In 1959, Fender recorded the blues ballad "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." The song became popular in 1959, but he was beset by legal troubles after he and a band member were arrested for possession of marijuana. After a two years in Louisiana's Angola prison farm, he was released through the intercession of Gov. Jimmie Davis, also a songwriter and musician. Davis requested that Fender stay away from music while on probation as a condition of his release. By the end of the 1960s, Fender was back in Texas working as a mechanic, and attending a local junior college, while only playing music on the weekends.
Number One Pop and Country
In 1974, Fender recorded "Before The Next Teardrop Falls." The single was selected for national distribution, and became a number one hit on the Billboard Country and Pop charts. His next four singles, including a remake of "Wasted Days", all hit the number one spot on the Billboard Country charts. During the next few years, Fender had several major country hits, including the No. 1 hits "Secret Love" (1975) and "You'll Lose a Good Thing" (1976).
Texas Tornados
In the 1990s, Fender teamed up with fellow Tex-Mex musicians Doug Sahm, Flaco Jimenez and Augie Myers to form the Tex-Mex supergroup the Texas Tornados, whose work was widely acclaimed. Following the death of Sahm, the production of the Tornadoes slowed.
Los Super Seven
Freddy Fender continued to still be on top with a groundbreaking collaboration with several musical legends to produce another supergroup, Los Super Seven which consisted of David Hidalgo (vocals, guitar, drums, bass, percussion, requinto, hidalguera); Rick Trevino, Joe Ely (vocals, guitar); Flaco Jimenez (vocals, accordion); Cesar Rosas (vocals, six-string bass, guitar, guitarron, jarana); Freddy Fender (vocals, acoustic bass); Ruben Ramos (vocals). This Super Seven effort won a Grammy in 1999.
On February 4, 1999, Freddy's star was installed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2004, the Texas Folklife Resources produced a widely acclaimed sell-out show at the Paramount in Austin, Texas " Fifty Years of Freddy Fender", where Freddy was honored and then performed to a packed house. Also in 2004, Freddy's hometown of San Benito Texas honored Freddy with his likeness emblazoned on their new watertower with "Hometown of Freddy Fender". Freddy would later say that this honor meant more to him than any other accolade he had ever won.
Freddy Fender's Masterpiece...
La Musica De Baldemar Huerta
Freddy delves deeply into the music of his forefathers: the boleros and rancheras that would have played in the ghettos of his native San Benito, Texas, and that he sang as a youth in border-town cantinas. Especially gorgeous are "Adios Muchachos," a melancholy meditation on final farewells, and the delicate opener, "Rayito de Luna." El Be Bop Kid isn't just back; he sounds reborn. Freddy won his last Grammy for this album.
Freddy Fender underwent a kidney transplant in 2002 donated by his daughter and a transplant of the liver in 2004. Nonetheless, his condition continued to worsen. He was suffering from an "incurable cancer" in which he had tumors on his lungs. On December 31, 2005, Fender performed his last concert and resumed chemotherapy.
Fender has Passed on...
Rest in Peace, Vaya Con Dios
Freddy Fender passed away on Saturday, October 14, 2006, after a long battle with lung cancer. He is buried in his Hometown of San Benito, Texas.
Plans are underway for a Freddy Fender Museum to be located in his beloved hometown, San Benito, Texas. Check back at: www.freddyfendermuseum.org or
www.freddyfender.com
But I Do
FREDDY FENDER Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know why I cry so, but I do
I only know I'm lonely
And that I want you only
I don't know why I love you but I do
I can't sleep nights because I feel so restless
I don't know what to do~ I feel so helpless
And since you've been away
I don't know why I love you but I do
My days have been so lonely
My nights have been so blue
I don't know how I stand it, but I do
Each night I sit alone and tell myself
That I will fall in love with someone else
I guess I'm wastin' time
But I've got to clear my mind
I don't know why I love you but I do
I don't know why I love you but I do
Freddy Fender's song "But I Do" is a poignant expression of unrequited love. The singer is confessing that he doesn't understand why he loves the person he's singing to ('I don't know why I love you but I do') despite being heartbroken by them ('I don't know why I cry so, but I do'). He acknowledges that he is lonely and that he wants only this person, making it clear that despite his confusion, his feelings are deep and sincere ('I only know I'm lonely and that I want you only'). The chorus is repeated throughout the song, reinforcing the singer's emotional confusion and desperation.
The verses go on to describe the emotional toll that this love has taken on the singer. He can't sleep due to restlessness ('I can't sleep nights because I feel so restless') and feels helpless without the object of his affection ('I don't know what to do, I feel so helpless'). He confesses that he cries both day and night since the person he loves has been away. He continues to describe how lonely and blue his days and nights have become without this person ('My days have been so lonely, my nights have been so blue'). Despite feeling like he is wasting his time, he still tells himself that he will fall in love with someone else ('Each night I sit alone and tell myself that I will fall in love with someone else'). The singer is trying to clear his mind, but ultimately concludes with the same sentiment that he began with: 'I don't know why I love you but I do'.
Overall, this song captures the complex emotions of loving someone who can't or won't love you back. The confusion, desperation, and heartbreak are expressed through the music and lyrics, making it a relatable and timeless song.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know why I love you but I do
I cannot explain the reason why I have feelings of love for you, but I simply do.
I don't know why I cry so, but I do
I cannot comprehend the reason why I shed tears, but I still do.
I only know I'm lonely
All I am certain of is that I feel immense sadness from being alone.
And that I want you only
I am certain that I desire only you.
I can't sleep nights because I feel so restless
I find it difficult to sleep during the night because I am constantly disturbed and agitated.
I don't know what to do~ I feel so helpless
I am at a loss for what to do as I feel completely powerless.
And since you've been away
Ever since you have been gone...
I cry both night and day
I cry uncontrollably both in the morning and night.
My days have been so lonely
I have been experiencing a great deal of solitude during my days.
My nights have been so blue
My nights have been marked with overwhelming sadness.
I don't know how I stand it, but I do
I cannot fathom how I manage to endure it, but somehow, I do.
Each night I sit alone and tell myself
Every night, I spend time by myself and remind myself...
That I will fall in love with someone else
...that I will soon develop romantic feelings for someone else.
I guess I'm wastin' time
I suppose I am occupying my time uselessly.
But I've got to clear my mind
Despite that, it is important for me to refresh my mind.
I don't know why I love you but I do
Once again, the lyrics bring the reader/listener back to the fact that the singer does not fully understand the reason for their deep love.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MOE BERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind