At Puerta del Sol1
Same as last year
Once again the champagne and the grapes2
and the tar3, lay the foundation
The firecrackers that erase yesterday's sounds
and get people excited
to accept that one more went by
And in the age-old clock
like year by year
5 more minutes to the countdown
we take stock of the good and the bad
5 minutes before the countdown.
Sailors, soldiers, bachelors and married people,
lovers, walkers and the occasional
absent-minded priest.
Among screaming and whistling, Spanish people,
big and small, do for once
something at the same time
And in the age-old clock
like year by year
5 more minutes to the countdown
we take stock of the good and the bad
5 minutes before the countdown.
And even though there are some new faces here for the grapes,
we will miss those who aren't here anymore
and hopefully those of us who are alive will liven up
and next year we'll laugh
1, 2, 3, 4, and it starts up again4
Because the fifth is the first
and the sixth is the second and thus the seventh is the third
And we say goodbye and we pray to God
that next year instead of a million
let it be two5
At Puerta del Sol
Same as last year
Again the champagne and the grapes
and the tar, lay the foundations
1. This is a square in Madrid. Huge amounts of people go there in New Year to eat the grapes and the clock there is broadcast on national television so most people follow its strokes.2. The song keeps referring to Spanish New Year's traditions: In Spain we eat twelve grapes with each stroke of the bell at 00.00 on the 31st of December (or the 1st of January I guess).3. This is referring to cigarettes (I think)4. The bells give four, shorter strokes before the "real thing," which is what this line refers to.5. Record sales