After seven Mecano albums and fame in Europe and Latin America, months of continuous touring were taking their toll on the band, especially on Ana who was starting to develop vocal problems. In 1993 the band announced a "temporary split". While José and Nacho composed solo albums, Ana chose to travel round the world to visit places like Hawaii, Bombay and New York, cities she had sung about while fronting Mecano. It was in New York that she set up home and took dance classes.
By 1997 Ana felt confident enough to sing again and moved to London to record her first solo album Puntos cardinales. The album marked a curious change for Ana, as her new songs were not written from a male point of view by the Cano brothers, she felt she could express herself in Spanish as a woman for the first time. The first single from the album A contratiempo was a Spanish cover of an old Bette Midler song, "Bottomless". The video showed a "new" Ana Torroja with plumper lips and other attributes hitherto unseen on the former Mecano star.
In 1998—partially due to the expense and commercial failure of José María's opera project—Mecano reformed for the double-disc greatest hits compilation Ana, José, Nacho, which also featured seven new songs.
In 2006, Ana released "Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte", an album which featured 13 of Mecano's greatest hits reborn. "Hijo de La Luna" was remade as a Huapango Jarocho, featuring a whole Mariachi ensemble. "Maquillaje" was given a burlesque, cabaret sound, while "Barco a Venus" was made a Rumba. Other hits included were "Los Amantes" (w/ a Samba makeover), "Mujer Contra Mujer" (in a solo orchestral rendition), "Busco Algo Barato", "Cruz De navajas," and "La Fuerza Del Destino." Amazingly, the title track is nowhere to be seen.
A contratiempo
Ana Torroja Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
se me ha vuelto a caer, el alma por la puerta.
Podría ser que he vuelto a ver,
quizá fue sin querer, aquellas cartas viejas.
Vaya por Dios, que tonta estoy,
se me ha vuelto a llenar, el corazón de lluvia.
Podría ser que he vuelto a ver,
why caer la tarde, why entran ganas de llamarte.
La soledad es una estación de madrugada;
un beso al viento, una canción desesperada.
No sé si fue una buena idea el decir adiós;
why es que uno no es bastante.
Iré a mirar desde el balcón como se esconde el sol;
ya no es lo mismo que antes.
Por mucho que intento, no recuerdo tus defectos
La soledad es una estación de madrugada;
un beso al viento, una canción a contratiempo.
why hemos quedado hoy a las diez,
vuelve a latir mi corazón;
como la primera vez.
why a contraluz me rindo al temblor de tus deseos;
why la humedad impone su ley a contratiempo.
A contratiempo
A contratiempo
A contratiempo
The lyrics of Ana Torroja's "A Contratiempo" portray the painful process of reminiscing about a past relationship. The opening lines (“Vaya por Dios, que tonta estoy, se me ha vuelto a caer, el alma por la puerta”) suggest that the singer has encountered something that has triggered a flood of memories about an old love. She finds herself feeling foolish for allowing her emotions to be stirred up once again. The recurring line “why caer la tarde, why entran ganas de llamarte” highlights the sense of loneliness that intensifies as the day wears on and emphasizes a longing to reconnect with the former flame.
Later in the song, the singer acknowledges that the past relationship had its flaws (“No sé si fue una buena idea el decir adiós; why es que uno no es bastante”). However, she admits that she is unable to remember those negative aspects of the relationship, probably due to the strong emotional attachment she experienced. As the song progresses, the singer becomes more and more enmeshed in her memories, ultimately finding herself standing reminiscing under the fading light of the sunset.
Overall, the song's lyrics portray the deep sense of pain and sorrow that can result from remembering a past love, particularly when one is still struggling to come to terms with the end of that relationship. The haunting melody and evocative lyrics make "A Contratiempo" a beautiful, powerful expression of human emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Vaya por Dios, que tonta estoy,
se me ha vuelto a caer, el alma por la puerta.
Oh my God, how foolish I am, my soul has slipped out the door again.
Podría ser que he vuelto a ver,
quizá fue sin querer, aquellas cartas viejas.
It could be that I have seen those old letters again, maybe by accident.
Vaya por Dios, que tonta estoy,
se me ha vuelto a llenar, el corazón de lluvia.
Oh my God, how foolish I am, my heart has been filled with rain again.
Podría ser que he vuelto a ver,
quizá fue sin querer, aquellas fotos tuyas.
It could be that I have seen those old pictures of you again, maybe unintentionally.
why caer la tarde, why entran ganas de llamarte.
Why does the evening fall, why do I feel like calling you.
La soledad es una estación de madrugada;
un beso al viento, una canción desesperada.
Loneliness is a station in the early morning; a kiss to the wind, a desperate song.
No sé si fue una buena idea el decir adiós;
why es que uno no es bastante.
I don't know if it was a good idea to say goodbye; and it's because one is never enough.
Iré a mirar desde el balcón como se esconde el sol;
ya no es lo mismo que antes.
I'll go look from the balcony how the sun sets; it's not the same as before.
Por mucho que intento, no recuerdo tus defectos
No matter how hard I try, I can't remember your faults.
why hemos quedado hoy a las diez,
vuelve a latir mi corazón;
como la primera vez.
We have agreed to meet today at ten, my heart beats again; like the first time.
why a contraluz me rindo al temblor de tus deseos;
why la humedad impone su ley a contratiempo.
And against the light, I surrender to the trembling of your desires; and humidity imposes its law out of sync.
A contratiempo
A contratiempo
A contratiempo
Out of sync
Out of sync
Out of sync
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BONNIE HAYES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@patocalcetin0711
Es increíble Cómo a veces la música te regresa el tiempo a ciertas etapas de tu vida en las que eras feliz y no lo sabías.😢
@jesusmedina7332
🥲
@jesusmedina7332
extraño esos tiempos daria lo que sea.... por estar unos minutos..
@emiliocaceres4615
Tengo 44 años y esta canción me pone triste y me hace llorar ,es un sentimiento al recordar amigos de la juventud . Saludos desde Ecuador.
@mimundodeplastilinaanimalc4728
Viajar al pasado es imposible científicamente hablando, pero en mi mente viajo con estas canciones. Que bello es estar vivo
@alfredope86
Así eran mis tardes luego del cole, haciendo tareas y viendo Telehit... Que da mucha nostalgia (1999-2000)
@isaacmonardes4705
K hermosos tiempos, k linda cancion y tmb me da nostalgia 🥲🥰😔
@michaelacitton3138
No Brasil era a única das amigas que tinha telehit, era viciada..conclusão a única brasileir da época com cesso a músicas latinas eu cantava e vivia esse universo latino e ninguém me entendia ou conhecia os artistas 😩😂😬
@eliassalazar6503
Eu tamben soy Brasileiro. Y amo a música Espanhola
@danielcamacho667
Veo que muchos recuerdan el video o la rola como del 1999
🤷🏻♂️ Es como de inicios de 1997