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
Mathilda
FREDDY FENDER Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A special thing for me
You know I cried and cried for you
In the battle of the do
Mathilda, I cried and cried for you
It don't matter what I do
Yes, I cried and cried in vain
You gave me love right at the start
You know you're the only one
The fear that's in my heart's the same
I want my baby back again
Mathilda, I cried and cried for you
It don't matter what you do
Yes, I cried and cried in vain
I want my baby back again
Mathilda, I cried and cried for you
It don't matter what you do
Yes, I cried and cried in vain
I want my baby back again
You gave me love right at the start
You know you're the only one
The fear that's in my heart's the same
Freddy Fender's song "Mathilda" is a bittersweet love ballad about longing and yearning for a lost love. The song's narrator is expressing his deep emotions for Mathilda, confessing that her love is something special to him. He reveals that he cried and cried for her during the "battle of the do," which can be interpreted as a reference to hard times or difficulties in their relationship. Despite his efforts to move on, he finds himself unable to forget Mathilda and desperately wants her back.
The chorus repeats the same lines over and over again, emphasizing the singer's persistent thoughts and feelings of "crying and crying" for Mathilda. The song's sense of desperation is heightened through the repetition of the phrase "I want my baby back again" throughout the song. The lyrics speak to the universal experience of unrequited love and the pain of losing someone special.
Line by Line Meaning
Your love for me will always be
The love that you gave me is something that I will always cherish
A special thing for me
It is something that is very important and meaningful to me
You know I cried and cried for you
I shed many tears thinking and hoping for your love
In the battle of the do
During the struggle of trying to win your heart
Mathilda, I cried and cried for you
Mathilda, my tears were shed thinking and longing for your love
It don't matter what I do
No matter what I try to do to forget or move on
Yes, I cried and cried in vain
I still end up crying and feeling hopeless without you
I want my baby back again
I want to be with you once more, my love
You gave me love right at the start
At the beginning of our relationship, you showed me so much love
You know you're the only one
You are the only person who has captured my heart
The fear that's in my heart's the same
The worry and anxiety that I feel about our relationship is still present
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORGE A KHOURY, HUEY THIERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Terrille RT
I named my baby Matilda. My grandpa would always sing “Matilda cry and cry for you!..” I didn’t realize it was a real song lol now this song just reminds me of him. We lost him a few weeks ago.
brenda pena
I grow up with all this song. My mom & dad would always listen to them when they would drink. Those were the good old times back in the late 80's
Wolfiemouse
A legend in his own time ... RIP my dear one. The angel choir must be happy having you join them.
Jed Paradis
Can you believe the vocal range Freddy had? Freddy is one of the greats and his music will definitely live on.
Amanda Bruner
His best song and one of the best songs EVER!!!!
Anthony S. Camacho Jr.
This song is killing me....my heart is flying...thanks...!!!!
Elvis Garron
Yes, an other great song, he even sounds almost like the orginal by Chuck Willis. I wish I lived in these wonderful days I am 30 and born in 1980
Ana Huhn
Wunderschöner Song und zauberhafte Stimme.
latokatn506
he was great miss hearing this good music
JAIME GONZALEZ
I learned from this Man during my early teens by listening and singing along with this great song how to play rock and roll - AAYAMA! Oh Mom Good Golly Mis Molly and all that stuff