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®
Lucia
Joan Manuel Serrat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La más bella historia de amor que tuve y tendré
Es una carta de amor que se lleva el viento
Pintado en mi voz
A ninguna parte, a ningún buzón
No hay nada más bello
Que lo que nunca he tenido
Nada más amado que lo que perdí
Perdóname si hoy busco en la arena
Una luna llena que arañaba el mar
Si alguna vez fui un ave de paso
Lo olvidé para anidar hay en tus brazos
Si alguna vez fui bello y fui bueno
Fue enredado en tu cuello y tus senos
Si alguna vez fui sabio en amores
Lo aprendí de tus labios cantores
Si alguna vez amé, si algún día
Después de amar, amé
Fue por tu amor, Lucia, Lucia
Tus recuerdos son cada día mas dulces
El olvido solo se llevé la mitad
Y tu sombra aun se acuesta en mi cama
Con la oscuridad entre mi almohada y mi soledad
The song "Lucia" by Joan Manuel Serrat is a beautiful love letter to a woman named Lucia. The lyrics are filled with deep emotion, expressing the pain of lost love and the nostalgia of memories. The first stanza speaks of the power of music to transport emotions, as the singer sends his song to Lucia as a love letter that is carried away by the wind, painted in his voice, to no particular destination or address. The lyrics declare that this is the most beautiful story of love he ever had or will have, which immediately sets the tone of a lost love.
The second stanza builds on this theme, expressing the sentiment that there is nothing more beautiful than what was never had, and nothing more loved than what was lost. The singer asks for forgiveness if he looks for a full moon that once scratched the sea in the sand of the beach, evoking memories that are bittersweet. The third stanza reveals the singer's profound love for Lucia, suggesting that he was never truly happy until he found his place in her arms. The lyrics recount how he was once a wanderer with no real home, but that he found his place at Lucia's side. He also credits her for teaching him the true wisdom of love, learning from her singing lips.
Line by Line Meaning
Vuela esta canción para ti Lucia
This song is flying to you, Lucia
La más bella historia de amor que tuve y tendré
The most beautiful love story I had and will have
Es una carta de amor que se lleva el viento
It's a love letter taken away by the wind
Pintado en mi voz
Painted in my voice
A ninguna parte, a ningún buzón
To nowhere, to no mailbox
No hay nada más bello
There's nothing more beautiful
Que lo que nunca he tenido
Than what I've never had
Nada más amado que lo que perdí
Nothing more loved than what I lost
Perdóname si hoy busco en la arena
Forgive me if today I search in the sand
Una luna llena que arañaba el mar
For a full moon scratching the sea
Si alguna vez fui un ave de paso
If I was ever a passing bird
Lo olvidé para anidar hay en tus brazos
I forgot it to nest there in your arms
Si alguna vez fui bello y fui bueno
If I was ever beautiful and good
Fue enredado en tu cuello y tus senos
It was entangled in your neck and breasts
Si alguna vez fui sabio en amores
If I ever was wise in love
Lo aprendí de tus labios cantores
I learned it from your singing lips
Si alguna vez amé, si algún día
If I ever loved, if one day
Después de amar, amé
After loving, I loved
Fue por tu amor, Lucia, Lucia
It was for your love, Lucia, Lucia
Tus recuerdos son cada día mas dulces
Your memories are sweeter every day
El olvido solo se llevé la mitad
The oblivion only took half
Y tu sombra aun se acuesta en mi cama
And your shadow still lies down on my bed
Con la oscuridad entre mi almohada y mi soledad
With darkness between my pillow and my loneliness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Juan Manuel Serrat Teresa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@evangelinamarcoleta7958
Serrat maravilloso ,esta canción es una de las que he adorado y Serrat ,si, que se ama en mi país , CUBA
@carmenrodriguezalonso4678
Maravilloso e inolvidable Serrat...llevo tus canciones en la mochila de mi vida y continuarán ahí hasta el final de mis días, porque forman parte de mí para siempre
@susanajuanamunichor5610
Gracias por tu arte por tu valentía por tu respeto con el público.Gracias una y mil veces gracias
@marilougos7291
Mille souvenirs qu'il m'arrive parfois en vieillissant de me demander s'ils ont vraiment existe
@rudyberrayarzamena3956
Tenia 2 discos. Los 2 de Serrat
@adrianagiussani1363
Nosotros hace 48 años le pusimos Lucía a nuestra hija por esta cancion❤
@corialeucasanovas
Maravillosa poesía Maestro ..que gran voz y música ., gracias por compartir ♥️🎶🎶✨✨
@adrianagiussani1363
Escuchando al Nano vuelvo a sentirme joven a mis casi 80 años🎉
@reyesnunez7816
Si alguien me hubiera amado así, volvería a ese hermoso recuerdo. Ese amor me acompañaría en mi sueño eterno.
@magdalenaortegaros5362
Serrat siempre con tú sensibilidad me emocionas Lucía HERMOSA canción ❤