Last learned how to play piano as child, switching to bass as a teenager. He joined Hans-Gunther Oesterreich's Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946, when he was 17 years old. In 1948, he became the leader of the Becker-Last Ensemble, which performed for seven years. During that time, he was voted as the best bassist in the country by a German jazz poll for three consecutive years, from 1950-1952. After the disbandment of the Becker-Last Ensemble, he became the in-house arranger for Polydor Records, as well as for a number of European radio stations. For the next decade, he helped arrange hits for artists like Helmut Zacharias and Caterina Valente.
Last released his first album "Non-Stop Dancing" in 1965. The record of brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and joyous crowd noises. It was a hit and helped make him a major European star. Over the next four decades, Last has released over 190 records, including several more volumes of Non-Stop Dancing. On these records, he varies his formula by adding different songs from different countries and genres, as well as guest performers like Richard Clayderman and Astrud Gilberto.
Though his concerts and albums are consistently successful — especially in England, where he had 52 hit albums between 1967-1986, which made him second to Elvis Presley in terms of number of charting records — he has only had two hit singles with "The Seduction," the theme from American Gigolo (1980) and Biscaya from the album "Biscaya".
He has won numerous polls and prizes, for example Billboard magazine's "Star of the year" trophy in 1976, and has been honored for his lifework with the German ECHO prize in 1994.
The song "The Lonely Shepherd", written by Last and performed by Gheorghe Zamfir and the James Last Orchestra, was featured in the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's film "Kill Bill Vol. 1" (2003).
Personally, he divides his time between Florida and Germany. He gives much credit to his wife and son, who helps with the music.
Fernando
James Last Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I remember long ago another starry night like this
In the firelight Fernando
You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar
I could hear the distant drums
And sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar
They were closer now Fernando
I was so afraid Fernando
We were young and full of life and none of us prepared to die
And I'm not ashamed to say
The roar of guns and cannons almost made me cry
There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando
They were shining there for you and me
For liberty, Fernando
Though I never thought that we could lose
There's no regret
If I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando
If I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando
Now we're old and grey Fernando
And since many years I haven't seen a rifle in your hand
Can you hear the drums Fernando?
Do you still recall the frightful night we crossed the Rio Grande?
I can see it in your eyes
How proud you were to fight for freedom in this land
There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando
They were shining there for you and me
For liberty, Fernando
Though I never thought that we could lose
There's no regret
If I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando
There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando
They were shining there for you and me
For liberty, Fernando
Though I never thought that we could lose
There's no regret
If I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando
Yes, if I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando...
The lyrics to James Last's song Fernando depict a reflective conversation between the singer and his friend, Fernando. The narrative is set during a night around a fire where they heard the sound of distant drums and bugle calls. The singer reminisces about a similar night long ago when they were young and full of life, yet afraid and unprepared to die. The two had crossed the Rio Grande to fight for freedom in a land where they were proud to live. There is a hint of patriotism and respect for those who fight for their country's liberty. Despite this, the singer never thought they could lose until that fateful night. However, there is no regret as the two pledge that they would do it all over again.
The lyrics demonstrate the idea that memories of youth and moments shared by friends last a lifetime. Fernando and the singer had a unique bond rooted in their shared experiences on the battlefield. The lyrics also capture the idea of time and how it changes people. Fernando is no longer the young man gripping a rifle; instead, he is old and grey. Despite their aging, they still hold onto the memories of their young and fearless days fondly.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you hear the drums Fernando?
Do you remember the sound of the drums, Fernando?
I remember long ago another starry night like this
I recall a night like this from long ago
In the firelight Fernando
Under the light of the fire, Fernando
You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar
You were quietly singing to yourself and gently playing your guitar
I could hear the distant drums
I could also hear the drums that were far away
And sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar
I could hear bugle calls in the distance
They were closer now Fernando
The drumbeat and bugle calls were getting closer, Fernando
Every hour every minute seemed to last eternally
Time felt like it was moving so slowly, each moment felt endless
I was so afraid Fernando
I was very scared, Fernando
We were young and full of life and none of us prepared to die
We were young and had so much life ahead of us, we weren't ready to die
And I'm not ashamed to say
I have no embarrassment in admitting
The roar of guns and cannons almost made me cry
The loud noise of the guns and cannons was so overwhelming it brought me to tears
There was something in the air that night
There was a feeling in the atmosphere that night
The stars were bright, Fernando
The stars were shining brightly, Fernando
They were shining there for you and me
The stars seemed to be shining specifically for us
For liberty, Fernando
For the sake of freedom, Fernando
Though I never thought that we could lose
Even though I never thought it was possible for us to fail
There's no regret
I have no remorse
If I had to do the same again
If I had to go through it all again
I would, my friend, Fernando
I would do it, friend, Fernando
Now we're old and grey Fernando
Now that we're old and grey, Fernando
And since many years I haven't seen a rifle in your hand
For many years I haven't seen you holding a rifle
Do you still recall the frightful night we crossed the Rio Grande?
Do you still remember the terrifying night we crossed the Rio Grande?
I can see it in your eyes
I can tell from looking at you
How proud you were to fight for freedom in this land
How happy you were to fight for freedom in this country
Yes, if I had to do the same again
Indeed, if I were forced to go through it again
I would, my friend, Fernando...
I would do it, friend, Fernando
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore
Written by: Stig Erik Leopold Anderson, Benny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K Ulvaeus
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RUI BENGALITA
Linda...linda..., fantástica interpretação destes fantásticos músicos...🤙🎸❤️❤️
José Hernández
Quien pensaría que esa bella canción está inspirada en una persona que vivió durante la revolución mexicana.
richard abner baldeon bernabe
James last, grupo ABBA, un tema que toda orquesta sinfónica debe tocar en su repertorio, la combinación de sonidos invita a admirar de cómo el grupo ABBA se inspiró para que su música siga viviendo en los corazones de los que amamos la música clásica.
Juan Fernandez
Bellos recuerdos atraves de grandes melodías, que llegan al alma,
Juan Fernandez
Este fue el gran legado que nos dejó ABBA, que su música fuera interpretada por prestigiosas y grandes orquestas del mundo.