Born in Tampico, Mexico, Esquivel's family moved to Mexico City when he was ten. A keyboard and electronics prodigy, he became a featured soloist on the radio by the age of 14 and at 18 was conducting his own 22-piece orchestra. By the early 1950s Esquivel had expanded his orchestra to 54 pieces and had become one of the most popular artists in his homeland. His first album was released in Mexico in 1956. In 1957 he released a mono album in the United States. He was then brought to Hollywood in 1958 by RCA Victor producer Herman Diaz, Jr., where he recorded his first stereo album, Other Worlds, Other Sounds, which was nominated for a Grammy.
Esquivel released several albums over the next few years and also worked on various other projects, including an Ames Brothers album, Hello, Amigos, and a Living Strings album, In a Mellow Mood. Two more of his albums were nominated for Grammies in successive years. He also composed soundtracks for the TV programs Markham, The Tall Man, and The Bob Cummings Show.
In 1962 Esquivel recorded Latin-Esque as part of RCA Victor's ''Stereo Action'' series. The orchestra was divided between two different studios to ensure pure stereo separation. He then left RCA and recorded an album with Reprise before taking a studio hiatus. His recording heyday had passed, and he put together a traveling stage show with dramatic lighting, costume changes, and a pared-down combo.
In 1967 Esquivel returned to RCA and recorded with his combo. In 1968 he recorded his last album in the United States, which was released only in Mexico and Puerto Rico. In 1973 he married his long-time business manager and singer, Yvonne DeBourbon. They were divorced in 1978, and he moved back to Mexico. There he composed and recorded themes for a children's TV puppet show called Burbujas, releasing two albums from that project.
In 1993, while visiting his brother in Cuernavaca, Mexico, Esquivel fell as he emerged from a taxi and broke his hip, aggravating an old spinal injury. He was confined to a bed in his brother's house for the rest of his life. His popularity, though, began to rise again in the mid-1990s when modern audiences rediscovered the exotica music of the 1950s. Many of his recordings were re-released and are still currently available. Juan Garcia Esquivel passed away in 2002 after suffering a stroke.
Why Don't You Do Right
Esquivel & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You let other women make a fool of you
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too?
You're sitting there wondering what it's all about
You ain't got no money, they will put you out
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
If you had prepared 20 years ago
You wouldn't be a-wanderin' out from door to door
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too
I fell for your jivin' and I took you in
Now all you got to offer me's a drink of gin
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Like some other men do
The lyrics of Why Don't You Do Right, originally sung by Lil Green, and covered by various artists like Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman, and Esquivel & His Orchestra, are centered around a woman's frustration with her lover's inability to provide for her financially. The first verse talks about how the man used to have money in 1922, but now he lets other women fool him and has no money. The woman then questions why the man can't do right, like other men who provide for their partners. She asks him to leave and bring back some money while he's at it.
In the second verse, the woman tells the man that he will be kicked out since he has no money. She again asks why he can't do right and provide for her like other men. In the third verse, the woman reminds the man that if he had prepared twenty years ago, he would not be in this situation of wandering from door to door. She asks him to do the right thing and bring her some money.
The final verse reveals the woman's frustration and disappointment, where she talks about falling for the man's sweet talk and taking him in. But now all he has to offer her is a drink of gin. She once again asks him to do right like other men.
Overall, the lyrics of the song convey a very current message of financial independence and the importance of social norms and expectations surrounding gender roles at that time.
Line by Line Meaning
You had plenty money 1922
In the year 1922, you had a lot of money at your disposal.
You let other women make a fool of you
You allowed other women to take advantage of you and make a fool out of you.
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Why don't you start doing the right thing, just like other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too?
Leave this place and find a way to get money for me as well.
You're sitting there wondering what it's all about
You are perplexed and clueless about the ongoing situation.
You ain't got no money, they will put you out
As you have no money with you, people will not tolerate your presence and will force you to leave.
If you had prepared 20 years ago
If you had made appropriate plans and preparations two decades back,
You wouldn't be a-wanderin' out from door to door
You wouldn't be aimlessly wandering from one place to another in search of assistance.
I fell for your jivin' and I took you in
I got fooled by your sweet talk and let you stay with me.
Now all you got to offer me's a drink of gin
Now, all you are capable of providing me with is a drink of gin.
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Why don't you start doing the right thing, just like other men do?
Like some other men do
Just like how other men do what is appropriate, without fail.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joe McCoy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
alitlweird
I woulda loved to hear them in Vegas!!!
camilo dobrée
Que grande Esquivel!!! Lo conoci en el soundtrack de Better Call Soul, hoy en dia no puedo parar de agradecer haberlo conocido. Merece mucho mas reconocimiento
Rosa Chavez
Otra. De. Las. Grandes. Orquestas
Americanisadas. Me. Encanta
Estilo. Estados. Unidos. Gracias
Rosa Chavez
Muy
Excitante las. Grande. Orquestas
De. Grandes. Profesores. Y. Muchos
Instrumentos fabuloso gracias
Clan TV
My God, this man was born in the land that I am living in, Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico. VIVA JUAN GARCIA ESQUIVEL
Hunter Mann
Genio
Lane Crooks
Needs to be more footage
lilbitnikkieable
Thanks for posting this my papa is Louis valizan an I have no videos of any of his stuff an he passed away so I can’t just ask him stuff so thank u for posting
juanunderground
JUAN GARCIA ESQUIVEL was a LATINO PRIDE in all of the musical dimensions
Curtis Martin
Is this part of a full-length doc on E? If so, where can I see it?