Though many of salsa and Latin jazz music's most successful bandleaders hav… Read Full Bio ↴Though many of salsa and Latin jazz music's most successful bandleaders have been congueros and percussionists, the majority fell from public notice when the salsa market waned in the mid- to late '80s. Pedro Conga, however, experienced the very height of his success at a time when other salseros were packing up and going home. His landmark album, No Te Quites la Ropa, hit number two on Billboard's Tropical Salsa charts in 1989, well after the U.S. salsa boom of the '70s had subsided. Born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Conga got his start backing up the vocalist Justo Betancourt, with whom he had performed throughout Latin America and Europe. Through his association with Betancourt, Conga earned spots in the bands of salsa luminaries like Tito Rojas, Anthony Cruz, and Maelo Ruiz, among others. A talented arranger as well as a skilled instrumentalist, Conga set his sights on leading his own group. Pedro Conga y Su Orquesta Internacional were introduced to the salsa-listening world with their self-titled debut record in 1972. With over 17 records to their credit since that time and a career that has spanned over 35 years, Conga is one of few bandleaders with the staying power necessary to thrive in the sometimes difficult salsa market. Celebrating 35 years, Pedro Conga y Su Orquesta Internacional released Con el Golpe de Siempre in 2007, featuring the single "No Me La Pongas Dura," a radio hit throughout the States and the band's native Puerto Rico alike. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide

La Va A Pagar
Pedro Conga Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hoy me siento triste
Hoy me han maltratado
Y la tristeza fiel compañera
No me deja
No me abandona
Le entregue mi amor pues yo le amaba
En falso pise no supe entender

La va a pagar
La va a pagar
Lo que me ha hecho tiene que pagarlo (2)
Todos lo sabian menos yo
Nadie dijo nada quizas por temor
Y la escuche mientras hablaba
Y se reia
De mi se burlaba
Esa mujer la que yo amaba
La muy ingrata falto a su palabra de ser fiel
No no se juega si con el amor
Con el honor de nadie
Nooooo no se juega asi con el amor
Con el honor de nadie
La va pagar la va pagar
Tu tienes que pagarla
La va a pagar
La va a pagar
Tuuuu tienes que pagarla

Caminaras donde he caminado
Te engañaran como has engañado
Te cobraran lo que te han fiado
Y Pagaras pagaras muy caro

La va a pagar
La va a pagar
Lo que me ha hecho tiene que pagarlo

No no se juega si con el amor
Con el honor de nadie
Nooooo no se juega asi con el amor
Con el honor de nadie
La va pagar la va pagar
Tu tienes que pagarla

La va pagar
Te saldra muy caro lo q hiciste
Como me engañaste te engañaran
La va a pagar
Hoy me siento triste y maltratado
Y la tristeza por siempre me acompañara
La va pagar
La va pàgar
Traicionaste mi cariño al no saciar tu forma de amar
La va pagar la va pagar
Hay no se juega con el amor de nadie no no no
La va pagar
La va pàgar
Y se reia de mi y se burlaba de mi no tiene sentimientos
La va pagar
La va pàgar
Pero tu tu y solo tu la vas a pagar
La va pagar
La va pàgar
Me traicionaste cuando mas te queria
La va pagar
La va pàgar
Y ahora te digo mi amor que yo no quiero tus caricias
La va pagar
La va pàgar
Aunque me duele te arrancare de mi
La va pagar

La va pàgar
Y quiero que sepas tu la pagaras tu la pagaras

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pedro Conga's song La Va A Pagar describe the singer's feelings of sadness and betrayal after discovering that his lover has been unfaithful. He trusted her completely and gave her his love, but she did not return his loyalty and instead mocked him behind his back. He laments that he didn't see the signs earlier and feels like everyone knew about her infidelity except for him. He declares that she will have to pay for what she has done and warns her that karma will come back around to get her. He emphasizes that it is not acceptable to play with someone's love or honor, and that she will face the consequences of her actions.

The song expresses a sense of pain and hurt that is palpable in the lyrics, but it also carries a message of justice and retribution. The singer has been wronged, but he is determined not to let his lover get away with it. He seeks to hold her accountable for her actions and to make her understand the weight of her betrayal. La Va A Pagar is a powerful song that reflects the emotions of heartbreak and the desire for justice that people can experience in relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

Hoy me siento triste
Today I feel sad and dejected

Hoy me han maltratado
I have been mistreated today

Y la tristeza fiel compañera
Sadness is my constant companion

No me deja
It does not leave me

No me abandona
It does not abandon me

Le entregue mi amor pues yo le amaba
I gave her my love because I loved her

En falso pise no supe entender
I mistakenly gave my love to someone who did not value it

La va a pagar
She will pay for what she has done

Lo que me ha hecho tiene que pagarlo (2)
She has to pay for what she did to me (2)

Todos lo sabian menos yo
Everyone knew except for me

Nadie dijo nada quizas por temor
Nobody said anything, maybe out of fear

Y la escuche mientras hablaba
And I listened as she spoke

Y se reia
And she laughed

De mi se burlaba
She mocked me

Esa mujer la que yo amaba
That woman whom I loved

La muy ingrata falto a su palabra de ser fiel
She was very ungrateful and did not keep her promise to be faithful

No no se juega si con el amor
No, you cannot play with someone's love

Con el honor de nadie
Or with anyone's honor

Nooooo no se juega asi con el amor
No, you cannot play like that with someone's love

Con el honor de nadie
Or with anyone's honor

La va pagar la va pagar
She will pay for it

Tu tienes que pagarla
You have to pay for what you've done

Caminaras donde he caminado
You will walk where I have walked

Te engañaran como has engañado
You will be deceived like you deceived me

Te cobraran lo que te han fiado
You will be charged what you owe

Y Pagaras pagaras muy caro
And you will pay, pay dearly

No no se juega si con el amor
No, you cannot play with someone's love

Con el honor de nadie
Or with anyone's honor

Nooooo no se juega asi con el amor
No, you cannot play like that with someone's love

Con el honor de nadie
Or with anyone's honor

La va pagar la va pagar
She will pay for it

Tu tienes que pagarla
You have to pay for what you've done