Born Ezekiel Christopher Montanez in Los Angeles, California, Montez was brought up in Hawthorne, California. His early musical influences included the latino music played and performed by residents of his neighborhood, as well as Ritchie Valens. After the release of the highly successful "Let's Dance" on Monogram Records, Montez spent several years touring with artists such as Sam Cooke, The Platters, and Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, as well as The Beatles, then relatively unknown outside of Liverpool.
Early in 1963, Montez would score another hit with "Some Kinda Fun". Reaching #43 on the charts, the song utilized the same catchy keyboard instrumentation as did "Let's Dance"; fittingly, both were million sellers, and were awarded gold discs. 1963 also saw the release of Montez's only album on Monogram, Let's Dance and Have Some Kinda' Fun!!!. Shortly before Monogram folded, Montez was paired up with Kathy Young, releasing two singles as the duo Chris & Kathy, most notably surf rock classic "Shoot That Curl". While at Monogram, Montez wrote, or co-wrote, several of his own songs, such as "Chiquita Mia", "Let's Do the Limbo" and "No No No".
Two years later, Montez was practically a non-entity in the music business; however, Herb Alpert, co-founder of A&M Records, cordially invited Montez to resume his recording career at A&M. When Montez attempted to replicate his earlier rock 'n' roll success, however, Alpert personally suggested that Montez try a different approach: a middle of the road, soft ballad sound. While not particularly interested in changing his style of music, Montez decided to trust Alpert's instincts.
"Call Me", a cover version of a Petula Clark song, was the first single from his 1966 album, The More I See You / Call Me, earning Montez his biggest hit in years, eventually reaching #22. The song has since become an easy listening standard. The album's title cut, Montez's second single, was a source of confusion for certain radio disc jockeys who were unfamiliar with Montez' past as a rocker; when back-announcing the song, they would often refer to Montez as being female, likely owing to Montez's falsetto singing style. This confusion would be cleared up by the time the album, bearing Montez's pictures on the front and back sleeve, was released.
Montez would record three more albums for A&M: Time After Time (1966), Foolin' Around (1967), and Watch What Happens (1968). Although quite stylistically similar to his first hit album on A&M, they failed to mirror its success, although Time After Time's title cut and "Because of You" both managed to crack the Hot 100. In 1968, Montez departed from A&M on a three-year sabbatical. In 1972, Montez released a big hit single in Brazil, "Loco por ti". By this time, he had returned to his rock roots, albeit with more noticeable pop influence than before.
Two years later, now with CBS Records, Montez released The Best of Chris Montez, a compilation consisting of both old and new material, the newer bearing little to no resemblance to his past hits. While at CBS, he released one more album: Raza: Ay no digas, which fared well in international markets but failed to make an impact in the US. In 1983, Montez released his final album, Cartas de Amor, all of its songs being sung in Spanish. Although his recording career appears to be behind him, Montez is still an active musician, performing to mostly foreign audiences.
In 2008, Frozen Pictures announced plans to make a documentary on Montez's life and career, El viaje musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story. The film, focusing on Montez's multi-faceted musical career and considerable influence, has been previewed at several film festivals, but has not seen domestic release.
Yesterday
Chris Montez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be,
There's a shadow hanging over me.
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday.
Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play.
Now I need a place to hide away.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
The song "Yesterday" by Chris Montez is a melancholic tune about heartbreak and regret. The opening lines, "Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away, now it looks as though they're here to stay," express the feeling of being immune to problems in the past and now feeling overwhelmed by them. This sentiment is echoed in the next lines, "Suddenly I'm not half the man I used to be, there's a shadow hanging over me." The singer feels like a diminished version of himself, weighed down by a dark cloud.
The song takes a turn when the singer addresses an unknown woman who has left him. He wonders why she had to go and admits that he said something wrong, causing her to leave. He longs for the simplicity of the past - "Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play" - and wishes he could return there. He concludes the song by repeating the line "Oh, I believe in yesterday," emphasizing his nostalgia and his hope that things can be the way they were.
Overall, "Yesterday" is a poignant song that captures the pain of lost love and the desire to go back in time. It resonates with anyone who has experienced heartbreak and longs for a simpler time.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
At one point in time, I felt like all of my issues were out of reach and insignificant.
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Unfortunately, my problems are still present and seem like they will persist indefinitely.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
I yearn for the past and wish for things to return to the way they once were.
Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be,
I feel like I have lost a significant part of myself somehow, and I'm not the same person I once was.
There's a shadow hanging over me.
There is something ominous and dark that seems to be following me around and affecting my mood and my motivation.
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.
The memories of better times came back to me without warning and contrast starkly with my current state of mind.
Why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say.
A person who was special to me left without explanation, and I'm still trying to come to terms with their departure.
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday.
I realize that my words or actions led to the departure of my loved one, and I wish that I could take it all back and return to the better times when they were still with me.
Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play.
In the past, love and relationships came naturally and with ease, requiring little effort or investigation.
Now I need a place to hide away.
Currently, I feel vulnerable and exposed to the challenges and difficulties that life has thrown my way, and I want to retreat and find a safe space to take refuge.
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
Ultimately, I wish for the old days to return, where things were easier and devoid of the struggles and pain that are present in my life now, and wish that yesterday were now.
Contributed by Joshua D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.