Tengo La Camisa Negra
.
Oddly enough I heard this song by Juanes all the time when I was travelling in Italy a few years ago. I instantly loved it and although I've managed some basic translations of carious parts I've always wanted to know what the overall meaning of the song is.
.
I take it that in this song Juanes isn't overly happy with his girlfriend maybe?!?
.
.
Would love to understand one of my favourite Spanish songs a bit better...any ideas?!?
.
Gracias
4 Answers
tengo la camisa negra- I know that song
Tengo la camisa negra. Hoy mi amor está de luto. Hoy tengo en el alma una pena, [*pena, f. = pain (emotional); regret] Y es por culpa de tu embrujo.
I wear the black shirt. Today my love is mourning. Today I have a regret weighing my soul, And it's the fault of your witchcraft.
Hoy sé que tú ya no me quieres Y esto es lo que más me hiere Que tengo la camisa negra Y una pena que me duele.
Today I know that you do not love/want me anymore And this is what hurts me most (So much) that I have a black shirt And a regret that pains me.
-Coda- Mal parece que solo me quedé Y fue pura todita tu mentira. Qué maldita mala suerte la mía Que aquel día te encontré.
Sadly, it looks like I was left alone And it was purely, completely all your lie. What **** bad luck, mine To find you on that day.
Por beber del veneno malevo de tu amor, Yo quedé moribundo y lleno de dolor. Respiré de ese humo amargo de tu adiós Y desde que tú te fuiste yo sólo tengo...
For drinking from the evil venom of your love, I was left dying [lit. moribund] and full of pain. I breathed of that bitter smoke from your goodbye And since you left all I have left is...
Tengo la camisa negra, Porque negra tengo el alma. Yo por ti perdí la calma Y casi pierdo hasta mi cama.
I wear the black shirt, Because black (is how) I have my soul. I lost my calm because of you And I almost even lost my bed.
Cama cama caman baby, [*Spanglish 
]
Te digo con disimulo,
Que tengo la camisa negra
Y debajo tengo el difunto.
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon baby, I tell you furtively, Because I wear the black shirt [for mourning] And beneath (it) I have the deceased. [he mourns for himself!]
Tengo la camisa negra. Ya tu amor no me interesa. Lo que ayer me supo a gloria, Hoy me sabe a pura (mier-)
I have the black shirt. Your love doesn't interest me anymore. What tasted of glory to me yesterday, Today tastes to me of pure (shi-)
Miércoles por la tarde y tú que no llegas, Ni siquiera muestras señas, Y yo con la camisa negra, Y tus maletas en la puerta.
Wednesday by the afternoon and you that doesn't appear, (You) don't even show signs, And me with my black shirt, And your suitcases by the door.
[Repeat from coda]
[Repeat "Cama cama caman..." stanza]
Translation Notes:
Tengo la camisa negra I have the black shirt [lit.] I wear the black shirt [alt.] I am wearing a black shirt [alt.]
Black is for funerals.
tener = to have tener puesto/a = to have on, to be wearing
Hoy mi amor está de luto Today my love is (in) mourning
estar de luto = to be visibly mourning (a death), usually means wearing black for a period of time
Y es por culpa de tu embrujo And it's the fault of your witchcraft
por culpa de = lit. by fault of
Mal parece que solo me quedé Sadly, it looks like I was left alone It looks (badly, unfortunately) that alone I was left [lit.]
Also meant to suggest the word malparido to the listeners.
malparido/a [noun] = bastard; son of a ****; ****; lit. badly born (compound of mal and parido)
Y casi pierdo hasta mi cama And I almost even lost my bed And I almost even lose my bed [tense, lit.]
Said as if telling a story.
Hoy me sabe a pura mier- [pause] -coles por la tarde...
Today tastes to me of pure shi- Wednesday by the afternoon...
mierda = **** (merde in French!) Miércoles = Wednesday
sólo vs. solo just/only vs. alone
This is a favourite song of mine too.
However, maybe I have a .....suspicious..... mind, 
but along with the cheeky spirit of mier...coles, I've always thought that the line
Y debajo tengo el difunto.
was referring to his lack of female company, to put it politely, something like
And below I have the deceased ( There's nothing going on down below).
¡No me juzguéis!
So I'm assuming he caught her cheating? Hence the bitterness...
"Sadly, it looks like I was left alone And it was purely, completely all your lie. What **** bad luck, mine To find you on that day."
and what naughty word has been starred out here?!? ****?! 
