Freddy Fender (born Baldemar Garza Huerta in San Benito, Texas, USA on 4 Ju… Read Full Bio ↴Freddy Fender (born Baldemar Garza Huerta in San Benito, Texas, USA on 4 June 1937 – 14 October 2006) was a Mexican-American Tejano, country and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados. He is best known for his 1975 hits "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and the subsequent remake of his own "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights".

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

Love Me Tender
FREDDY FENDER Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been lonesome,
I've been empty
I got an achin',
Way down inside
I need someone,
Someone to hold me
Pull down the shade,
Turn out the light

And love me tonight.

Don't think about tomorrow
It don't matter any more
We can turn the key
And lock the world outside the door.

I need you so now
Come on let's go now
Kick off your shoes,
Turn out the light
And love me tonight.

Now don't you worry
We're all alone now
Let your hair down
Sit by my side
Turn off the T.V.
Put on some music
Pull down the shade
Turn out the light
And love me tonight

Don't think about tomorrow
It don't matter any more
We can turn the key
And lock the world outside the door.

I need you so now
Come on let go now
Kick off your shoes

Turn out the light
And love me tonight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Freddy Fender's song "Love Me Tender" depict a deep sense of loneliness and longing for companionship. The singer expresses their emotional state, acknowledging that they have been lonesome and empty. They feel an inner pain, an ache deep within them that needs to be fulfilled. The yearning for someone to hold them, to provide comfort and solace, becomes evident. The request to pull down the shade and turn out the light signifies the desire for an intimate and private moment with this person they long for, where they can be vulnerable and open themselves up to love. The repetition of the phrase "love me tonight" emphasizes the immediacy of their need, suggesting that tomorrow doesn't matter anymore.

The lyrics also present an escape from the outside world, highlighting the importance of being in the present moment. The singer urges not to think about tomorrow because it no longer holds significance. They propose locking the world outside the door, symbolizing the desire to create a safe and protected space where their love can flourish undisturbed.

Overall, the lyrics of "Love Me Tender" express a heartfelt plea for love and connection, longing to be embraced and loved in the present moment while setting aside the worries of the future.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been lonesome,
I have felt a deep sense of loneliness

I've been empty
I have felt a profound emptiness within me

I got an achin',
I am experiencing a painful longing

Way down inside
Deep within my being

I need someone,
I require the presence of another person

Someone to hold me
Someone to embrace me with tenderness

Pull down the shade,
Lower the window covering

Turn out the light
Switch off the illumination

And love me tonight.
And express affection towards me during this evening.

Don't think about tomorrow
Do not concern yourself with the future

It don't matter any more
It no longer holds significance