

«brindar» + indirect object means 'to offer' or 'to give' in the sense of bestowing something. «me brindó» = 'she/he offered/gave me.' This is more poetic and generous-sounding than plain «dar» — it implies a gift freely given.

ganas de dormir desire to sleep / urge to sleep

«ganas de» + infinitive is a very common Spanish construction meaning 'desire/urge to do something.' It is equivalent to 'feel like doing' or 'want to do.' Compare «tener ganas de» (to feel like doing something), which is the full idiomatic form.

a su ladito right next to her / by her side

«al lado de» means 'next to / beside.' Here «ladito» is the diminutive of «lado», formed with the suffix -ito. In Spanish, diminutives add affection or intimacy, not just smallness. «a su ladito» conveys tender closeness.

enloquezco de ganas I'm going crazy with desire / I'm dying with longing

«enloquecer de» + noun means 'to go crazy with/from' something. «ganas» (desire, urge) is a key noun in Spanish that has no single-word English equivalent. The construction expresses overwhelming desire.

me tiene loquito has me going crazy / is driving me crazy

«tener» + direct object pronoun + adjective expresses a state someone is kept in. The diminutive suffix -ito on «loco» → «loquito» softens and adds affection to the craziness, typical of Latin American Spanish.

a mí me tiene loquito has me going crazy / is driving me crazy

«tener» + object + adjective/participle is a construction meaning 'to keep/have someone in a state.' «a mí me tiene loquito» = 'she has me (going) crazy.' The doubling of «a mí» and «me» is a common Spanish emphatic structure — «a mí» stresses the person affected, while «me» is the grammatical object pronoun.

Dios que God, how... / Man, this...

«Dios que» used as an exclamation is an informal intensifier, equivalent to 'God, how...' or 'Man...' in English. It expresses strong emotion or exasperation. It is a shortened form of expressions like «¡Dios mío, qué...!»

Vocabulary to learn from “La Flaca”

The words the song uses most.

• ser were / would be verb ·12
• el beso kiss noun ·8
• la Flaca Skinny (nickname) noun ·7
• dar I would give verb ·4
• bailar to dance verb ·3
• la palabra words noun ·2
• hablar they speak / they talk verb ·2
• dormir sleeps / she sleeps verb ·2
• el día day noun ·2
• decir says / she says verb ·2
• tomar to drink / to take verb ·2
• engordar gains weight / gets fat verb ·2

Verbs in the song, and the form being sung

Present tense for each; the highlighted row is the one you'll hear.

Grammar you'll meet in this song

• Present13
• Conditional4
• Preterite3

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