Beginning her career in 1975 as lead vocalist for the then exclusively Spanish-language band, Miami Sound Machine, before crossing over to mainstream pop success with the international hit singles "Dr. Beat" (1984) and "Conga" (1986), Estefan emerged as one of the biggest new stars in the mid-'80s, predating the still nascent Latin pop explosion by a decade, and scoring a series of propulsive dance hits rooted in the rhythms of her native Cuba, before shifting her focus to softer, more ballad-oriented fare.
Born in Havana, Cuba, the young Gloria Fajardo was raised primarily in Miami, FL, after her father, a bodyguard of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista, was forced to flee the island following the 1959 coup helmed by Fidel Castro. In the fall of 1975, Fajardo and her cousin Merci Murciano auditioned for the Miami Latin Boys, a local wedding band headed by keyboardist Emilio Estefan. With their addition, the group was rechristened Miami Sound Machine and four years later, Fajardo and Estefan were wed. As Miami Sound Machine began composing their own original material, their fusion of pop, disco, and salsa earned a devoted local following, and in 1979 the group issued their first Spanish-language LP on CBS International. Despite a growing Hispanic fan base, they did not cross over to non-Latin audiences until "Dr. Beat" topped European dance charts in 1984.
With 1985's Primitive Love, Miami Sound Machine recorded their first English-language effort, scoring three Top Ten pop hits in the U.S. alone with the infectious "Conga", "Bad Boy", and "Words Get in the Way". Following 1987's triple-platinum Let It Loose, Estefan took top billing and the group changed its name to Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine in 1988, reeling off four Top Ten hits - "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You", "Can't Stay Away from You", the chart-topping "Anything for You", and "1-2-3". 1989's Cuts Both Ways was credited to Estefan alone and generated her second #1 hit, "Don't Wanna Lose You". However, on March 20, 1990, while touring in support of the album, her bus was struck by a tractor trailer. Estefan suffered a broken vertebra that required extensive surgery and kept her off the road for over a year. Her husband Emilio and the couple's son were injured in the crash as well, but all three recovered. Estefan resurfaced in 1991 with Into the Light, again topping the charts with "Coming Out of the Dark", a single inspired by her near-fatal accident. Two more cuts from the album, "Can't Forget You" and "Live for Loving You", secured her foothold on the adult contemporary charts.
With 1993's Mi Tierra, Estefan returned to her roots, recording her first Spanish-language record in nearly a decade and earning a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album; on the follow-up 1994 covers collection, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, she also recalled her dance-pop origins with a rendition of the Vicki Sue Robinson disco classic, "Turn the Beat Around". Another all-Spanish effort, Abriendo Puertas (1995), earned her a Grammy as well, while Destiny featured "Reach", named the official theme of the 1996 Summer Olympics. As Latin pop made new commercial headway, thanks to the efforts of acts like Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias, Estefan reigned as the most successful crossover artist in Latin music history, with international record sales close to the 50 million mark. In 1999, she also made her feature film debut alongside Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart, recording the film's title song as a duet with *NSYNC, and scoring both a massive pop hit and an Oscar nomination in the process. A new Spanish-language album, Alma Caribeña, followed in the spring of 2000. Several months later, Estefan was awarded a Grammy for Best Music Video for "No Me Dehes de Querer" at the inaugural annual Latin Grammy Awards. Her husband, Emilio, won for Producer of the Year. - Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Appearances and tours
In April 2004, Estefan appeared on the Fox Broadcasting Company’s program, American Idol, but declined an offer to be an official judge, saying she did not like to “judge” others.
On July 28, 2004, in a press conference hosted by Donald Trump at the Trump Tower, Estefan announced that her then-upcoming tour would be her final one. The Live and Re-Wrapped Summer/Fall 2004 Tour, her first tour in eight years was produced by Clear Channel Entertainment. The tour featured Estefan’s greatest hits, along with new material from Unwrapped.
In December 2006, Estefan appeared as a special guest singer on the UK talent show The X Factor.
Gloria's 11th studio album,Miss Little Havana. The Miss Little Havana Songfacts says that the first nine tracks tells the tale of a young girl who hooks up with the wrong guy in Miami after moving there from Cuba. All of these tracks were written or co-written by Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes. It is described by Estefan as a project in the vein of her 1998 hit album gloria!.
Songfacts reports that "Hotel Nacional" debuted at #1 on Billboard's Latin countdown - the first time a female artist had achieved that feat since the chart was introduced in 1986. Both "Wepa" and "Hotel Nacional" achieved number one on Billboard Latin Songs and on Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs.
Estefan started a reality show called The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep opposite Joe Jonas, Nelly and John Rich on the CW Network, where she, and the other three mentors are searched for the next big star, to record an album with Atlantic Records. Unlike other music reality shows, in this program, the mentors selected the "candidates" for the show, and trained them for a live performance, where they'd be voted for the best act of the day. The first season ended in October 2012, with musician Michael Ray, as the big finalist.
This same year, Estefan appeared as a musical guest in Tony Bennett's compilation of duets with Latin-American musicians, Viva Duets with a rendition of the song, "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)". Weeks later, she helped the American version of Teleton, releasing the charity single "Por Un Mundo Mejor" along with Mexican singer Lucero, Dominican rapper El Cata and Mexican pop band, Reik. A video for the song was shot, with them recording the song, which was marked as the official hymn for the foundation.
In May 2013, she appears doing another duet with the song "Think I'm In Love Again" as part of the albums Duets released by Paul Anka.
Estefan has announced she was working on a new album of covers, The Standards, released in September 2013. The album will feature some collaborations with artists like Laura Pausini, Dave Koz and Joshua Bell, and the selection of songs are mostly songs from the Great American songbook. Estefan released the first single, "How Long Has This Been Going On?", digitally on Amazon and iTunes on July 9, 2013
Official website: http://www.gloriaestefan.com
Heart With Your Name On It
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your name, your name
Your name, your name
Hey there baby are you feelin' down?
'Cause you've got nobody's arms
To wrap your arms around
Are you thinking what you're looking for
If a part time heart is what you need
What you want now baby
You won't get from me
If sometime love you're looking for
Darlin' don't be knockin' on my door
If you need someone
To stand there beside you
If you want love that's true
I got a heart with your name on it, name on it
I got love I got love I got love for you
I got a heart put your claim on it, claim on it
This heart will, this heart will beat for you
If you want it to
Love is waiting in these arms of mine
If you're looking for a love that's the forever kind
Baby you don't have to look no more
Look in my eyes
If you want somebody you can hold
I'll be the one who'll never let you go
If you want somebody who will stay
I'll be the one who'll never walk away
If you need someone
To stand there beside you
Nothin' less is gonna do
I got a heart with your name on it, name on it
I got love, I got love, I got love for you
I got a heart put your claim on it, claim on it
This heart will, this heart will beat for you
If you want it to
If you want it to
Oh baby
Oh I love to give you love
I got a heart baby
Part time heart is what you need
What you want now baby
You won't get from me
Full time love is on your mind
I got a heart with your name on it, name on it
I got love, I got love, I got love for you
I got a heart put your blame on it, blame on it
This heart will, this heart will beat for you
If you want it to
I got a heart, its got your name on it
I got love, I got love, I got love for you
I got a heart put your blame on it, blame on it
You been I been if you want it now baby
You been I been if you want it now baby
You been I been if you want it now baby
I got love, I got a love
I got a happy, I got a happy
I got a happy
Gloria Estefan’s song “Heart With Your Name On It” talks about a person who is seeking love and someone to hold onto. The song asks if the person is feeling down because they haven’t found someone special to love. The lyrics describe how some people are looking for a part-time heart, but the singer is not interested in that type of love. The singer is offering full-time love and a heart that is completely dedicated to the person.
The lyrics talk about how the singer has a heart with the person’s name on it and is willing to offer love that is true and forever. The singer expresses their desire to be the one who will never walk away and will always stand by the person’s side. The words of the song are an invitation for someone to love and be loved.
The song is a love ballad that showcases Gloria Estefan’s vocal range and emotive prowess. The lyrics talk about the depth of love that the singer is willing to offer and the longing for a reciprocal feeling. The song underscores the importance of love and the desire to share one’s life with someone special.
Line by Line Meaning
Your name, your name
Repetition of the phrase 'Your name' to emphasize that the singer's heart is especially meant for the person she loves.
Hey there baby are you feelin' down?
Asking the person if they are feeling upset.
'Cause you've got nobody's arms To wrap your arms around
Pointing out that the person feels lonely and has nobody to embrace.
Are you thinking what you're looking for Just can't be found
Suggesting that the person is searching for something specific that seems impossible to find.
If a part time heart is what you need What you want now baby You won't get from me
Declaring that she does not want to offer anything temporary or half-hearted.
If sometime love you're looking for Darlin' don't be knockin' on my door
Making it clear that she does not want someone who only wants love once in a while or intermittently.
If you need someone To stand there beside you If you want love that's true
Offering her love and support to the person.
I got a heart with your name on it, name on it I got love I got love I got love for you
Stating that her heart is solely dedicated to the person she loves, and that she has an abundance of love for them.
I got a heart put your claim on it, claim on it This heart will, this heart will beat for you If you want it to
Affirming that her heart belongs to the person, and that it will always beat for them if they want her love.
Love is waiting in these arms of mine If you're looking for a love that's the forever kind Baby you don't have to look no more Look in my eyes
Assuring the person that she is offering them the kind of love that will last forever, and they don't need to keep searching anymore - it's already here for them.
If you want somebody you can hold I'll be the one who'll never let you go If you want somebody who will stay I'll be the one who'll never walk away
Assuring that she is a trustworthy partner, who will be there and will never let go.
If you need someone To stand there beside you Nothin' less is gonna do
Asserting that she is the best partner one could ask for.
I got love, I got love, I got love for you
Reiterating that she has an abundance of love for the person.
I got a heart put your blame on it, blame on it
Repeating the phrase 'heart with your name on it' but replacing the word 'claim' with 'blame'.
You been I been if you want it now baby
Unclear what this phrase means, but it might be an offer to be there with the person if they want her.
I got love, I got a love I got a happy, I got a happy I got a happy
Reiterating that she has love for the person and that she is happy in their presence.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Realsongs
Written by: DIANE EVE WARREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind