Born Peter Nitollano, of African-American/Filipino parents, Joe Bataan grew up in Spanish Harlem, where he ran with Puerto Rican gangs and absorbed R&B, Afro-Cuban and Afro-Rican musical influences. His music career followed a pair of stints in Coxsackie State Prison. Self taught on the piano, he organized his first band in 1965 and scored his first recording success in 1967 with "Gypsy Woman" on Fania Records, . The tune was a hit with the New York Latin market despite the English lyrics sung by Joe, and exemplified the nascent Latin Soul sound. In early anticipation of the disco formula, "Gypsy Woman" created dance energy by alternating what was fundamentally a pop-soul tune with a break featuring double timed hand claps, . Joe would take this tendency even further on his influential Salsoul, which fused funk and latin influences in slick yet soulful orchestrations. Salsoul remains influential as a rare groove cult item, but pointed to the future at the time of its release. The LP embodied the artist's highly deliberate and culturally aware musical concept. Bataan theorized the '70s next big thing as a hybrid: an Afro Cuban rhythm section playing Brazilian influenced patterns over orchestral funk. In many ways, his vision was on the money, though most of the money would go to others, and mainstream stardom would elude him. He did, however, get in on the ground floor of the new trend as an early hit maker. His biggest commercial move was a Salsoul production released under the Epic umbrella, and promoted to the new disco market as Afrofilipino, which included 1975's "The Bottle", a much anthologized classic that drives an R&B horn arrangment with a relentless piano montuno.
Always in touch with the street, Joe Bataan picked up on rap very early in the game. His minor rap hit, "Rap-O, Clap-O" was a bit more successful in Europe than in the States, and is remembered as rap's debut in the European market. Nevertheless, his legacy remains his gritty and realistic Latin soul lyrics, his self identification as an "Ordinary Guy", and his highly personal and prophetic merger of Latin and soul influences.
I Wish You Love Pt. 1
Joe Bataan Lyrics
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To give your heart a song to sing
And then a kiss, but more than this
I wish you love
(Love)
And in July, a lemonade
To cool you in some leafy glade
I wish you health
But more than wealth
I wish you love
You breaking heart & I agree
That you & we could never be
So with my best
My very best
I set you free
Girl, i′m gonna set you free
I wish you shelter from the storm
A cozy fire to keep you warm
But most of all when snowflakes fall
I wish you love
So much love girl
Mm, i gonna wish you love girl
So much love
The lyrics to Joe Bataan's "I Wish You Love Pt. 1" is a message of well wishes and good intentions towards a former lover. It is a sort of farewell message where the singer reflects on the memories they shared and expresses his desire for the best things in life to come the ex-partner's way. The opening lines, "I wish you bluebirds in the spring/To give your heart a song to sing", is a symbol of joy and happiness that the singer wants his ex-partner to experience. He then wishes her love, health, and more than wealth. The next stanza talks about the month of July and how he wishes for her to have lemonade to keep cool in a leafy glade. Furthermore, the singer acknowledges the reality of the situation, "You breaking heart & I agree/That you & we could never be", and then proceeds to let her go with his best of intentions, "So with my best/My very best/ I set you free".
The last stanza starts with a wish for her to have shelter from the storm and for a cozy fire to keep her warm. However, the final wish, "But most of all when snowflakes fall/I wish you love", emphasizes that love is the most important thing in life. In a nutshell, the song is a farewell message of hope and well wishes to a former lover. It is a beautiful piece of music that highlights the importance of love and kindness towards others, especially towards those we once loved.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish you bluebirds in the spring
I hope that you find happiness and joy in the world around you, even in the smallest things, just like the bluebirds that signal the start of spring.
To give your heart a song to sing
May you find something that fills your heart with joy and makes you sing, just like the beautiful bluebirds singing in the springtime.
And then a kiss, but more than this
May you find love, and not just a physical connection, but a love that goes beyond just a kiss.
I wish you love
My greatest wish for you is to find true and lasting love that brings you happiness, comfort and support in life.
And in July, a lemonade
May you find refreshment and rejuvenation in the simple pleasures of life, like a cold and sweet glass of lemonade in the heat of summer.
To cool you in some leafy glade
May you find moments of peace and tranquility in the cool shade of a leafy glade, surrounded by nature and the beauty it offers.
I wish you health
May you be blessed with good health, so that you can enjoy life to the fullest and pursue your dreams and passions.
But more than wealth
While wealth is nice, it is not as important as having good health, happiness and love in your life.
I wish you love
Once again, my greatest wish for you is to find true and lasting love that brings joy and happiness to your life.
You breaking heart & I agree
I am aware that our relationship has not been easy and that we cannot be together, and I accept and understand that it is for the best.
That you & we could never be
We both know that our relationship was not meant to be, even though it hurts to let go.
So with my best, my very best
I want to give you the best that I can, even if it means letting go of you and our relationship.
I set you free
I am setting you free from the pain and hurt of our relationship, and I hope that you can move on and find happiness in life.
Girl, i′m gonna set you free
I want to release you from the ties that bind us together and let you find your own path in life, free from any obligations to me.
I wish you shelter from the storm
May you find safety and protection from the hardships and challenges of life, like a shelter from a raging storm.
A cozy fire to keep you warm
May you have a warm and comforting place to call home, with a cozy fire to keep you warm on cold winter nights.
But most of all when snowflakes fall
Above all, may you find love, comfort and happiness in your life, even in the coldest and darkest of times, like when snowflakes fall.
I wish you love
Once again, my greatest wish for you is to find a love that brings you joy, comfort and support in life, above all else.
So much love girl
I wish you an abundance of love in your life, more than you can imagine, to guide and nurture you in your journey of life.
Mm, i gonna wish you love girl
My heart is filled with love and hope for you, and I will always wish the best for you, no matter where life takes you.
Writer(s): Albert Askew Beach, Charles Louis Trenet
Contributed by Maria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.