Born Aug 22, 1961 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he began his professional musical career at the age of 17 playing keyboards in Raíces.
In 1981 he incorporated to one of the main bands of the Argentinean '80s rock scene: Los Abuelos de la Nada. Although the band was led by the brilliant Miguel Abuelo, Calamaro composed most of the band's hits, like "Mil Horas," "Así es el calor," "Sin gamulán" and "Costumbres Argentinas."
In 1984 he made his solo debut with Hotel Calamaro. The album was a bizarre mix of styles and musicians, and didn't gain public or press support.
In 1985 he left Los Abuelos de la Nada and registered his second album Vida Cruel. Inspite of the important musicians and guests, such as Luis Alberto Spinetta and Charly García, the album was a disappointment: both commercially and artistically. But if as a songwriter the luck was out of reach, he had an intense and successful work as a producer of bands like Los Enanitos Verdes, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Don Cornelio y la zona. He also worked and collaborated with many artists of different styles and genres, a constant attitude through his whole career. The third album Por Mirarte showed Calamaro in a better shape with an established band. Released in 1988 it contains some outstanding songs such as "Con los dientes apretados" and "Me olvidé de los demás," while others like "Cartas sin Marcar" and "Loco por tí" helped the album to get popular.
When Calamaro released in 1989 Nadie Sale Vivo de Aquí, Argentina was living it's worst economical crisis: few albums were released. The album title suggest it all: Nobody comes out alive from here. The LP production was paralyzed, and the few that could make it were almost ignored. That was Calamaro's case. This situation lead the singer to settle in Spain, following a road taken by many Argentinean rockers. Out there in Spain he met Ariel Rot y Javier Infante, former members of Tequila. They formed Los Rodríguez in 1991, a pop-rock band that was very popular in Spain and Latin America: Calamaro's songs began to be popular like in the early '80s: the hit maker was on the road again. Curiously, from Spain, he was conquering Argentina. While being part of the band he didn't release any new solo material, just Grabaciones Encontradas 1 y 2, a couple of CDs that contained unreleased and rare material from the '80s.
After the split of Los Rodríguez, Calamaro returned to his solo career recording Alta Suciedad in 1997, an album produced by Joe Blaney. This album brought him the commercial success that seemed to fail in his previous solo efforts, and sold 300.000 copies just in Argentina. That is certainly a huge amount for the country's small market. No doubts, that album helped him to be placed between the star legends of the national rock scene. Before that album Calamaro was considered an important character, appreciated by other musicians, but not a main one. After he broke up with his spanish girlfriend he released in 1999 the double CD Honestidad Brutal. Recorded when he was 37, it contained 37 songs of despair, love loss, drugs and regret. It was not as successful at the previous album, but showed a new Calamaro: desperate, decadent and often elegant at the same time, with a new and raw lyrical approach. El Salmon followed in spring 2001.
Calamaro's next proyect, El Cantante, was released in 2005. A delicious mixture of tango, rock n'roll and flamenco guitars (mostly played by spanish prodigy El Niño Josele).
After a break, he returned to the stages with a tour full of classics that gave birth to a live album called El Regreso on 2005, recorded with members of Bersuit Vergarabat as a backing band. This album was very well received for the charts as well as for the critics, wich lead him to different awards. One year later, on 2006, Andres published a new album from the roots of tango with the collaboration of guitarrists Niño Josele and Juanjo Dominguez. On 2007 El palacio de las flores was published, although it was recorded on 2006. The album had the collaboration and musical influence of argentine composer Lito Nebbia and was also recorded on his studio. This was the return to a classic Calamaro album with new songs and hits.
Cuando te conocí
Andrés Calamaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Con el primero que te había abandonado
No vale la pena hablar
De aquellos años pasados
Cuando te conocí ya no salías
Con aquel chico casado
Que te prometía que la dejaría
Cuando te conocí
Salías con un amigo de los pocos que tenía
Eras lo mejor de su vida
Pero fuiste lo mejor de la mía
Cuando te conocí
Miré por un agujero en tus pantalones
Y dos años después
Ya tomabas todas las decisiones
Cuando te conocí
Te reconocí por tus botas
Y mientras tomabas tequila
Dejamos atrás dos almas rotas
Cuando te conocí
Me dijiste que por mí
No ibas a cambiar
Ibas a seguir siendo igual
Ibas a seguir siendo igual (siendo igual)
Y en el fondo es tan hondo mi dolor
Porque me voy y no se puede cambiar
De corazón como de sombrero
Sin haber sufrido primero
Y en el fondo es tan hondo mi dolor
Porque me voy y no se puede cambiar
De corazón como de sombrero
Sin haber sufrido primero
Cuando te conocí
Me dijiste que por mí
No ibas a cambiar
Ibas a seguir siendo igual
Ibas a seguir siendo igual
Y en el fondo es tan hondo mi dolor
Porque me voy y no se puede cambiar
De corazón como de sombrero
Sin haber sufrido primero
En el fondo es tan hondo mi dolor
Porque me voy y no se puede cambiar
De corazón como de camisa
Sin perder la sonrisa
The lyrics of "Cuando te conoci" by Andres Calamaro tell a story of a person who met someone who had gone through a rough past with previous relationships. When they met, the person had already moved on from being with someone who had abandoned them, or a married man who promised to leave his wife but had not done so. The singer recognizes that the person is the best thing in their life and falls in love with them. Over time, they witness the person taking control of their life and decision-making, and promise not to change for them. Despite this, the singer feels a deep pain knowing that they must leave, as one cannot change their heart as easily as changing a hat or a shirt.
The song's narrative captures the idea that people can encounter individuals who have gone through difficult relationships, but these experiences do not determine who they are. Even though the person in the song had gone through these struggles, they eventually demonstrated their strength and resilience. The lyrics also highlight the idea that individuals cannot change for someone else; people must change for themselves. Finally, the song touches on the bittersweet experience of leaving someone whom we love, but cannot stay with.
Line by Line Meaning
Cuando te conocí ya no salías
When I met you, you had stopped going out
Con el primero que te había abandonado
With the first person who had left you
No vale la pena hablar
It's not worth talking about
De aquellos años pasados
About those past years
Con aquel chico casado
With that married guy
Que te prometía que la dejaría
Who promised to leave his wife for you
Y todavía no se había divorciado
And still had not gotten a divorce
Cuando te conocí salías con un amigo
When I met you, you were going out with a friend
De los pocos que tenía
Of the few friends you had
Eras lo mejor de su vida
You were the best thing in his life
Pero fuiste lo mejor de la mía
But you were the best thing in mine
Cuando te conocí miré por un agujero
When I met you, I peeped through a hole
En tus pantalones
In your pants
Y dos años después
And two years later
Ya tomabas todas las decisiones
You were making all the decisions
Cuando te conocí te reconocí
When I met you, I recognized you
Por tus botas
By your boots
Y mientras tomabas tequila dejamos atrás
And as we drank tequila, we left behind
Dos almas rotas
Two broken souls
Cuando te conocí me dijiste que por mí
When I met you, you told me that for me
No ibas a cambiar
You weren't going to change
Ibas a seguir siendo igual
You were going to remain the same
Y en el fondo es tan hondo mi dolor
And at the bottom, my pain is so deep
Porque me voy y no se puede cambiar
Because I'm leaving and nothing can be changed
De corazón como de sombrero
Of heart, like a hat
Sin haber sufrido primero
Without having suffered first
Y en el fondo es tan hondo mi dolor
And at the bottom, my pain is so deep
Porque me voy y no se puede cambiar
Because I'm leaving and nothing can be changed
De corazón como de sombrero
Of heart, like a shirt
Sin perder la sonrisa
Without losing the smile
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andres Calamaro Masel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@camilarivero6856
Cuando te conocí ya no salías
con el primero que te había abandonado
No vale la pena hablar
de aquellos años pasados
Cuando te conocí ya no salías
con aquel chico casado
que te prometía que la dejaría
y todavía no se había divorciado
Cuando te conocí salías con un amigo
de los pocos que tenía
Eras lo mejor de su vida
pero fuiste lo mejor de la mía
Cuando te conocí miré por un agujero
en tus pantalones
y dos años después
ya tomabas todas las decisiones
Cuando te conocí te reconocí
por tus botas
y mientras tomabas tequila dejamos atrás
dos almas rotas
Cuando te conocí me dijiste que por mí
no ibas a cambiar
ibas a seguir siendo igual
ibas a seguir siendo igual
Y en el fondo es tan hondo mi dolor
porque me voy y no se puede cambiar
de corazón como de sombrero
sin haber sufrido primero
Y en el fondo es tan hondo mi dolor
porque me voy y no se puede cambiar
de corazón como de sombrero
sin haber sufrido primero
Cuando te conocí me dijiste que por mí
no ibas a cambiar
ibas a seguir siendo igual
ibas a seguir siendo igual
Y en el fondo es tan hondo mi dolor
porque me voy y no se puede cambiar
de corazón como de sombrero
sin haber sufrido primero
Y en el fondo es tan hondo mi dolor
porque me voy y no se puede cambiar
de corazón como de camisa
sin perder la sonrisa.
@miguelon_63
Fui a conocer Buenos Aires y me hospede en San Telmo en junio del 2022 y escuche mucho rock en cafeterías, taxis, hotel. Saludos desde PERU!!!
@techerito
Buenos hambres
@llanerasmejores1174
Yo quiero ir a argentina ❤❤ espero ir este año😍😍
@AgostinaRodriguezTello
Es una de las canciones más hermosas que escuche! Lo que transmite es indescriptible! Hay que agradecer que existan artistas como Andrés que no solo hacen música, sino que también son poetas!
@inmaculadamorillaperalta4755
Aaaaaameenn!!!
@Libresoy1k
Preciosa la letra, el vídeo tan osado todo genial
@Manu123_
Me transmite tristeza y es increíble q este comentario tenga más de 9 años
@fernan10go
Estoy de acuerdo contigo, alto tema agos!!
@carlosbravo6127
Es emocionante al máximo.
@RuedaDeBolsa1
Llevo millones de años escuchando este tema, enamoradas pasaron, viajes hice, personas conocí, amigos perdí, perros tuve, campeonatos de mi equipo, navidades en trance, etc, etc, etc... y recién hoy me entero que tiene un video musical. Curiosa vida, eh. Cuando piensas que lo conoces todo, algo nuevo aparece, algo nuevo. Buenas vibras mis hermanos.