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.
Mamá
Jarabe de Palo Lyrics
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De cuatro cosas que me gustan
Que me dé el sol en la cara
Que el viento me dé en la cara
Que la muerte ya vendrá
Me gustaría contar
De cuatro cosas que me gustan
Con la vida cara a cara
Que la muerte ya vendrá
Me gustaría contar
De cuatro cosas que me gustan
Despertar cada mañana
y gritar dentro del agua
Que la muerte ya vendrá
Mama
Ayer pregunté a mi papa
Cuando llegué a casa
y mi mama donde está
Mama
Cuando llegué a mi casa
y me contestó mi papa
Que la mama ya no está
The song "Mama" by Jarabe de Palo reflects on the four things the singer enjoys - feeling the sun and wind on his face, facing life head-on every morning, screaming inside water, and acknowledging that death is inevitable. The lyrics are simple yet profound, conveying the message that we should appreciate the little things in life, and live in the moment because we do not know what the future holds.
The title of the song "Mama" is a reference to the singer's mother who has passed away. The lyrics hint at him missing her and asking his father where she is once he arrives home. The loss of his mother has made him appreciate life more and has made him think about death and how it is a part of our journey.
The song has a light, upbeat tune, juxtaposed with the more serious lyrics. The song's overall tone is one of reflection and appreciation for life. The repetition of the phrase "que la muerte ya vendrá" (death will come) throughout the song serves as a reminder that we should make the most of our time on this earth.
Line by Line Meaning
Me gustaría contar
I would like to talk about
De cuatro cosas que me gustan
Of four things that I like
Que me dé el sol en la cara
That the sun shines on my face
Que el viento me dé en la cara
That the wind blows on my face
Que la muerte ya vendrá
That death will come
Levantarme y encontrarme
To get up and find
Con la vida cara a cara
Face to face with life
Despertar cada mañana
To wake up every morning
y gritar dentro del agua
And scream under the water
Mama
Mother
Ayer pregunté a mi papa
Yesterday I asked my father
Cuando llegué a casa
When I got home
y mi mama donde está
And where is my mother
Cuando llegué a mi casa
When I arrived at my house
y me contestó mi papa
And my father answered me
Que la mama ya no está
That the mother is no longer here
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAU DONES CIRERA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind