Here’s a fun parody rewrite of the traditional Mexican song La Llorona, updated for this trying time. The original La Llorona song is definitely one of the Songs All Spanish Students Need to Know. This parody version is written with simple Spanish, it repeats every line like the original (which increases comprehension), it acknowledges our students’ situation—and it encourages them to stay home so they don’t get themselves or others sick.

Click here to download the lyrics to the parody in a printable form (with English translation). This lyrics document contains:

  1. The lyrics to the parody version, with English translation.
  2. How to introduce the new vocabulary to students and how to check for understanding
  3. Notes about high frequency vocabulary and how the words were chosen for the parody version
  4. The lyrics to the authentic La Llorona folk song, with an explanation of how it may connect to the legend of the same name

There are may different lyrics to the original La Llorona song. Listen to my recording of the folk song La Llorona at the link below. This recording precisely matches the printed lyrics on page two of the download. Looking at the lyrics while they listen will make comprehension easier for students.

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Contact Bryce at contact@brycehedstrom.com to see if we can work out a time to have him sing it live in your virtual classroom.

Here are the lyrics to the parody song:

Todos tienen miedo, Corona, Virus no bienvenido.  

Aquí estoy en casa, Corona, Solo y aburrido.

 

¡Ay de mí!  ¡Corona, Corona!  Corona de ayer y hoy;

Cada día me pregunto, Corona,  Si al futuro me voy.    

 

Dicen que no puedo salir, Corona, Porque me puedo enfermar.

Hay enfermos por todas partes, Corona, Y más grande es su penar. 

 

¡Ay de mí!  ¡Corona, Corona! Corona, no sé qué me pasa.

Pero aunque la vida me aburre, Corona, No saldré de mi casa. 

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Second Language Acquisition Theory Tidbit:

High frequency language was used in writing the parody song so that students—even those in lower levels—could  understand it. This models how to shelter vocabulary, but not grammar. Even beginning students will recognize many of the words in this song, regardless of the grammar they have been exposed to up till now. The last line, for example, uses conjugations in the present subjunctive and the future, but students will be able to understand the meaning because they will likely recognize the base form of those verbs (aburrirse and salir).

Nearly every verb in the parody version is high frequency and highly useful to students, especially beginners:

tener (#18), estar (#17), preguntar (#323), ir (#30), decir (#28), poder (#27), salir (#111), enfermar (#4513), haber (#11), ser (#8), saber (#46), aburrir (#4024).

The two verbs in the song that are not high frequency enfermar (to get sick) and aburrir (to get bored), may be familiar to students because being sick and being bored—even under normal circumstances—are prominent in the minds of students. they are even more so now, so they will be useful to learners.

Frequency numbers are from A Frequency Dictionary of Spanish, by Mark Davies.

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Get 10 days of lesson plans for the embedded reading of the authentic legend of La Llorona here:

EBOOK: La Leyenda de La Llorona Teacher Resource