Spanish Songs, Translated

Why I’m starting an English-to-Spanish translation series

When I first started this website, my goal was simple: improve my Spanish through music while finding like-minded people who believed songs could be one of the best language teachers.

This series is a natural extension of that idea.

One of the biggest milestones in learning a language is thinking in it, not just translating word by word. By translating English songs into Spanish, I hope to better understand how native English speakers express emotions, tell stories, and play with language.

Whether you’re an English speaker learning Spanish or a Spanish speaker learning English, music gives us a shared place to meet.

Let’s dive in.

A fiery anthem about choosing yourself

After years of writing songs about love, heartbreak, forgiveness, and resilience, Katy Perry returns with one of her most emotionally direct songs: “Watch It Burn.”

Rather than pleading for another chance, the song is about reclaiming your self-worth. Fire becomes a metaphor—not for revenge—but for letting go. The narrator chooses to burn everything that no longer serves her and finally puts herself first.

For English learners, the song is packed with useful everyday expressions, phrasal verbs, idioms, and emotional vocabulary that appear frequently in spoken English.

About the song

Released as part of Katy Perry’s more reflective recent work, Watch It Burn explores emotional recovery after years of feeling undervalued.

The repeated image of lighting a match and watching everything burn isn’t about destruction for its own sake. Instead, it represents leaving behind unhealthy relationships, painful memories, and old versions of yourself.

One of the strongest lines in the song is:

“Finally I put myself first.”

A simple sentence—but one that captures the emotional core of the entire song.

Listen to the Song

Watch It Burn – Katy Perry

Watch It Burn – English Lyrics with Spanish Translation

For years
Durante años

You fed me only crumbs
Solo me diste migajas

You paid me only dust
Solo me pagaste con polvo

Said I was too hard to love
Decías que era demasiado difícil de amar

Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

For years
Durante años

I tried to rise above
Intenté estar por encima de todo eso

Was only light and love
Solo ofrecía luz y amor

But now I’m shut the fuck up
Pero ahora ya me callé por completo

Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

You know I gave and I gave
Sabes que di y di sin parar

Now I’m giving up
Ahora me rindo

There’s nothing more you can take, no
Ya no queda nada más que puedas quitarme

Don’t wanna cause a scene
No quiero montar un escándalo

But give me the gasoline
Pero dame la gasolina

Tonight’s the night
Esta noche es la noche

I light a match
Enciendo un fósforo

Throw it hard behind my back
Lo lanzo con fuerza detrás de mi espalda

Gonna try to forgive and forget
Voy a intentar perdonar y olvidar

Light a cigarette
Enciendo un cigarrillo

And watch it burn
Y veo cómo arde

With the past
Junto con el pasado

I’ma breathe in the ash
Voy a respirar las cenizas

Gonna try to forgive and forget
Voy a intentar perdonar y olvidar

Light a cigarette
Enciendo un cigarrillo

And watch it burn
Y veo cómo arde

Thank you
Gracias

For showing me the pain
Por mostrarme el dolor

This was not a mistake
Esto no fue un error

The mistake would be to stay
El error habría sido quedarme

You know I gave and I gave
Sabes que di y di sin parar

Now I’m giving up
Ahora me rindo

There’s nothing more you can take, no
Ya no queda nada más que puedas quitarme

Don’t wanna cause a scene
No quiero montar un escándalo

But give me the gasoline
Pero dame la gasolina

Tonight’s the night
Esta noche es la noche

I light a match
Enciendo un fósforo

Throw it hard behind my back
Lo lanzo con fuerza detrás de mi espalda

Gonna try to forgive and forget
Voy a intentar perdonar y olvidar

Light a cigarette
Enciendo un cigarrillo

And watch it burn
Y veo cómo arde

With the past
Junto con el pasado

I’ma breathe in the ash
Voy a respirar las cenizas

Gonna try to forgive and forget
Voy a intentar perdonar y olvidar

Light a cigarette
Enciendo un cigarrillo

And watch it burn
Y veo cómo arde

I’m gonna get what I deserve
Voy a conseguir lo que merezco

I’m sorry I know that it hurts
Lo siento, sé que duele

Finally I put myself first
Por fin me puse a mí primero

And watch it burn
Y veo cómo arde

I’m gonna get what I deserve
Voy a conseguir lo que merezco

I’m sorry I know that it hurts
Lo siento, sé que duele

Finally I put myself first
Por fin me puse a mí primero

And watch it burn
Y veo cómo arde

What makes this song powerful?

The fire imagery isn’t about revenge.

It’s about closure.

Rather than burning another person, the narrator burns:

• old pain
• unhealthy patterns
• emotional dependence
• years of feeling “not enough”

One particularly useful English expression is:

to rise above

It means:

• superar una situación
• no dejarse vencer
• elevarse por encima del problema

Another common idiom is:

to cause a scene

Meaning:

hacer un escándalo.

Both appear frequently in movies, TV shows, and everyday English conversations.

Learn English Vocabulary Through This Song

English	Spanish	Example
crumbs	migajas	He gave me only crumbs.
dust	polvo	Everything turned to dust.
rise above	superar	She rose above the criticism.
match	fósforo	Light a match.
ash	cenizas	The fire became ash.
deserve	merecer	You deserve better.
forgive	perdonar	I forgive you.
forget	olvidar	Forget the past.
gasoline	gasolina	Pour the gasoline carefully.
cause a scene	montar un escándalo	Don’t cause a scene.

Learn English Grammar Through This Song

English Structure	Spanish Equivalent	Explanation
Present Perfect-like emphasis in lyrics	He dado tanto	I gave and I gave emphasizes repeated past action
Phrasal Verb	give up	rendirse
Modal Future	I’m gonna get	voy a conseguir
Infinitive after try	try to forgive	intentar perdonar
Gerund	giving up	rindiéndome / abandonar
Idiomatic Expression	put myself first	priorizarme a mí mismo/a

Quick English Quiz

1. What does

crumbs

mean?

A) Flores

B) Migajas

C) Piedras

D) Arena

2. What does

give up

mean?

A) Continuar

B) Esconderse

C) Rendirse

D) Perseguir

3. Which English phrase means

“hacer un escándalo”

?

A) Watch it burn

B) Cause a scene

C) Rise above

D) Throw it back

4. Complete the lyric:

I light a ____

A) candle

B) lighter

C) match

D) fire

5. What does

deserve

mean?

A) Merecer

B) Esperar

C) Recordar

D) Compartir

Answers

1. B
2. C
3. B
4. C
5. A

Want to learn English through music?

If you’re a Spanish speaker learning English, songs like Watch It Burn are one of the best ways to build natural vocabulary, understand idioms, improve listening skills, and start thinking in English instead of translating word by word.

I’m a certified Spanish teacher who also loves helping Spanish speakers unlock English through music, movies, books, and real-life conversations.

📩 If you enjoyed this article, feel free to drop me a quick ”¡Hola!” at effietrumpet19@gmail.com.

Whether you’re an English native wanting to learn Spanish or a Spanish native wanting to learn English, I’m your friend and teacher.