Brave Combo is a polka/rock band based in Denton, Texas. Founded in 1979 by… Read Full Bio ↴Brave Combo is a polka/rock band based in Denton, Texas. Founded in 1979 by guitarist/keyboardist/accordionist Carl Finch, they have been a prominent fixture in the Texas music scene for over thirty-five years. Their music, both originals and covers, incorporates a number of dance styles, mostly polka, but also rhumba, cha-cha-cha, choro, samba, two-step, cumbia, charanga, merengue, etc. As part of their perceived artistic mission to expand the musical tastes of their listeners, they have often played and recorded covers of well-known songs in a style radically different from the original versions. Examples include polka versions of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" and The Doors' "People are Strange", The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" as a cha-cha, and Sixteen Tons as a cumbia. While their records may have a sense of humor, they are played straight and not usually considered joke or novelty records.

They won a Grammy award in 1999 in the Polka album category for their album Polkasonic, and again in 2005 for their album Let's Kiss.

Cielito Lindo
Brave Combo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

De la sierra morena
Viene bajando, viene bajando
Un par de ojitos negros
Cielito lindo, de contrabando

Ese lunar que tienes
Cielito lindo, junto a la boca
No se los des a nadie

Cielito lindo, que a mí me toca

Ay-ay-ay-ay
Canta y no llores
Porque cantando se alegra
Cielito lindo, los corazones

Ay-ay-ay-ay
Canta y no llores
Porque cantando se alegra
Cielito lindo, los corazones, eh

Ay-ay-ay-ay (ay-ay-ay-ay-ay)
Canta y no llores (ay-ay-ay-ay-ay)
Porque cantando se alegra
Cielito lindo, los corazones

Ay-ay-ay-ay (ay-ay-ay-ay-ay)
Canta y no llores (ay-ay-ay-ay-ay)
Porque cantando se alegra
Cielito lindo, los corazones

Eso, eso, eso, eso, eso

De la sierra morena (de la sierra morena)
Viene bajando, viene bajando
Un par de ojitos negros (un par de ojitos negros, cielito lindo)
Cielito lindo, de contrabando

Ese lunar que tienes (ese lunar que tienes)
Cielito lindo, junto a la boca
No se los des a nadie (no se los des a nadie)
Cielito lindo, que a mí me toca

Ay-ay-ay-ay (ay-ay-ay-ay-ay)
Canta y no llores (ay-ay-ay-ay-ay)
Porque cantando se alegra
Cielito lindo, los corazones

Ay-ay-ay-ay (ay-ay-ay-ay-ay)
Canta y no llores (ay-ay-ay-ay-ay)
Porque cantando se alegra

Cielito lindo
Los corazones

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Brave Combo's song 'Cielito Lindo' speak of a man with black eyes descending from the Sierra Morena mountain range. The singer is obviously quite taken with this man, who is referred to as 'Cielito lindo, de contrabando' (roughly translated as beautiful little darling, contraband). The lyrics are direct and openly intimate, as the singer admires a lunar mole beside Cielito's mouth and pleads that he keep it only for them.

The refrain of 'Ay-ay-ay-ay, canta y no llores' is a familiar and beloved refrain in Latino culture. The sentiment expressed in the song is that singing is a way to lift one's spirits and chase away sadness, represented by tears. The repetition of the refrain and verses serve to reinforce this message. The song is often sung in unison, with voices gradually increasing in volume, until it reaches a crescendo that is both joyful and cathartic.

Overall, the lyrics of Brave Combo's 'Cielito Lindo' describe the affection and desire between two people with a touch of playfulness and humor. The song is an ode to the power of song and the unity it can bring.

Line by Line Meaning

De la sierra morena
From the dark mountain range

Viene bajando, viene bajando
Comes down, comes down

Un par de ojitos negros
A pair of dark, beautiful eyes

Cielito lindo, de contrabando
Beautiful darling, smuggled

Ese lunar que tienes
That mole you have

Cielito lindo, junto a la boca
Beautiful darling, next to your mouth

No se los des a nadie
Don't give them to anyone

Cielito lindo, que a mí me toca
Beautiful darling, which belongs to me

Ay-ay-ay-ay
Ay-ay-ay-ay

Canta y no llores
Sing and don't cry

Porque cantando se alegra
Because singing brings joy

Cielito lindo, los corazones
Beautiful darling, the hearts

Eso, eso, eso, eso, eso
That, that, that, that, that

Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jan Jaap Onverwagt, Brian M. Tjon Ajong, Remi S. Tjon Ajong, Willy H.l. Tjon Ajong, Roeland A. Uijtdewilligen, Jose Maria Fernandez

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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