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
Wild Side of Life
FREDDY FENDER Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You asked me not to call you on the phone
There's something I've been waiting for to tell you
So I wrote it in the words of this song
You never knew there were honky tonk angels
Or you might have known I'd never make a wife
You walked out on the only one who ever loved you
Now the glamor of the good life always lead me
To the places where the wild liquor flows
I tried to be your one and only angel
But I'm not that kind of angel, heaven knows
I cried so hard the day you went and left me
'Cause some things you said, they cut me like a knife
What you wanted was another kind of angel
And you should be back to the wild side of life
No, well, I guess I'm just a honky tonk angel
I might have known I'd never make a wife
Well, you left the only one who ever loved you
And I'm back here on the wild side of life
I'm only a honky tonk angel
I might have known I'd never make a wife
You walked out on the only one who ever loved you
And you left me here on the wild side of life
The song "Wild Side of Life" by Freddy Fender is a classic country tune about heartbreak and moving on. The singer sings about how the person they loved called them to end the relationship and refused to read their letters or answer their calls. So, the singer wrote a song to finally get their message across.
The singer reveals that the person they loved did not understand the reality of the honky tonk culture, which led to their desire for a different kind of angel figure. The singer used to live the glamorous lifestyle, following the wild liquor flows, but still tried to be the one and only angel for their lover. Unfortunately, the relationship did not work out as their lover wanted a different kind of angel. The song's message is about realizing that some people can never be changed, and it is time to let go and go back to the wild side of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you wouldn't read my letters if I wrote you
You don't bother to read my written correspondence.
You asked me not to call you on the phone
You advised me not to ring you on the telephone.
There's something I've been waiting for to tell you
I have an important message that I've held onto for a long time.
So I wrote it in the words of this song
Therefore, I am conveying it by composing this particular track.
You never knew there were honky tonk angels
You were unaware that there exist honky tonk angels.
Or you might have known I'd never make a wife
Or you may have realized that I am not the marriage kind.
You walked out on the only one who ever loved you
You abandoned the sole person who had true affection for you.
So I went back to the wild side of life
As a result, I returned to the reckless and impulsive aspects of existence.
Now the glamor of the good life always lead me
I am consistently drawn to the allure of an indulgent lifestyle.
To the places where the wild liquor flows
The destinations where alcoholic drinks are in plentiful supply.
I tried to be your one and only angel
I attempted to become your exclusive guardian angel.
But I'm not that kind of angel, heaven knows
However, I am not that type of angel, as the heavens are aware.
I cried so hard the day you went and left me
The day you deserted me, I wept bitterly.
'Cause some things you said, they cut me like a knife
The things that you uttered were incredibly hurtful, akin to a sharp blade slicing through me.
What you wanted was another kind of angel
In reality, you were looking for a distinct variety of guardian angel.
And you should be back to the wild side of life
Your place is amongst those who lead a reckless lifestyle.
No, well, I guess I'm just a honky tonk angel
I suppose I'm merely a honky tonk angel.
I might have known I'd never make a wife
It's possible that I always knew I wouldn't make a great spouse.
Well, you left the only one who ever loved you
You deserted the one individual who ever loved you.
And I'm back here on the wild side of life
And here I am, back on the reckless side of existence.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buddy Guy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind