Original: "Angels" (Robbie Williams) [1997] (1)

The song "Angels" was released in December 1997 as a single of the album "Life thru a lens". Everywhere, it is mentioned that Guy Chambers and Robbie Williams have written the song, but actually there was a third writer, Ray Heffernan.
The unknown Irish songwriter met Williams in a Dublin pub and brought him back to his home where they embarked on a songwriting session. Heffernan played him the basis of what would become "Angels" and they recorded an early version of it. Heffernan acknowledges, however, that Williams and Guy Chambers later added the chorus. (Source)
Williams told his biographer Chris Heath that this song is about his fascination with the paranormal: "I believed that stuff when I wrote Angels – that's why I wrote Angels. Angels isn't about anybody, it's about the thoughts that loved ones that have passed on come back and take care of you." (Source The Daily Telegraph November 6, 2009).

Original: Angels (Robbie Williams) [1997], by Guy Chambers, Robbie Williams, Ray Heffernan

Cover [Spanish]: Ángel (Robbie Williams) [1999], (Yuridia) [Mex 2005]

In 1999, Robbie Williams released the Spanish version of his own song, "Ángel", but I also found "El ángel que quiero yo."

I sit and wait. Does an angel contemplate my fate? And do they know the places where we go when we're grey and old? 'Cause I've been told that salvation lets their wings unfold.	Así es la ley Hay un ángel Hecho para mí Te conocí El tiempo se me fue Tal como llegó Y te fallé Te hice daño Tantos años yo
So when I'm lying in my bed, thoughts running through my head and I feel the love is dead, I'm loving angels instead.	Pase por todo sin pesar Te amé sin casi amar Y al final quien me salvó El ángel que quiero yo
And through it all, she offers me protection, a lot of love and affection, whether I'm right or wrong. And down the waterfall, wherever it may take me, I know that life won't break me when I come to call. She won't forsake me, I'm loving angels instead.	De nuevo tú Te cuelas en mis huesos Dejándome tu beso Junto al corazón Y otra vez tú Abriéndome tus alas Me sacas de las malas Rachas de dolor Porque tú eres El ángel que quiero yo
When I'm feeling weak, and my pain walks down a one way street. I look above and I know I'll always be blessed with love. And as the feeling grows, she brings flesh to my bones, and when love is dead, I'm loving angels instead.	Cuando estoy fatal Ya no sé qué hacer Ni a donde ir Me fijo en ti Y te siento cerca Pensando en mí El cuerpo se me va Hacia donde tu estás Mi vida cambió El ángel que quiero yo
And through it all, she offers me protection, a lot of love and affection, whether I'm right or wrong. And down the waterfall wherever it may take me, I know that life won't break me when I come to call. She won't forsake me, I'm loving angels instead.	De nuevo tú Te cuelas en mis huesos Dejándome tu beso Junto al corazón Y otra vez tú Abriéndome tus alas Me sacas de las malas Rachas de dolor Porque tú eres El ángel que quiero yo
And through it all, she offers me protection, a lot of love and affection, whether I'm right or wrong. And down the waterfall wherever it may take me, I know that life won't break me when I come to call. She won't forsake me, I'm loving angels instead.	De nuevo tú Te cuelas en mis huesos Dejándome tu beso Junto al corazón Y otra vez tú Abriéndome tus alas Me sacas de las malas Rachas de dolor Porque tú eres El ángel que quiero yo

Of, course, it is a great idea to learn a language with music, i. e. with original and cover versions, especially when it is almost a literal translation.

http://www.fluentu.com/spanish/blog/learn-spanish-with-music/

It’s not clear why, or if, Robbie Williams speaks Spanish. But he seems to be doing a pretty good job pretending with his version of "Angels" in Spanish, "Ángel" (apparently in this version there’s only one angel).
Useful vocabulary includes, as you might expect, vocab related to flying, such as desplegarse (to spread out/to fold out), when speaking about wings, for example. Other useful words are cascada (waterfall) and desamparar (to abandon).
Desamparar is used in the Spanish equivalent of the line “She won’t forsake me,” which is made a little more complicated in Spanish with “Cuando vengo a llamar ella no me desamparará” (When I call her she won’t abandon me).
Notice that desamparará is yet another example of the future tense mentioned earlier. The rest of the song is in the present tense, so it’s nice and easy. It’s also very loyal to the English version in terms of the lyrics, so this is a good one to translate directly.

 

In 2005, Yuridia, former contestant of the popular Mexican show La Academia released "Ángel", which she had interpreted during her stay in the reality show, as her debut and lead single. In Mexico, as well as in other parts of Latin America, "Ángel", became an instant hit, leading her debut album of almost the same name to achieve Diamond status in Mexico and becoming one of the most recent best selling Mexican singers and the best female Mexican seller of the past decade. The singer received two gold certifications for 20,000 copies sold in Mexico.

What do you think of Robbie Williams' Spanish?

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... to be continued