Pau Donés, born and raised in Barcelona, worked for various groups before being able to take on his current project, Jarabe de Palo. He began at age 15 with his brother Marc, with whom he formed a group known as J.& Co.Band and later another one named Dentaduras Postizas. During this period, he completed his musical tracks in Barcelona with a job at an advertising firm.
His greatest success came to him after a trip to Cuba, where he was inspired to write La Flaca which became the title of his first album, "La Flaca," in 1996. A year later came the big surprise: millions of albums were sold around the world, and "La Flaca" became the song of the summer in 1997.
After this great success on his first album, Pau was determined to show that the band would not be a one-hit wonder, and with this idea, he launched Depende (1998), which was produced by Joe Dworniak in Moody Studios in London over two months. This album featured collaborations with the likes of Ketama and continued with Jarabe de Palo's ironic and ingenious lyrics, which managed to connect with the Hispanic public and even made inroads among Italians.
In 2001 they released De vuelta y vuelta, their most conceptual album. It showed a change in the band with the first music video of the album, in which Pau appears shaving his head, shedding his long-haired features. This album featured collaborations with the likes of Antonio Vega, Jovanotti, Vico C, and Celia Cruz.
In 2003 the band tried to show a change to more positive songs with their album Bonito, which featured the likes of Los Mártires del Compás, the singer-songwriter Elena Andujar, and their Italian friend, Jovanotti.
In the autumn of 2004, the band announced that they would go on tour with their new album, 1 m2 (Un metro cuadrado (A Square Meter)) featuring the likes of Jorge Drexler, Lucrecia, and Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders).
The group has received great awards such as Premios de la Música, Premio Ondas, and Grammy nominations. They have collaborated with La Vieja Trova Santiaguera, Antonio Vega, Vico C and Celia Cruz (soundtrack of El milagro de P. Tinto). Pau has also composed tracks for Ricky Martin and starred in a music video with Alanis Morissette.
On 9 June 2020, Donés died near Barcelona after five years of dealing with colon cancer, causing the band to split up shortly after.
La Luz De Tu Corazón
Jarabe de Palo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quién soy yo, solo
Un pez que no nada
Quién soy yo, solo
El sol que se marcha
Quién soy yo, solo
Un canario que no canta
Será que se mojó la cerilla de tu amor
Será que no escuchaste mi última canción
Que las flores que te gustan no las tengo yo
Qué eres tu, sola
Una vela apagada
Qué eres tu, sola
Una manzana amarga
Qué eres tu, sola
Un eclipse de luna
Qué eres tu, sola
Un pastel sin azúcar
Será que te falta la luz de mi corazón
Será que se mojó la cerilla de mi amor
Será que no escuché tu última canción
Que las flores que me gustan son de otro color
In Jarabe de Palo’s La Luz De Tu Corazón, the lyrics express the feeling of being lost, alone, and incomplete without the love and companionship of a significant other. The song starts with the singer asking himself who he is: a river without water, a fish that can’t swim, a sun that sets, and a canary that doesn’t sing. These metaphors suggest that the singer is lacking something essential to his existence, and that might be the light of love from his partner.
The chorus of the song is a repetition of the same lines: “Maybe I'm missing the light of your heart. Maybe the match of your love got wet. Maybe you didn't hear my last song. That the flowers you like are not from me.” These lyrics imply that the singer and his partner are not in sync anymore, and that they are missing each other’s love and attention. The second stanza follows the same pattern as the first, except this time it is the partner who is described as a candle without light, a bitter apple, a lunar eclipse, and a sugarless cake.
Overall, the song is a longing for love and intimacy, but it also highlights the communication gap and emotional distance that can occur between two people in a relationship. It portrays a feeling of sadness and despair that follows the absence of love and the realization that one’s heart is now left in the dark.
Line by Line Meaning
Quién soy yo, solo, un río sin agua
I feel lost and confused, like a river without water
Quién soy yo, solo, un pez que no nada
I feel stuck and powerless, like a fish that can't swim
Quién soy yo, solo, el sol que se marcha
I feel insignificant and fleeting, like the sun setting over the horizon
Quién soy yo, solo, un canario que no canta
I feel silenced and muted, like a canary that can't sing
Será que me falta la luz de tu corazón
Maybe what I'm missing is the light of your heart - your love and affection
Será que se mojó la cerilla de tu amor
Maybe the spark of your love got dampened, and it's not igniting anymore
Será que no escuchaste mi última canción
Maybe you didn't hear my latest message to you, my attempt to connect and communicate
Que las flores que te gustan no las tengo yo
That the things that you appreciate and value are not my strengths, my areas of expertise
Qué eres tú, sola, una vela apagada
You feel dim and unimportant, like a candle that has burned out
Qué eres tú, sola, una manzana amarga
You feel bitter and sour, like an unripe apple that can't be enjoyed
Qué eres tú, sola, un eclipse de luna
You feel like a shadow, a temporary blot on the natural cycles of life like a lunar eclipse
Qué eres tú, sola, un pastel sin azúcar
You feel incomplete and lacking, like a cake without sugar, missing a crucial ingredient
Será que te falta la luz de mi corazón
Maybe what you need is the warmth and radiance of my heart, my love and understanding
Será que se mojó la cerilla de mi amor
Maybe my affection got dampened, and I need to reignite the spark and passion
Será que no escuché tu última canción
Maybe I missed your message, your attempt to connect and communicate with me
Que las flores que me gustan son de otro color
That the things I appreciate and value are not your strengths, your areas of expertise
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAU DONES CIRERA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind