Present Tense
Beginning
"No tengo dinero" Ana Gabriel Ayer y hoy.
This popular Mexican song written by Juan Gabriel is clear and a familiar theme - love lost due to lack of money.

"Queridos amigos" Illapu Raza brava.
An Andean folk/drinking song, present tense, one command, and a construction with "por haber querido" Popular with students.

Intermediate
"Huele a tristeza" Maná Dónde jugarán los niños.
Mexican rock which uses the verbs "oler" y saber." The situation of lost love makes the word saber understandable in this new context.

"Lamento boriqueño (boricua)" Victor Jara, Vientos del pueblo.
A slow bolero about the poverty of Puerto Rico, at first it has simple present tense constructions, in the end a command and the subjunctive.

"Mi luna, mi estrella" Banda Macho Los Machos también lloran.
A bolero -- Also noted are pronoun placement and commands.

Advanced
"La tierra del olvido" Carlos Vives La tierra del olvido.
Based on Columbian folk music, a very listenable song. The aspirated "s" on tienes and the use of indirect objects make this advanced.

"Pedro Navaja" Rubén Blades and Willie Colón Siembra.
Classic salsa ballad of a thug in the barrio. Puerto Rican elision of "s" and length of song make it advanced. Preterite in the last few lines.

"Decisiones" Rubén Blades y Los Seis del Solar Buscando América.
Three situations of choice. The chorus uses the plural command. Fairly long, but completely comprehensible.

Present Perfect
Beginning
"Ojos que han llorado" Bronco Rompiendo barreras.
"Banda" music, popular in the U.S. Has tú commands as well.

Intermediate
"Quisiera amarte menos" Los Yonics (Demo CD)
Group popular in Mexico and the U.S. Also good for object pronoun placement.

Advanced
"Desaparaciones" Rubén Blades Buscando América.
Descriptions of people looking for their disappeared. Has vocabulary of clothing and jobs. (Advanced for length and use of preterite and imperfect as well)

Preterite
Beginning
"La noche que murió Chicago" Banda Toro Banda Toro.
Very catchy "banda" song about Al Capone. First and third person singular of the preterite throughout.

Intermediate
"Volver" Homenaje a Carlos Gardel.
Classic tango, a combination of present and preterite. Argentine accent and inflection

Advanced
"El gran varón" Willie Colón The Best.
This is a classic salsa song, a precautionary tale. Some advanced vocabulary (enderezar) and use of imperfect, six minutes long.

Preterite vs. Imperfect
Beginning
"Hermosa tirana" Los Tiranos del Norte Hermosa Tirana.
Ranchero music. Simple vocabulary.

"Morenita" Los Bukis Inalcanzable.
Los Bukis are like the Mexican Beatles in popularity. Slightly more advanced vocabulary (arrancar).

Intermediate
"Si una vez" y "La llamada" Selena 12 Super éxitos.
One of the Tex-Mex superstar's gutsier songs, with some elision of syllables.
Lyrics w/o blanks
Lyrics w/ blanks

"Desapariciones" Ruben Blades Buscando América.
A long song with descriptions of people looking for their disappeared. Has vocabulary of clothing and jobs. Advanced for length and subject matter (may require some explanation of the political context.)

Advanced
"Fábula de los tres hermanos" Silvio Rodriguez Rabo de Nube.
by the star of Cuban Nueva Trova, another cautionary tale. Also has a chorus with tú commands and advanced vocabulary made easier in context (vereda, enderezar) Great for discussion.

"Cierta historia de amor" Silvio Rodriguez Mujeres.

"Conocí a tu esposo" Vicente Fernandez Aunque me duele el alma .

Future
Beginning
"De pies a cabeza" Maná Dónde jugarán los niños.
Mexican rock ballad primarily in the third person singular.

Intermediate
"Como la luna" Juan Gabriel Gracias por esperar.
Reggae inspired love song, first and third person singular.

Advanced
"Volverás" Gloria Estefan Mi tierra .

Present Subjunctive
Beginning
"Lágrimas negras" Conjunto Céspedes Una sola casa.
Afro-Cuban poetry, slow and clear

"Mete y saca" Sonora Dinamita La Sonora Dinamita.
A cumbia with verses in the subjunctive and choruses - familiar commands.

"Te olvidé" Marco Antonio Solís y los Bukis Inalcanzable.
Also uses preterite and tú commands. Provoked great discussion in class about content.

Intermediate
"Que no me olvide" Bronco Rompiendo barreras.
Excellent banda. Focus on the subjunctive/indicative difference.

"Lástima que seas ajena" Vicente Fernandez Lástima que seas ajena.
Classic Mexican ballad. Shows difference between indicative and subjunctive, also indirect objects and pronoun placement, as well as the ser/estar difference in "ser ajena."

Advanced
"Ojalá que llueva café" Juan Luis Guerra 440- Ojalá que llueva café.
Dominican Republic - An extremely popular song with a social message and a Dominican accent.

"Samba lando" Inti-Illimani Sensemaya: Canción para matar una culebra.
Polished version of Afro-Cuban song, close to a Samba, similar to Nicolás Guillen's writings. One example of the imperfect subjunctive.

Imperfect Subjunctive and Conditional
Beginning
"Oye mi amor" Maná Dónde jugarán los niños.
Imperfect subjuntive and conditional - as part of a song with present tense and familiar commands.

"Vivir sin aire" Maná Dónde jugarán los niños.
Repetition of the imperfect subjunctive, few uses of the conditional. Focus on imperfect subjunctive as "contrary to fact." A beautiful and very listenable song.

Intermediate
"Hasta la miel amarga" Los Tiranos del Norte Hermosa Tirana..
Banda music: A mix of the imperfect subjunctive and conditional, a little faster than the previous song.

Advanced
"Si buscabas" Guardabarrancos Si buscabas.
Nicaraguan Nueva Canción of the 80's - won a prize for música romántica. Poetry with word plays- advanced vocabulary. Focus on imperfect subjunctive as past form for present subjunctive.

"Con diez años de menos" Silvio Rodriguez Rabo de nube.
Ver advanced in theme and vocabulary: uses present subjunctive, imp. subjunctive and conditional.**

Ser v. Estar
"Lástima que seas ajena" Vicente Fernández

Object Pronouns
"Quisiera amarte menos" Los Yonics (Demo CD )

"Lastima que seas ajena" Vicente Fernández

"Tesoro de mi alma" Flaco Jimenez - Un mojado sin licencia.

Infinitives as Nouns
"Volver" Homenaje a Carlos Gardel

Commands

Familiar
Beginning
"Mi luna, mi estrella" Banda Macho Los Machos también lloran.
also under Present tense Positive commands - some reflexive.

Intermediate
"No me ofendas" Los Panchos Los Panchos.
Mexican Trio music of the 50's, mostly negative commands, some positive.

Advanced
"La plegaria a un labrador" Victor Jara Vientos del pueblo.
Chilean Nueva Canción - based on the Lord's Prayer - some unusual vocabulary. Uses pronouns with commands.

"Amor de pobre" El General Es Mundial.
Dominican rap. Based on Juan Gabriel's "No tengo dinero," it adds conversation (tú commands) and goes, as rap does, at a very fast pace.

Formal - Singular
'Mande Mandela" Illapu Vuele amor, vuelve vida.
Chilean Nueva Canción cerca 1990 - shows the similarity of the subjunctive and the Ud. command.

Formal - plural
"Decisiones" Rubén Blades Buscando América .
(see also present tense, advanced)