If ya wanna be my lover = If you want to be my lover

 

Wannabe by The Spice Girls

Wannabe is a great song for learning about the natural pronunciation of English by native speakers.  It is considered one of the catchiest (más pegadiza) songs in pop music.     The rhythm and the melody of this song can really help you improve your pronunciation and listening skills.  A "wannabe" is an "aspirante" or a "quiero y no puedo", someone who wants to be something, like a rock star, but isn´t yet.   It´s a derogatory term.   But in this song the title, "Wannabe" refers to the phrase "want to be" and in the song you hear over and over "if ya wannabe my lover" = "if you want to be my lover".    By studying these common contractions of spoken English, called connected speech, non-native English speakers can improve their listening skills (habilidades) a lot.   Other common words in connected speech include:

gonna = going to      I´m gonna go to the movies.
hafta = have to   
shoulda = should have
woulda = would have
coulda = could have
lotta = lot of
watcha = what are you

Also in connected speech the "h" at the beginning of some words like "him" or "her" is NOT pronounced.   So "Where is he?" will sound like "Where is ´e?" and "I like her." becomes "I like ´er." Even the "th" sound can disappear like in the example: "Tell them to come." which in connected speech would be:  "Tell ´em to come."  Although most native speakers use connected speech when speaking they usually write the words completely except for sometimes in songs, novels or comics.   Remember, you don´t have to use connected speech when you are speaking but you need to understand it so that when native speakers are talking to you in a natural way you know what they are saying.

Another important thing in this song is the expression "tell me what you want"  which is "dime lo que quieres" in Spanish.   Most intermediate students know that "que" is usually "what" at the beginning of a sentence in questions like "What is that?"  (¿Qué es esto?) but they often forget that "lo que" is also usually translated as "what" in the middle of sentences such as in (como en) the sentence:   "I like what you are saying." (Me gusta lo que estás diciendo.)  

"Wannabe" by The Spice Girls

Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want, 

Yo te diré que es lo que quiero, lo que realmente realmente quiero,
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
Entonces dime lo que quieres, lo que realmente realmente quieres, 

I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
Te diré lo que quiero, lo que realmente realmente quiero,

So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
 Entonces dime lo que quieres, lo que realmente realmente quieres,

I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really really really wanna zigazig ha.
Yo quiero, quiero, quiero, quiero, quiero realmente realmente realmente quiero zigzaguear 

If you want my future forget my past,
Si quieres mi futuro, olvida mi pasado,

If you wanna get with me better make it fast,

 Si quieres estar conmigo mejor hazlo rápido

Now don't go wasting my precious time,  
Ahora no desperdicies mi precioso tiempo,

Get your act together we could be just fine
Si lo realizas, juntos podemos estar bien
 

I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
Te diré lo que quiero, lo que realmente realmente quiero,

So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
 Entonces dime lo que quieres, lo que realmente realmente quieres,

I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really really really wanna zigazig ha.
Yo quiero, quiero, quiero, quiero, quiero realmente realmente realmente quiero zigzaguear

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends (gotta get with my friends)

Si quieres ser mi amante, tienes que llevarte con mis amigos  

Make it last forever friendship never ends, 

Hazlo durar para siempre  la amistad nunca acaba

If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give, 

Si quieres ser mi amante, tienes que  dar,  

Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is.
Tomar es muy fácil, pero así lo es.

What do you think about that now you know how I feel,  
Qué piensas de eso, ahora que sabes cómo me siento 

Say you can handle my love are you for real,  
Di que puedes con mi amor, ¿Eres de verdad?

I won't be hasty, I'll give you a try
No tendré prisa, te daré una oportunidad. 

If you really bug me then I'll say goodbye.
Si realmente me molestas entonces te diré adiós

Yo I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want, Yo te diré que es lo que quiero, lo que realmente realmente quiero,

So tell me what you want, what you really really want,
 Entonces dime lo que quieres, lo que realmente realmente quieres, 

I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really really really wanna zigazig ha.
Yo quiero, quiero, quiero, quiero, quiero realmente realmente realmente quiero zigzaguear 

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends (gotta get with my friends)

Si quieres ser mi amante, tienes que llevarte con mis amigos  

Make it last forever friendship never ends, 

Hazlo durar para siempre  la amistad nunca acaba

If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give, 

Si quieres ser mi amante, tienes que  dar,  

Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is.
Tomar es muy fácil, pero así lo es.

So here's a story from A to Z, you wanna get with me you gotta listen carefully,
Entonces la historia está aquí de la A a la Z, si tú quieres estar conmigo escucha cuidadosamente  

We got Em in the place who likes it in your face,
Nosotras tenemos a "Em"  en el local a quien le gusta lo fuerte

we got G like MC who likes it on an...
Tenemos a G como MC a quienes les gusta en un...

Easy V doesn't come for free, she's a real lady,
Fácil V no es gratis, ella es una verdadera dama, 

and as for me you'll see,
Y como a mí, ja ja, tu verás 
  

Slam your body down and wind it all around 
Arroja tu cuerpo al suelo y da vueltas alrededor 

Slam your body down and wind it all around.
Arroja tu cuerpo al suelo y da vueltas alrededor 

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends (gotta get with my friends)

Si quieres ser mi amante, tienes que llevarte con mis amigos  

Make it last forever friendship never ends, 

Hazlo durar para siempre  la amistad nunca acaba

If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give, 

Si quieres ser mi amante, tienes que  dar,  

Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is.
Tomar es muy fácil, pero así lo es.

 

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta,
Si quieres ser mi amante tienes que, tienes que, tienes que,

you gotta, you gotta, slam, slam, slam, slam
tienes que, tienes que, arrójate, arrójate, arrójate. arrójate

Slam your body down and wind it all around  
Arroja tu cuerpo al suelo y da vueltas alrededor 

Slam your body down and wind it all around.
Arroja tu cuerpo al suelo y da vueltas alrededor  
Slam your body down and wind it all around.
 Arroja tu cuerpo al suelo y da vueltas alrededor  

Slam your body down zigazig ah
Arroja tu cuerpo al suelo zigzaguear   

If you wanna be my lover. 

Si quieres ser my amante.

Editor´s Note:
Although I am not a big fan of commercial pop music there are some songs that are not that bad.     This song has an infectious melody and in a scientific study it was the most recognizable of all the songs played for the subjects.