Catalan singer-songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat got involved in music at the age of 17, when he got his first guitar, to which he dedicates one of his earliest songs, "Una guitarra."
In early 60's the young artist participated in a pop band playing along with classmates at Barcelona's Agronomy School, doing mainly Beatles stuff and Italian 'pop-of-the-era' songs translated to Spanish.
In 1965, while singing in a radio show called Radioscope, host Salvador Escanilla helped him to get a record deal with local label Edigsa where he recorded his first EP, as well as became part of Els Setze Jutges, a group of Catalan artists aiming to promote a renaissance of Catalan culture after Spanish Franco's dictatorship and make it spread into popular classes.
Joan Manuel Serrat's first live stage performance in 1967 at the Catalan Music Palace, established definitely his name as one of the most important artists inside the 'Nova cançó' ('New Song') movement in Catalonia.
Next year, Spain originally entered Serrat in the Eurovision Song Contest 1968 to sing "La, la, la", but he asked to sing it in Catalan, to which the Spanish authorities would not agree. This would be the first time he came into conflict with the language politics of Francoist Spain, because of his decision to sing in his native Catalan language, repressed by Franco. After the incident, Serrat was hurriedly substituted by Massiel, who won the contest with her Spanish-language version. By that time Serrat's songs were banned and his records burned in the streets. He then traveled to South America and participated in the Rio de Janeiro's World Music Festival, where he took first place with the song "Penélope."
In 1969 Serrat released an album containing songs with texts of Antonio Machado, a well known Spanish poet of late 19th-early 20th century. This album gave him immediate fame in all Spain and Latin America though, in spite of this, his decission to sing in Spanish was still criticized in some nationalistic Catalan circles.
The release of 1971's Mediterráneo LP consolidated the artist worldwide. In 1976, Joan Manuel Serrat was acclaimed for the first time in the U.S.A. while performing in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York.
In late 1974, Serrat was exiled in Mexico due to his condemnation of arbitrary executions under Franco's regime. It wasn't until Franco's death (November 20, 1975) that Serrat was able to return to his homeland.
In January of 1995, the Spanish government gave him a medal for his contribution to the Hispanic culture. That same year, a tribute album called Serrat, Eres único was made to honor his career, featuring artists such as Diego Torres, Ketama, Rosario (Flores), Joaquín Sabina, and Antonio Flores. In the year 2000, the Spanish Association of Authors and Editors (SGAE) awarded him with one of ten Medals of the Century.
In October 2004 he revealed that he had been undergoing treatment for cancer of the bladder and in November that year he cancelled a tour of Latin America and the USA in order to undergo surgery in Barcelona, where he still lives. By that time, his wonderful song "Mediterráneo" was selected as the most important song of the 20th century in Spain.
His recovery was satisfactory, and in 2005 he went on a tour again ("Serrat 100×100") around Spain and Latin America with his lifelong producer and arranger, Ricard Miralles.
A second volume of Serrat, eres único was also released this year, featuring Alejandro Sanz, Estopa, and Pasión+Vega. Around the same time, Cuban artists such as Silvio Rodríguez, Pablo Milanés, Chucho Valdez, and Ibrahim Ferrer came together to make another tribute CD, Cuba le canta a Serrat.
Source: Wikipedia®
A Usted
Joan Manuel Serrat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ejecutivo de película
hombre agresivo y enérgico
con ambiciones políticas.
A usted que es un hombre práctico
y reside en un piso céntrico,
regando flores de plástico
A usted que sabe de números
y consta en más de una nómina
que ya es todo un energúmeno
con una posición sólida.
No le gustaría
no ir mañana a trabajar
y no pedirle a nadie excusas,
para jugar al juego
que mejor juega
y que mas le gusta?
No le gustaría
ser capaz de renunciar
a todas sus pertenencias
y ganar la libertad
y el tiempo que pierde
en defenderlas
No le gustaría
dejar de mandar al prójimo
para exigir
que nadie lo mande lo mas mínimo
No le gustaría, acaso,
vencer la tentación
sucumbiendo de lleno en sus brazos...
Antes que les den el pésame
a sus deudos, entre lágrimas,
por su irreparable pérdida
y lo archiven bajo una lápida.
No le gustaría
no ir mañana a trabajar
y no pedirle a nadie excusas,
para jugar al juego
que mejor juega
y que mas le gusta?
No le gustaría
ser capaz de renunciar
a todas sus pertenencias
y ganar la libertad
y el tiempo que pierde
en defenderlas?
No le gustaría
dejar de mandar al prójimo
para exigir
que nadie le mande lo mas mínimo?
No le gustaría acaso
vencer la tentación
sucumbiendo de lleno en sus brazos...?
The song "A usted" by Joan Manuel Serrat is a critique of modern society's obsession with material success and the sacrifices people make in order to attain it. The song addresses an ambitious and successful man who is driven by his desire for money, power, and recognition. The lyrics suggest that he has lost touch with his own desires and passions in life.
The first stanza describes the man as someone who is "chasing success" and has "aggressive and energetic" ambitions. He is a practical man who lives in a central apartment, surrounded by plastic flowers and constantly checking his phone. He is successful in his career and has a solid position, but the lyrics suggest that he is not happy and craves something else in life.
The chorus of the song asks the man if he would like to break free from his job and responsibilities and pursue something that he truly enjoys. It suggests that he is trapped in his pursuit of success and material possessions and has lost sight of what really matters in life. The final stanza warns the man that if he continues down this path, he will end up with nothing but regret and the condolences of his loved ones.
Overall, "A usted" is a powerful commentary on the dangers of prioritizing material success over personal happiness and fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
A usted que corre tras el éxito ejecutivo de película
You, who runs after the executive, movie-like success
hombre agresivo y enérgico con ambiciones políticas.
Man, aggressive and energetic with political ambitions.
A usted que es un hombre práctico y reside en un piso céntrico,
You, who are a practical man and live in a central apartment
regando flores de plástico y pendiente del teléfono.
watering plastic flowers and waiting for phone calls.
A usted que sabe de números y consta en más de una nómina
You, who knows numbers and appears on more than one payroll
que ya es todo un energúmeno con una posición sólida.
who is already a maniac with a solid position.
No le gustaría
no ir mañana a trabajar
y no pedirle a nadie excusas,
para jugar al juego
que mejor juega
y que mas le gusta?
Wouldn't you like not to go to work tomorrow, not apologize to anyone, play the game that you like the most?
No le gustaría
ser capaz de renunciar
a todas sus pertenencias
y ganar la libertad
y el tiempo que pierde
en defenderlas
Wouldn't you like to be able to give up all your possessions, gain freedom and the time lost in defending them?
No le gustaría
dejar de mandar al prójimo
para exigir
que nadie lo mande lo mas mínimo
Wouldn't you like to stop commanding others and demand that no one commands you even a little?
No le gustaría, acaso,
vencer la tentación
sucumbiendo de lleno en sus brazos...
Wouldn't you like, perhaps, to overcome temptation by succumbing completely in its arms?
Antes que les den el pésame
a sus deudos, entre lágrimas,
por su irreparable pérdida
y lo archiven bajo una lápida.
Before they give their condolences to their mourners, with tears, for their irreparable loss and bury them under a tombstone.
Contributed by Adam Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Yerko ortiz o
Tengo 47 y este tema me sigue gustando, la buena música no tiene edad ni tiempo, brillante.
david trejo
En un tiempo ,tome esa desion de renunciar a mi trabajo, jugue ajedrez y dedica un tiempo a mi vida ,gran cancion del maestro .
Juan Cito
Y de qué vivirías?
Marina Duran
Lo mejor esa frase. Y hay tantas increibles. Serrat es lo mas. Justo puse 1 estado con esa frase
Luz Mancilla
Es un gran compositor y su voz maravillosa , al escuchar esta canción siempre me recuerda a la misma persona 🤔🤔
Luis Arenas Soto
Este es un himno a cada ser humano que en algún momento quiso enviar todo a la punta del cerro.
Gran canción y vale la pena repetirla; tal vez sirva para hacernos libres.
Suavecito Robot
Solo Serrat describe está locura de Acumular,dejar de vivir y no disfrutar la vida para nada,el estilo de vida que nos imponen y creemos que es el éxito
Augusto Guzmán
Yo me deshice de mi biblioteca al ritmo de esta canción, sobre todo esa parte "no le gustaría ser capaz de renunciar a todas sus pertenencias, y ganar la libertad y el tiempo que pierde en defenderlas".
Norma Guazmán
maravilloso Serrat! el mejor poeta,cantautor del mundo
Patricia Nava
Lo mejor y poetico de la historia