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
No Me Culpes
FREDDY FENDER Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We may never pass this way again
Just let me enjoy 'till its over
Or forever
Please don't tell me how the story ends
See the way our shadows come together
Softer than your fingers on my skin
That we'll remember
Of each other
Please don't tell me how the story ends
Never's just the echo of forever
Lonesome as the love that might have been
Just let me go on loving and believing
'Till it's over
Please don't tell me how the story ends
Please don't tell me how the story ends
Freddy Fender's song "No Me Culpes" is a song about the fear of the unknown and the desire to hold onto a moment that may never come again. The lyrics speak to a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality, as the singer pleads with his lover to allow him to enjoy the moment without thinking about what may happen in the future.
The opening lines of the song set the stage for what is to come, as the singer suggests that this could be "our last goodnight together." He acknowledges that they may never pass this way again and appeals to his lover to allow him to enjoy the moment until it's over, without worrying about how the story will end.
The imagery in the song is powerful, as the singer describes the way their shadows come together and how it feels to have his lover's fingers on his skin. He acknowledges that someday, this may be all they remember of each other and begs his lover not to tell him how the story ends.
The song seems to suggest that there is beauty in the unknown and in the present moment. Despite the fear of what may come, the singer pleads with his lover to allow him to live in the moment and continue believing in their love until it's over.
Line by Line Meaning
This could be our last goodnight together
We may never have another night like this together, so let's make the most of it.
We may never pass this way again
This moment might never repeat, so let's enjoy it while we can.
Just let me enjoy 'till its over
Let me savor and appreciate this moment until it ends.
Or forever
I want to cherish this moment for an eternity in my memories.
Please don't tell me how the story ends
Don't reveal the ending or outcome, let's just appreciate the moment for what it is.
See the way our shadows come together
Our silhouettes suggest that we fit together perfectly.
Softer than your fingers on my skin
The way we come close is gentle, like the touch of another person's skin.
Someday this may be all
This moment is precious because it might be all we have left when we're apart.
That we'll remember
This memory of us will be the only thing left to cling to.
Of each other
We will remember each other and the time we spent together.
Never's just the echo of forever
The idea of 'never' is just a reflection of the endless timeline of 'forever.'
Lonesome as the love that might have been
Regret and sorrow haunt us when we think of the love that could have been, but never was.
Just let me go on loving and believing
I want to keep feeling and believing in the magic of this moment.
'Till it's over
We should enjoy this moment until it ends.
Please don't tell me how the story ends
The resolution of this moment could ruin the magic, so let's just enjoy it while it lasts.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kris Kristofferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind