Leonardo " Flaco" Jiménez began performing, at the age of seven, with his father, Santiago Jimenez, who was a pioneer of conjunto music and began recording at age fifteen as a member of Los Caporales. He played in the San Antonio area for several years, and then began working with Douglas Sahm in the 1960s. Sahm, better known as the founding member of the Sir Douglas Quintet, played with Jiménez for some time. Flaco then went on to New York City and worked with Dr. John, David Lindley, Peter Rowan, Ry Cooder and Bob Dylan. He appeared on Cooder's world music album Chicken Skin Music and on the Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge. This led to greater awareness of his music outside America and, after touring Europe with Ry Cooder, he returned to tour in America with his own band, and on a joint bill with Peter Rowan. Jiménez, Peter Rowan and Wally Drogos were the original members of a band called The Free Mexican Airforce.
Jiménez won a Grammy Award in 1986 for Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio, one of his father's songs. He was also a member of the Tejano fusion group Texas Tornados, with Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender. The Texas Tornados won a Grammy Award in 1990, and Jiménez earned one on his own in 1996, when his self-titled album Flaco Jiménez won the Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Performance. In 1999, Flaco earned another Grammy Award for Best Tejano Performance for Said and Done (released by Barbed Wire Records), and one for Best Mexican-American Performance as a part of supergroup Los Super Seven. Jiménez has also won a Best Video award at the Tejano Music Awards and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard Latin Magazine for "Streets of Bakersfield" with Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens.
Jiménez appeared in the movie Picking Up the Pieces, with Woody Allen and Sharon Stone, and also featured on the soundtrack. His music has featured in the soundtrack for other movies such as Y Tu Mamá También, The Border, Tin Cup, and Striptease. The Hohner company collaborated with Jiménez to create the Flaco Jimenez Signature Series of accordions.
His brother, Santiago Jiménez, Jr., is also an accomplished accordionist who has recorded extensively.
Jiménez's latest CD, Ya Volvi De La Guerra, was issued in 2009 by Fiesta Records.
Change Partners
FLACO JIMENEZ Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are requested to gaze in the faces
Found on the dance cards
Please then remember
And don't get to close
To one special one
He will take your defenses and run.
So we change partners
Time to change partners
You must change partners
Again
This is how most of our ladies grew up
At the country club dances
They learned how to handle the boys
Gently but firmly
They learned to say no
There were four more young men
Who were waiting in the color and the noise.
[Chorus]
All of the ladies attending the ball
Are requested to gaze in the faces
Found on the dance cards
Please then remember
And follow your list
'Cause the dear things get hurt
And the broken hearts make you feel.
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Flaco Jiménez’s song “Change Partners” describe a scene at a country club dance where ladies are instructed to change partners. The song’s first verse warns women not to get too close to one particular partner who will take their defenses and run. The chorus urges dancers to change partners, repeating the phrase “time to change partners” and emphasizing the importance of rotating dance partners in order to avoid hurt feelings and broken hearts.
The second verse describes how the women attending the dance learned to handle boys gently but firmly and say no. The lyrics suggest that there are always more young men waiting to dance and that the women should not get too attached to any one partner.
The final verse repeats the instructions to gaze at the faces found on dance cards and follow the list, in order to prevent hurt feelings and broken hearts. The song’s overall message seems to be one of caution and detachment when it comes to pursuing romantic relationships, emphasizing the importance of not getting too emotionally invested in any one person at a dance.
Line by Line Meaning
All of the ladies attending the ball
All the women present at the ball
Are requested to gaze in the faces
Please look at the faces
Found on the dance cards
That are written on the dance cards
Please then remember
Remember this advice
And don't get too close
Don't get too attached
To one special one
To a particular man
He will take your defenses and run.
He will quickly take advantage of you.
So we change partners
So, let's switch dance partners
Time to change partners
It's time to dance with someone else
You must change partners
You really have to change partners
Again
Do it again
This is how most of our ladies grew up
This is how most of the women were raised
At the country club dances
Dances held at country clubs
They learned how to handle the boys
They learned how to manage the boys' behavior
Gently but firmly
With softness but resolutely
They learned to say no
They learned how to refuse advances
There were four more young men
There were several more young men
Who were waiting in the color and the noise.
Who were waiting in the commotion and commotion of the dance
And follow your list
And stick to your dance card
'Cause the dear things get hurt
Because someone can get hurt
And the broken hearts make you feel.
And it's heartbreaking
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind