Bacharach studied music at McGill University and the Mannes School of Music. In the 1950s and the early 1960s he was the pianist, arranger and bandleader for Marlene Dietrich with whom he toured. He teamed with lyricist Hal David and others to write many popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s.
Bacharach's music has been sung by a number of popular singers including The Beatles,The Carpenters, Aretha Franklin, Jack Jones, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Luther Vandross and The Drifters. He met Dionne Warwick, with whom he would form a famed collaboration. His songs are characterized by (1) the use of unexpected harmonic changes and (2) unusual rhythmic patterns and time signatures. He employs times such as 5/4 or 3/2, and frequently goes from one time signature to another in the same song, often after each measure. He also changes keys frequently. An excellent example of his style is "Promises, Promises", from his score to the musical of the same name. He has a total of 52 Top 40 hits. In addition, many of his songs were adapted by jazz artists of the time, such as Stan Getz and Wes Montgomery. The Bacharach-David composition "My Little Red Book", originally recorded by Manfred Mann for the film What's New, Pussycat, and promptly covered by Love in 1965, has become a rock standard. He composed and arranged the soundtrack of the 1967 film Casino Royale.
He has been married four times, to Paula Stewart (1953-1958), to actress Angie Dickinson (1965-1980), to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (1982-1991) - with whom he collaborated on a number of pieces - and (since 1993) Jane Hanson. He has a total of four children, two girls and two boys.
In 1998 he collaborated on an album called Painted From Memory with singer/songwriter Elvis Costello. His 2005 album At This Time features collaborations with Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and Dr. Dre (who provides bass-and-drum loops).
Bacharach has had cameo roles in a number of Hollywood movies including all three Austin Powers movies. His music is also credited as providing inspiration for these movies.
During subsequent Burt Bacharach concert tours, each show would open with a very brief video clip from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with Mike Myers (as Austin Powers) uttering "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach".
Mexican Divorce
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mexico is different yes like a travel folder says
Cross the Rio Grande and you will find
An old adobe house
Where you leave your past behind
One day married, next day free
Broken hearts for you and me
A Mexican divorce
As I came into this empty house last night
Looked at all my windows, yes I did but I couldn't find one light
I found you on that road to Mexico
And now, my love, I beg
Please, oh, please, don't go
One day married, next day free
Broken hearts for you and me
Takes no time, and all you to get
A Mexican divorce
Finding love takes so long
Walking out must be wrong
It's a sin for you to get a Mexican divorce
One day married, next day free
Broken hearts for you and me
The song "Mexican Divorce" by Burt Bacharach is a poignant tale of two lovers who sought the freedom of a quick divorce in Mexico. The lyrics describe the stark contrast between El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico, highlighting the allure of the exotic and different. The adobe house that is referenced stands as a metaphor for the temporary nature of the couple's relationship. They leave their past behind and escape into a different landscape, where they are free from the constraints of society and their own emotional entanglements.
The song's chorus, "One day married, next day free, broken hearts for you and me", further underscores the flimsiness of marriage in this context. The characters' relationship is depicted as fragile and easily replaceable, akin to a disposable commodity. The lyrics suggest that seeking a Mexican divorce can be an easy way out, but not without consequence. There is a sense of loss and regret, as the singer begs their lover not to leave. The final lines of the song convey a sense of moral judgment, as the singer implies that getting a divorce in this way is sinful.
Line by Line Meaning
Down below El Paso lies Juarez
Juarez lies just below El Paso
Mexico is different yes like a travel folder says
Mexico is different, just as travel guides claim
Cross the Rio Grande and you will find
An old adobe house
Where you leave your past behind
Once you cross the Rio Grande, you'll discover an adobe house where you can forget your past
One day married, next day free
Broken hearts for you and me
Takes no time, and all you to get
A Mexican divorce
Marriage ends quickly in Mexico, with broken hearts for both parties, and a divorce that's easy to obtain
As I came into this empty house last night
Looked at all my windows, yes I did but I couldn't find one light
Arriving at his empty house, the artist searched for a sign of life but found nothing
I found you on that road to Mexico
And now, my love, I beg
Please, oh, please, don't go
The singer found their lover while traveling to Mexico and pleads with them to stay
Finding love takes so long
Walking out must be wrong
It's a sin for you to get a Mexican divorce
Finding love is hard, leaving it is wrong, and getting a Mexcian divorce is a sin
One day married, next day free
Broken hearts for you and me
The cycle of marriage and divorce is never-ending, always resulting in heartbreak
Lyrics © BOURNE CO., Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BOB HILLIARD, BURT BACHARACH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind