In the mid-'90s he joined the stable of Premium Latin Music, a bachata label also home to Aventura, and made his full-length solo debut in 1998 with Todo Se Paga.
The album proved popular as well as critically successful, winning an ACE Award in the category of Revelacion del Año (awarded by La Asociación de Cronistas de Espectáculos de Nueva York—in English, the Association of Latin Entertainment Critics). Martínez released four additional albums on Premium Latin Music—Directo al Corazón (1999), Tres Palabras (2002), Así Te Amo (2003), and Descontrolado (2004) -- and enjoyed further success; for example, "Así Te Amo" won a Casandra Award in 2004 for Best Song of the Year while Martínez himself was nominated for a Premio Lo Nuestro award in 2004 for Best Traditional Tropical Artist.
Martínez subsequently left Premium Latin Music (which consequently released the greatest-hits album La Historia de Elvis Martínez in 2005) and switched to Univision Records for Yo Soy Más Grande Que El (2005). His best-selling album to date, Yo Soy Más Grande Que El featured the hit singles "Tu Traicion" and "Yo No Naci Para Amar."
The partnership with Univision was short-lived, however, as Martínez switched labels once again, moving to Universal Music Group for La Luz de Mis Ojos (2007), which spawned the hit single "Lento y Suave." ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
Amar O Morir
Elvis Martinez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo habeces no entiendo nada
El te hiere el corazon
Pero el mismo te sana
El amor es como el agua
Siempre te calma la sed
Pero si en ella te bañas
Quien no ama en la vida no sabe de lo que se pierde
El que ama no importa perder todo lo que tiene
Es mejor no nacer que vivir
Sin tener a alguien
Amar o mirir
Aunque te sean infiel
Es peor no tener quien te ame
Apesar de eso
Ay que seguir amando
Porque el amor es ciego
Y no sabe de engaños
Puede pasar todo
Pero el amor se queda
Es peor vivir solo
Que compartir las penas
Quien no ama en la vida no sabe de lo que se pierde
El que ama no importa perder todo lo que tiene
Es mejor no nacer que vivir
Es mejor no nacer
Que vivir
Sin tener a alguien
Amar o mirir
Aunque te sean infiel
Es peor no tener quien te ame
Apesar de eso
Ay que seguir amando
Porque el amor es ciego
Y no sabe de engaños
Puede pasar todo
Pero el amor se queda
Es peor vivir solo
Que compartir las penas
The lyrics of Amar O Morir by Elvis Martínez are a poignant reminder of the power of love in our lives. The song speaks about the complexities of love and how it can both hurt and heal us. It starts with the lines "El amor tiene razon, Yo habeces no entiendo nada" which mean "Love has its reasons, sometimes I don't understand anything." This demonstrates the confusion and unpredictability that can come with love.
The next part of the song compares love to water, stating that it can quench our thirst but also drown us if we're not careful. This highlights the duality of love, how it can bring both joy and pain. The following lines state "Quien no ama en la vida no sabe de lo que se pierde, El que ama no importa perder todo lo que tiene," which translates to "Those who don't love in life don't know what they're missing, those who love don't mind losing everything they have." This reflects the idea that love is worth the risk and the sacrifices that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
El amor tiene razon
Love is reasonable and just.
Yo habeces no entiendo nada
Sometimes, I don't understand anything about love.
El te hiere el corazon
Love can hurt your heart.
Pero el mismo te sana
But, love can also heal you.
El amor es como el agua
Love is like water.
Siempre te calma la sed
It always satisfies your thirst.
Pero si en ella te bañas
But, if you bathe in it,
Te puedes ahogar tambien
You can drown as well.
Quien no ama en la vida no sabe de lo que se pierde
Those who don't love in life don't know what they're missing.
El que ama no importa perder todo lo que tiene
Those who love don't care about losing everything they have.
Es mejor no nacer que vivir
It's better not to be born than to live
Sin tener a alguien
Without having someone to love
Amar o morir
Love or die
Aunque te sean infiel
Even if they are unfaithful to you
Es peor no tener quien te ame
It's worse not to have someone who loves you.
Apesar de eso
Despite that
Ay que seguir amando
We must keep loving
Porque el amor es ciego
Because love is blind
Y no sabe de engaños
And doesn't know about deceit
Puede pasar todo
Everything can happen
Pero el amor se queda
But love remains
Es peor vivir solo
It's worse to live alone
Que compartir las penas
Than to share your sorrows.
Contributed by Colton K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.