Javier Solís was born Gabriel Siria Levario.[2] Being of humble origins, Siria had to drop out of school during his teens to support his family. In his spare time, he trained as an amateur boxer, with aspirations of going professional, but after suffering a few defeats, he was prevailed upon to work at something 'more decent'.
Siria began singing in competitions, in which the winner would be awarded a new pair of shoes; he was eventually banned from participating because he dominated the competition. At that time he was working as a butcher, and sang while he worked. His boss heard him and was so impressed with his talent that he urged Siria to dedicate himself to his music and recommended him to a voice coach. To his family's relief, he hung up his boxing gloves and began a singing career.
[edit] Singing break
At age 16, Siria went to Puebla to sing with the Mariachi Metepec, but he didn't get his first professional break until two years later, when Julito Rodriguez and Alfredo Gil of the famous singing trio, 'Los Panchos', discovered him, and took him to audition at CBS Records. There, in 1950, he signed a contract and recorded his first album. His first hit, Lloraras, came two years later, and it was his then-producer Felipe Valdes Leal that gave Siria his stage name, Javier Solís.
Solís began to receive international acclaim in 1957, when he began appearing in the U.S., Central and South America. He was among the first to sing in the new style now known as 'Bolero-Ranchera'. He sang boleros typically associated with trio music, but now were accompanied by mariachis. Solís was a versatile interpreter; he sang not just boleros, but rancheras, the danzón, waltzes and even tangos such as En Esta Tarde Gris(In This Grey Afternoon).
[edit] Acting career
Solís began his acting career in 1959, and appeared in more than 20 films, working with such artists as Pedro Armendáriz, María Victoria, Antonio Aguilar and Lola Beltrán. His last picture, Juan Pistolas, was finished in 1965. During his lifetime, he was considered a better singer than actor by his public, who rated him alongside such accomplished artists as Jorge Negrete, Aguilar and Pedro Infante.
[edit] Final Years
Great things were expected from him after the death of Pedro Infante in an air accident in the late 1950's. Alas, he died young. Solís passed at age 33, a victim of complications from gall bladder surgery. At that time, his doctors had refused him water, and his last words concerned his family and his terrible thirst, "They will have to shower my grave with lots of water. I know that I'm going to die; there is no cure"
Javier Solís was a prolific artist and left an extensive discography. Most of his albums are still in print, allowing the listener to enjoy a voice like no other.
Sombras
Javier Solís Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mi sangre toda verterla a tus pies
Para poderte demostrar
Que más no puedo amar
Y entonces morir después
Y sin embargo tus ojos azules
Azul que tienen el cielo y el mar
Viven cerrados para mí
Sin ver que estoy aquí
Perdido en mi soledad
Sombras nada más
Acariciando mis manos
Sombras nada más
En el temblor de mi voz
Pude ser feliz
Y estoy en vida muriendo
Y entre lágrimas viviendo
El pasaje más horrendo
De este drama sin final
Sombras nada más
Entre tu vida y mi vida
Sombras nada más
Entre tu amor y mi amor
Qué breve fue tu presencia en mi hastío
Qué tibias fueron tus manos, tu voz
Como luciérnaga llegó tu luz
Y disipó las sombras de mi rincón
Y yo quedé como un duende temblando
Sin el azul de tus ojos de mar
Que se han cerrado para mí
Sin ver que estoy aquí
Perdido en mi soledad
Sombras nada más
Acariciando mis manos
Sombras nada más
En el temblor de mi voz
Pude ser feliz
Y estoy en vida muriendo
Y entre lágrimas viviendo
El pasaje más horrendo
De este drama sin final
Sombras nada más
Entre tu vida y mi vida
Sombras nada más
Entre tu amor y mi amor
The lyrics of Javier Solís's song "Sombras" speak of unrequited love and the pain it brings to the singer. The opening verse shows his willingness to spill all his blood at the feet of the one he loves, to prove just how deeply he feels for her. He goes on to say that despite this, her blue eyes - as vast as the sky and the sea - remain closed to him. He is lost and alone, caught up in his own sadness.
The chorus of the song repeatedly uses the word "sombras," meaning shadows or shades. The shadows here represent the darkness that the singer is living in, the pain that he feels because the love of his life does not see him. He laments that these shadows are all he has, that they encompass his whole existence. The verses that follow continue in the same vein, expressing the brevity of the time spent with his love and how much he misses her. He compares her to a firefly that brought light into his life before disappearing, leaving him alone once more.
The overall mood of the song is one of despair and heartache, with Solís's passionate delivery emphasizing the depth of the singer's emotions. The use of poetic language and imagery serves to heighten the emotional impact of the song, making it a poignant and moving piece.
Line by Line Meaning
Quisiera abrir lentamente mis venas
I wish to slowly open my veins
Mi sangre toda verterla a tus pies
And pour all my blood at your feet
Para poderte demostrar
To show you
Que más no puedo amar
That I cannot love more
Y entonces morir después
And then die thereafter
Y sin embargo tus ojos azules
Yet your blue eyes
Azul que tienen el cielo y el mar
Blue that has the sky and the sea
Viven cerrados para mí
Remain closed for me
Sin ver que estoy aquí
Without seeing that I am here
Perdido en mi soledad
Lost in my loneliness
Sombras nada más
Just shadows
Acariciando mis manos
Caressing my hands
En el temblor de mi voz
In the trembling of my voice
Pude ser feliz
I could have been happy
Y estoy en vida muriendo
And yet, I am dying in life
Y entre lágrimas viviendo
And living amidst tears
El pasaje más horrendo
The most horrendous chapter
De este drama sin final
Of this never-ending drama
Entre tu vida y mi vida
Between your life and mine
Entre tu amor y mi amor
Between your love and my love
Qué breve fue tu presencia en mi hastío
How brief was your presence in my boredom
Qué tibias fueron tus manos, tu voz
How warm were your hands, your voice
Como luciérnaga llegó tu luz
Like a firefly, your light arrived
Y disipó las sombras de mi rincón
And dispelled the shadows in my corner
Y yo quedé como un duende temblando
And I remained like a trembling elf
Sin el azul de tus ojos de mar
Without the blue of your oceanic eyes
Que se han cerrado para mí
Which have closed for me
Sombras nada más
Just shadows
Acariciando mis manos
Caressing my hands
En el temblor de mi voz
In the trembling of my voice
Pude ser feliz
I could have been happy
Y estoy en vida muriendo
And yet, I am dying in life
Y entre lágrimas viviendo
And living amidst tears
El pasaje más horrendo
The most horrendous chapter
De este drama sin final
Of this never-ending drama
Entre tu vida y mi vida
Between your life and mine
Entre tu amor y mi amor
Between your love and my love
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Unison Rights S.L., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Francisco Lomuto, Jose Maria Contursi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind