1971's Fania All Stars Live At The Cheetah volumes one and two became the biggest selling Latin albums ever produced by one group from one concert, Produced by Larry Harlow.
Among the many salsa musicians that performed with the group were Conga players, Mongo Santamaria and Ray Barretto and presently Mr Marcha, Eddie Montalvo, Singers Ruben Blades, Cheo Feliciano, Hector Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez, Trombonist Willie Colon, Pianists Larry Harlow, Papo Lucca, Eddie Palmieri, The Timbale King Tito Puente, Timbalero Nicky Marrero and bassist Bobby Valentin among others.
As a group, Fania All-Stars outlived Fania Records, which is now owned by EMusic.
Bamboleo
Fania All-Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uno no tiene la culpa
Caballo de danza vana
Porque está viejo y cansa'o
Por eso yo te pregunto otra vez
Cuando el amor llega así, de esta manera
Uno no se da ni cuenta
Amor que es del pasado
Ben-de-lein, ben-de-lein
Bein, ben-de-lein
(Bamboléo, bambolea)
Porque mi vida yo la prefiero vivir así
(Bamboléo, bambolea) ay, bamboléo, bamboéo, bambolea
Porque mi vida yo la prefiero vivir así
No te importa mi dolor
Te fuiste un día y me dejaste abandonada
Y fue la causa que mi corazón fallara
No es lo mismo que ayer
No es lo mismo que ayer
Ese amor que yo te di
Por nadie más podría haberlo sentido
Y si regresas porque estás arrepentido
Olvídalo ya
Olvídalo, ya
(Bamboléo, bambolea)
Porque mi vida yo la prefiero vivir así
(Bamboléo, bambolea) bamboléo, bamboléo, bambolea
Porque mi vida yo la prefiero vivir así
(Bamboléo, bambolea)
Es que mi vida yo la prefiero
Vivir sin ti, vivir sin ti
(Bamboléo, bambolea)
Mi corazón se hizo trizas
Cuando me dejaste con tu sonrisa
(Bamboléo, bambolea)
Es que mi vida yo la prefiero vivir sin ti
(Bamboléo, bambolea)
Creo, creo que cuando te fuiste
Fue eso lo mejor que hiciste
(Bamboléo, bambolea)
Amor que es de contrabando
Empieza y termina ¿cuándo?
(Bamboléo, bambolea)
Te hice pasar buenos ratos
Y solo recibí maltratos de ti
(Bamboléo, bambolea)
Voy a dejar el mundo que siga
Y ya veré que hago con mi vida
Vivir sin ti
The lyrics of Fania All Stars' "Bamboleo" describe a love that comes and goes in a way that is beyond the control of the individuals involved. The first stanza describes this love as something that arrives in a certain way, without any fault or blame. The metaphor of a horse on the savannah is used to describe something that is undervalued and underestimated, which is why the singer can't help but cry over it. The chorus repeats the word "bamboleo", which means to sway or swing in Spanish, and acknowledges that the singer prefers to live their life in this way, with the ups and downs of this love.
The second stanza goes on to say that this love is without pardon from God, but that the object of the singer's affection is their life and the fortune of their destiny. The singer acknowledges that fate can be cruel, but ultimately they are the same as they were before, always thinking of this person even when they can't find them. The chorus repeats again, emphasizing that this life of swaying and swinging is the one the singer chooses.
Line by Line Meaning
Este amor llega asi manera
This love came in this way
No tiene la culpa
It's not to blame
Caballo le ven sabana
They see a horse in the savannah
Porque muy depreciado
Because it's very undervalued
Por eso no te perdo'n de llorar
That's why I can't forgive you for crying
Amor de complementa
Love that complements
Amor del mes pasado
Love from last month
Bembele, bembele, bembele
Bembele, bembele, bembele
Bem, bembele, bembele
Bem, bembele, bembele
Bamboleo, bambolea
It rocks, it sways
Porque mi vida, yo la prefiero vivir asi
Because I prefer to live my life like this
No tiene perdon de Dios
It is not pardoned by God
Tu eres mi vida, la fortuna del destino
You are my life, the fortune of destiny
Pero el destino tendressa parados
But destiny holds us standing still
Lo mismo que ayer
The same as yesterday
Lo mismo soy yo
The same is true for me
No te encuentro a l'abandon
I don't find you abandoned
Es imposible no te encuentro de vardad
It's impossible not to find you for real
Por eso un dia no cuento si de nada
That's why one day I don't count for anything
Yo pienso en ti
I think of you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Nicolas Reyes, Jalhoul Bouchukhi, Tonino Antoine Baliardo, Simon Diaz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind