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
Vaya Con Dios
FREDDY FENDER Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now the time has come to part, the time for weeping
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Vaya con Dios, my love
Now the lonely mission bells are softly ringing
If you listen with your heart you'll hear them singing
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Wherever you may be, I'll be beside you
Although you're many million dreams away
Each night I'll say a prayer, a prayer to guide you
To hasten every lonely hour of every lonely day
Now the dawn is breaking through a gray tomorrow
But the memories we share are there to borrow
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Vaya con Dios, my love
Adiós mi amor, me despido de ti
Me encontraré tan solo
Vaya con Dios, mi amor
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Vaya con Dios, my love
The song Vaya Con Dios by Freddy Fender is a sad and bittersweet farewell to a loved one. The lyrics describe a person leaving their home and loved ones behind, possibly for good. The hacienda (or ranch) is dark, and the town is sleeping, symbolizing the departure happening in the middle of the night. The time to part has come, and the singer urges their loved one to go with God with the repeated line, "Vaya con Dios, my darling, Vaya con Dios, my love". The mission bells in the distance are softly ringing, and the singer suggests if you listen closely, you'll be able to hear them singing. The bells are a reminder of the spiritual journey and the hope that the person leaving will be guided and protected, "to hasten every lonely hour of every lonely day."
The song is a beautiful example of a goodbye. It is customary for people to part ways with hopes and prayers, and the lyrics capture this sentiment perfectly. The references to the mission bells suggest a religious background, and the line "although you're many million dreams away" suggests that the parting is a physical one. The memories that the singer and their loved one shared will live on; the dawn may be breaking through a gray tomorrow, but the memories of their love will be there to borrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Now the hacienda's dark, the town is sleeping
It's nighttime, the estate is dark, and the town is quiet
Now the time has come to part, the time for weeping
It's the moment to say goodbye, and it's a sad occasion
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Go with God, my love
Vaya con Dios, my love
Go with God, my love
Now the lonely mission bells are softly ringing
The church bells are ringing with sadness and solitude
If you listen with your heart you'll hear them singing
If you pay attention with your heart, you will hear them sing a sorrowful melody
Wherever you may be, I'll be beside you
No matter where you are, I will be with you
Although you're many million dreams away
Even though we're distant from each other
Each night I'll say a prayer, a prayer to guide you
Every night, I'll pray for you and ask for guidance
To hasten every lonely hour of every lonely day
To make the lonely hours and days go by faster
Now the dawn is breaking through a gray tomorrow
The sun is rising on a dreary tomorrow
But the memories we share are there to borrow
The memories we have of each other are there to remember
Adiós mi amor, me despido de ti
Goodbye my love, I bid you farewell
Me encontraré tan solo
I will be so alone
Vaya con Dios, mi amor
Go with God, my love
Vaya con Dios, my darling
Go with God, my love
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buddy Pepper, Inez James, Larry Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Melba Ogletree
Who could not like Freddy Fender singing this song?! Wish he was still with us! God Bless Freddy Fender! R.I.P.
RAMON GUTIERREZ SOTO
Amigos chicanos conserven sus raíces MEXICANAS como FREDY FENDER lo admiro como canta porque para mí no ha muerto VIVA MÉXICO
Common Vault Boy
!!vayan con DIOS Todos Los que tuvieron que irse 🙏 dejándonos 😭 bonita canción pero nos tienta el corazón ❤️ recordando a los seres queridos y amigos God bless everyone 🙏🙏🙏🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Diane Rathgeber
When I miss my Mom I play her music. This song takes me back every time. Just lovely.
June Roberts
The band "Texas Tornados" are doing a GREAT job of carrying on his legacy!!! Going to see them in Bryan, Tx October 12, 2012. Can't wait!! They just exude energy!! And Flaco continues to be a very talented musician. So sad Freddie isn't with them anymore.
Zuzanna Wisniewska
No matter how many years pass, this song will stay in our hearts forever!!!
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1976 {June 18th} Freddy Fender's performed a covered version of "Vaya Con Dios" on the NBC-TV program 'The Midnight Special'...
At the time his version was at #60 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; two days later on June 20th it would peak at #59 {for 1 week} and it stayed on the chart for 6 weeks...
It reached #7 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart; and on July 24th, 1976 it peaked at #1 {for 1 week} on the Canadian RPM Country chart...
Between February 1975 and October 1976 he had seven Top 100 records; two made the Top 10* with one reaching #1, "Before the Next Teardrops Falls" for one week on May 25th, 1975...
Freddy Fender, born Baldemar Garza Huerta, passed away on October 15th, 2006 at the age of 69...
May he R.I.P.
* His other Top 10 record was "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"; it reached #8 in 1975...
Michael West
I spent the late 60's and early 70's listening to Freddy Fender and to this day I'm still impressed by his lyrics and songs of that era.
Domingo Sandoval
I grew up listening to Freddy Fender thanks to my dad.
Takes me back. I was blessed to have met him after a Texas Tornados concert in Southern California. Awesome man. Rest in peace sir.
cristina parra
GRAN CANTANTE , BELLA VOZ , OJALA LAS NUEVAS GENERACIONES TOMARAN EJEMPLO DE ESTE GRAN SEÑOR.