Isabel Vargas Lizano was born in San Joaquín de Flores, Costa Rica. She goes by Chavela, which is a nickname for Isabel. At only 14, she fled her native country due to lack of musical career opportunities, seeking refuge in Mexico, where an entertainment industry was burgeoning. For many years she sang on the streets but in her thirties she became a professional singer. In her youth, she dressed as a man, smoked cigars, drank heavily, carried a gun and was known for her characteristic red jorongo, which she still dons in performances.
Her first album, Noche de Bohemia (Bohemian Night), was released in 1961 with the professional support of José Alfredo Jiménez, one of the foremost singer/songwriters of the Mexican cancion ranchera. Vargas has recorded over eighty albums thereafter. She was hugely successful during the 1950s, 1960s and the first half of the 70s, touring in Mexico, the United States, France and Spain and was close to many prominent artists and intellectuals of the time, including Juan Rulfo, Agustín Lara, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Dolores Olmedo and José Alfredo Jiménez. She partly retired in the late 1970s due to a 15 year-long battle with alcoholism, which she has described in her autobiography (Y si quieres saber de mi pasado [And if you want to know about my past], published in 2002) as "my 15 years in hell" At 81 years old, she publicly declared that she was a lesbian.
Vargas returned to the stage in 1991, performing at the venue "El Habito" in Coyoacan, Mexico City.She debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2003 at the age of 83 at the behest and promotion of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, a long-time admirer and personal friend of Vargas.
In April 2012 she released her latest album "Luna Grande" a tribute to Spanish poet Federico García Lorca.
Que Te Vaya Bonito
Chavela Vargas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ojala que se acaben tus penas
que te digan que yo ya no existo
que conozcas personas mas buenas
que te den lo que no pude darte
aunque yo te haya dado de todo
nunca mas volvere a recordarte
te adore, te perdi, ya ni modo
Cuantas cosas quedaron prendidas
hasta dentro del fondo de mi alma
cuantas luces dejaste encendidas
yo no se como voy a apagarlas.
Ojala que mi amor no te duela
y te olvides de mi para siempre
que se llenen de sangre tus venas
y te vista la vida de suerte
yo no se si tu ausencia me mate
aunque tengo mi pecho de acero
pero nadie me llame cobarde
sin saber hasta donde la quiero
Cuantas cosas quedaron prendidas
hasta dentro del fondo de mi alma
cuantas luces dejaste encendidas
yo no se como voy a apagarlas
Ojala que te vaya bonito
In this song, Chavela Vargas is expressing her desire that her former lover lives a happy life without her. She wishes that all his troubles and sorrows come to an end and that he finds better people who can give him what she couldn't. She hopes that he is told that she no longer exists in his life and he forgets about her forever. She wishes him good luck in his life and hopes he finds happiness through good fortune. She confesses that even though she gave him everything she had, she knows that she can never be remembered, and she has to accept it.
The second stanza reflects on the memories of their past relationship. Chavela depicts a deep pain in her soul as she tries to get over the relationship. She admits that she doesn't know how she can move on or forget the love they shared. She reminisces the moments they spent together as she struggles to let go. Chavela hopes that her former lover remembers their time together fondly but without any pain in his heart.
Overall, the song conveys a bittersweet tone, where Chavela misses her former lover but desires his happiness and wishes for a better future for him, even though it means forgetting her. The lyrics convey the pain of letting go and trying to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Ojala que te vaya bonito
I hope that everything goes well for you
ojala que se acaben tus penas
I hope that your troubles come to an end
que te digan que yo ya no existo
I hope that everyone tells you that I no longer exist
que conozcas personas mas buenas
I hope you meet better people
que te den lo que no pude darte
I hope they give you what I couldn't give you
aunque yo te haya dado de todo
Even though I gave you everything
nunca mas volvere a recordarte
I will never again think of you
te adore, te perdi, ya ni modo
I loved you, I lost you, it's over
Cuantas cosas quedaron prendidas
So many things remain attached
hasta dentro del fondo de mi alma
Deep within the depths of my soul
cuantas luces dejaste encendidas
So many lights you left on
yo no se como voy a apagarlas.
I don't know how to turn them off
Ojala que mi amor no te duela
I hope my love doesn't hurt you
y te olvides de mi para siempre
And you forget about me forever
que se llenen de sangre tus venas
I hope your veins fill with blood
y te vista la vida de suerte
And life dresses you in luck
yo no se si tu ausencia me mate
I don't know if your absence will kill me
aunque tengo mi pecho de acero
Even though I have a heart of steel
pero nadie me llame cobarde
But nobody should call me a coward
sin saber hasta donde la quiero
Without knowing how much I love you
Writer(s): Jose Alfredo Jimenez Sandoval Copyright: Universal Music Publishing Mgb S.A. De C
Contributed by Andrew P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gabriel Mendoza
I hope you do well... (it's even more special in spanish bc the word is actually "pretty" you could translate the phrase to "I hope you do beautifully" )
I hope that your sorrows are over...
that they tell you that I no longer exist
that you meet better people.
May they give you what I could not give you
even though I have given you everything,
I'll never bother you again
I adored you, I lost you, "so be it"
How many things have remained attached
deep inside my soul
how many lights you left on
I don't know how I'm going to turn them off.
I hope my love doesn't hurt you,
and you forget me forever
may your veins fill with blood
and that life dresses you with luck.
I don't know if your absence will kill me,
although I have a chest of steel
but let no one call me a coward
without knowing how much I love you
May they give you what I could not give you
even though I have given you everything,
I'll never bother you again
I adored you, I lost you, "so be it"
Rafiullah Qallander
Ojala que te vaya bonito
Ojala que se acaben tus penas
Que te digan que yo ya no existo
Que conozcas personas mas buenas
Que te den lo que no pude darte
Aunque yo te haya dado de todo
Nunca mas volveré a molestarte
Te adore, te perdí, ya ni modo
Cuantas cosas quedaron prendidas
Hasta dentro del fondo de mi alma
Cuantas luces dejaste encendidas
Yo no se como voy a apagarlas
Ojala que mi amor no te duela
Y te olvides de mi para siempre
Que se llenen de sangre tus venas
Y te vista la vida de suerte
Yo no se si tu ausencia me mate
Aunque tengo mi pecho de acero
Pero nadie me llame cobarde
Sin saber hasta donde la quiero
Cuantas cosas quedaron prendidas
Hasta dentro del fondo de mi alma
Cuantas luces dejaste encendidas
Yo no se como voy a apagarlas
Ojala que te vaya bonito
Marcela Poblete Pérez
Ojalá que te vaya bonito,
ojalá que se acaben tus penas
que te digan que yo ya no existo
que conozcas personas más buenas.
Que te den lo que no pude darte
aunque yo te haya dado de todo,
nunca mas volveré a molestarte
te adoré, te perdí, ya ni modo.
Cuántas cosas quedaron prendidas
hasta dentro del fondo de mi alma
cuántas luces dejaste encendidas
yo no sé cómo voy a apagarlas.
Ojalá que mi amor no te duela,
y te olvides de mi para siempre
que se llenen de sangre tus venas
y que la vida te vista de suerte.
Yo no sé si tu ausencia me mate,
aunque tengo mi pecho de acero
pero nadie me diga cobarde
sin saber hasta donde te quiero
Cuántas cosas quedaron prendidas
hasta dentro del fondo de mi alma
cuántas luces dejaste encendidas
yo no sé cómo voy a apagarlas.
Mary Cueto
Un tequila por los que se fueron sin ver el dolor que causaron 🍷
Kishiro
mucho dolor, mucho dolor, mami no hay que depender de el amor de alguien
Santhiago Lòpez
Profunda la frase la neta
Alma Pereira
El dolor y la destrucción, salud
Hj
un tequilazo con la botella llena
Juan Pablo Muñoz
Salud eterno
Sarinsky
Que hermosa música!! Siempre me gustaron estas canciones!! Viva méxico, saludos desde España :)
Carlos Morales
que te vaya bonito CHABELA mientras nosotros seguimos disfrutando de tus canciones desde COLOMBIA que DIOS te bendiga
Marina Riva
Esta canción me mata; la escuché un día que no soportaba el dolor después de que mi novio, al que quería mucho, me mandó a volar. Ahora que escucho la versión de Chavela, puff, ésta me llega hasta lo más hondo; hasta las lágrimas me brotaron. Gracias, Chavela.
Yadira Alvarez
Entiendo lo que sientes al escucharla. A mí me remueve recuerdos que ya creía olvidados y quedo cantando con Chavela. Saludos!