Vivir Mi Vida – Marc Anthony | Spanish to English Lyrics, Meaning & Vocabulary (A Feel-Good Spanish Classic)

🌈 Why listen to Vivir Mi Vida by Marc Anthony as a Spanish learner | Spanish to English Lyrics & Meaning

Some songs don’t just age well – they become life philosophies.

Released in 2013, “Vivir Mi Vida” by Marc Anthony is one of those rare Spanish songs that transcended language, borders, and generations. It’s played at weddings, birthdays, road trips, workouts, and moments when you just need a reminder to keep going. At its core, the song carries a simple but powerful message: laugh, dance, feel, and live – even when life hurts.

For Spanish learners, this song is a gift. The chorus is repetitive and joyful, the pronunciation is clear despite the salsa rhythm, and the lyrics are full of high-frequency verbs and everyday expressions you’ll hear again and again in real Spanish.

Below you’ll find:

a YouTube link to listen along
a line-by-line Spanish to English translation
vocabulary notes to help you learn Spanish through music

▶️ YouTube: Listen to the Song

🎧 Marc Anthony – Vivir Mi Vida (Official Video)

(Highly recommended: listen once just for the vibe, then again while reading the lyrics.)

🎵 Vivir Mi Vida – Marc Anthony [Spanish to English Translation]

Voy a reír, voy a bailar

I’m going to laugh, I’m going to dance

Vivir mi vida, la-la-la-la

Live my life, la-la-la-la

Voy a reír, voy a gozar

I’m going to laugh, I’m going to enjoy myself

Vivir mi vida, la-la-la-la

Live my life, la-la-la-la

Voy a reír (¡eso!), voy a bailar

I’m going to laugh (that’s it!), I’m going to dance

Vivir mi vida, la-la-la-la

Live my life, la-la-la-la

Voy a reír, voy a gozar

I’m going to laugh, I’m going to enjoy myself

Vivir mi vida, la-la-la-la

Live my life, la-la-la-la

A veces, llega la lluvia

Sometimes, the rain arrives

Para limpiar las heridas

To clean the wounds

A veces, solo una gota

Sometimes, just a single drop

Puede vencer la sequía

Can defeat the drought

Y para qué llorar, pa’ qué

And why cry, why?

Si duele una pena, se olvida

If a sorrow hurts, it fades away

Y para qué sufrir, pa’ qué

And why suffer, why?

Si así es la vida, hay que vivirla, la-la-le

If that’s how life is, you have to live it, la-la-le

Voy a reír, voy a bailar

I’m going to laugh, I’m going to dance

Vivir mi vida, la-la-la-la

Live my life, la-la-la-la

Voy a reír, voy a gozar

I’m going to laugh, I’m going to enjoy myself

Vivir mi vida, la-la-la-la

Live my life, la-la-la-la

¡Eso!

That’s it!

Voy a vivir el momento

I’m going to live in the moment

Para entender el destino

To understand destiny

Voy a escuchar el silencio

I’m going to listen to the silence

Para encontrar el camino

To find the path

Y para qué llorar, pa’ qué

And why cry, why?

Si duele una pena, se olvida

If a sorrow hurts, it fades away

Y para qué sufrir, pa’ qué

And why suffer, why?

Si duele una pena, se olvida, la-la-le

If a sorrow hurts, it fades away, la-la-le

Voy a reír, voy a bailar

I’m going to laugh, I’m going to dance

Vivir mi vida, la-la-la-la

Live my life, la-la-la-la

Voy a reír, voy a gozar

I’m going to laugh, I’m going to enjoy myself

Vivir mi vida, la-la-la-la

Live my life, la-la-la-la

¡Mi gente!

My people!

(Voy a reír, voy a bailar)

(I’m going to laugh, I’m going to dance)

¿Pa’ qué llorar? ¿Pa’ qué sufrir?

Why cry? Why suffer?

Empieza a soñar, a reír

Start dreaming, start laughing

(Voy a reír, voy a bailar)

(I’m going to laugh, I’m going to dance)

Siente y baila y goza

Feel it, dance, and enjoy

Que la vida es una sola

Because you only have one life

(Voy a reír, voy a bailar)

(I’m going to laugh, I’m going to dance)

Vive, sigue

Live, keep going

Siempre pa’lante, no mires pa’ tras

Always forward, don’t look back

¡Eso!

That’s it!

Mi gente

My people

La vida es una

Life is one

Voy a reír, voy a bailar

I’m going to laugh, I’m going to dance

Vivir mi vida, la-la-la-la

Live my life, la-la-la-la

Voy a reír, voy a gozar

I’m going to laugh, I’m going to enjoy myself

Vivir mi vida, la-la-la-la

Live my life, la-la-la-la

📘 Vocabulary Notes (Learner-Friendly)

Recommended level: A2–B1

💬 Core Verbs & Expressions

Spanish	English	Notes
reír	to laugh	Irregular verb (me río)
bailar	to dance	Very high-frequency verb
gozar	to enjoy	Common in Latin music
vivir	to live	Key verb for beginners
vivir el momento	live in the moment	Fixed expression

🌧️ Metaphors & Meaning

Spanish	English	Notes
la lluvia	rain	Often symbolizes healing
las heridas	wounds	Emotional or physical
la sequía	drought	Metaphor for emptiness
el destino	destiny	Abstract noun
el camino	path / way	Life metaphor

🧠 Grammar Highlights

Concept	Example	Explanation
Ir a + infinitive	voy a reír	Near-future tense
Impersonal advice	hay que vivirla	“One must live it”
Pa’ = para	pa’ qué llorar	Spoken contraction
Repetition	chorus	Helps memory & listening

🌺 Why This Song Never Gets Old

Vivir Mi Vida is more than a song — it’s a reminder. A reminder that pain passes, joy returns, and life deserves to be lived loudly, imperfectly, and with rhythm.

If you’re learning Spanish, this song teaches you something even more important than vocabulary: how Spanish expresses optimism, resilience, and joy.

🎧 Explore more Spanish song translations on the blog — and if you’d like to learn Spanish with guidance from a teacher, using music, culture, and real conversation:

📩 Write to me at effietrumpet19@gmail.com

Because learning Spanish should feel like this song:

alive, human, and full of movement. 💃🕺

Spanish Songs, Translated