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“La Camisa Negra” meaning

Juanes · 2004 · 🇨🇴 Colombia · Level A2

Colombian pop-rock about heartbreak and a black shirt. Juanes sings slowly and clearly, with everyday words.

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What the song is about

“La Camisa Negra” is a break-up song with a wink. The singer wears a black shirt because his love is in mourning: she lied to him, the relationship is dead, and his soul is as dark as the shirt. But the tune is bright and bouncy, and by the end you suspect he is not suffering quite as much as he says.

Juanes, from Medellín, released it in 2004 and it became one of the biggest Spanish-language hits of the decade. The chorus repeats a handful of words, so you catch them after one listen.

For a learner it is a gift: slow, clear diction, short sentences, and the everyday vocabulary of feelings (sad, alone, to lie, to suffer). Notice the Colombian rhythm in his speech and the way he stretches the vowels at the end of each line.

Slang and key words

The slang and key words to know before you listen. Words with an arrow have their own slang page.

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Level A2 · Clear, slow diction

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