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
I Wanna Love
FREDDY FENDER Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away
No first of spring
No song to sing
In fact here's just another ordinary day
No April rain
No flowers bloom
No wedding Saturday within the month of June
Made up of these three words that I must say to you
I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart
No summer's high
No warm July
No harvest moon to light one tender August night
No autumn breeze
No falling leaves
Not even time for birds to fly to southern skies
No Libra sun
No Halloween
No giving thanks to all the Christmas joy you bring
But what it is, though old so new
To fill your heart like no three words could ever do
I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care, I do
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart
I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care, I do
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, of my heart, of my heart
I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care, I do
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, of my heart, baby of my heart
The lyrics of "I Just Called to Say I Love You" by Freddy Fender may seem simple at first glance but they are actually quite profound. The song opens with the lines "No New Year's Day to celebrate, no chocolate-covered candy hearts to give away, no first spring, no song to sing--in fact here's just another ordinary day." These lyrics describe how love doesn't depend on special occasions or events but is something that can be expressed any day of the year.
The second half of the song goes on to describe different times of the year when we might expect love to be expressed, such as weddings, summer days, or Christmas. However, the song suggests that these external events are not what truly matters, but rather the simple act of expressing love. The chorus repeats the phrase "I just called to say I love you" to emphasize this message. The song suggests that love is what makes life truly special, and that it's important to express this love to the people who matter to us.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Just Called to Say I Love You" are a powerful reminder of the importance of expressing love and how it's the little things that matter most.
Line by Line Meaning
No New Year's Day to celebrate
Today isn't a special occasion like New Year's Day usually is
No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away
There's no Valentine's Day, no reason to give anyone candy hearts
No first of spring
There's no indication of the arrival of spring
No song to sing
There aren't any festive songs to commemorate an occasion, like Christmas carols
In fact here's just another ordinary day
This day isn't different from any other day, it's completely ordinary in every way
No April rain
There's no rain during April, which is usually a time of year when it rains heavily
No flowers bloom
There aren't any flowers blossoming, which is usually a sign of spring
No wedding Saturday within the month of June
June, which is usually associated with weddings, is absent of any weddings this year
But what it is, is something true
Despite the lack of special occasions, there's something real and genuine that's being expressed
Made up of these three words that I must say to you
The expression of love can be conveyed in only three simple words
I just called to say I love you
The singer phoned the person they love to express how much they love them
I just called to say how much I care
The artist wanted to convey how much they care for the person they love
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart
The singer is being completely sincere and genuine when expressing their love
No summer's high
The summer season isn't any more special than any other season
No warm July
July, which is usually a hot month, isn't warm this year
No harvest moon to light one tender August night
The harvest moon, which can be a romantic occasion, isn't present this year
No autumn breeze
There's no wind blowing during autumn, which is usually a time when cool winds start blowing
No falling leaves
The leaves on the trees are not falling this year, which is common during autumn
Not even time for birds to fly to southern skies
The birds aren't migrating to warmer climates yet, which they usually do around this time of year
No Libra sun
There's no emphasis on the astrological sign of Libra in the sky
No Halloween
Halloween, which is usually celebrated, is absent this year
No giving thanks to all the Christmas joy you bring
There's no specific day to give thanks for the happiness that Christmas brings
But what it is, though old so new
The message of love is a timeless and ageless expression
To fill your heart like no three words could ever do
The expression of love can fill the heart more than any other three words ever could
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, of my heart, baby of my heart
The singer reiterates the sincerity and genuineness of their love to their beloved
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind