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®
Penélope
Joan Manuel Serrat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Con su bolso de piel marrón
Y sus zapatos de tacón
Y su vestido de domingo
Penélope
Se sienta en un banco en el andén
Y espera que llegue el primer tren
Meneando el abanico
Dicen en el pueblo
Que un caminante paró
Su reloj
Una tarde de primavera
"Adiós amor mío
No me llores, volveré
Antes que
De los sauces caigan las hojas
Piensa en mí
Volveré a por ti"
Pobre infeliz
Se paró tu reloj infantil
Una tarde plomiza de abril
Cuando se fue tu amante
Se marchitó
En tu huerto hasta la última flor
No hay un sauce en la calle Mayor
Para Penélope
Penélope
Tristes a fuerza de esperar
Sus ojos, parecen brillar
Si un tren silba a lo lejos
Penélope
Uno tras otro los ve pasar
Mira sus caras, les oye hablar
Para ella son muñecos
Dicen en el pueblo
Que el caminante volvió
La encontró
En su banco de pino verde
La llamó: "Penélope
Mi amante fiel, mi paz
Deja ya
De tejer sueños en tu mente
Mírame
Soy tu amor, regresé"
Le sonrió
Con los ojos llenitos de ayer
No era así su cara ni su piel
"Tú no eres quien yo espero"
Y se quedó
Con el bolso de piel marrón
Y sus zapatitos de tacón
Sentada en la estación
Penélope
The song Penélope by Joan Manuel Serrat tells the story of a woman named Penélope who waits patiently for her lover to return, sitting on a bench at the train station in her brown leather bag, high-heeled shoes, and Sunday dress. She is seen as a tragic figure, whose life is defined by waiting for someone who may never come back. The lyrics describe how the town whispers about a traveler who stopped his watch one spring afternoon and said goodbye to his love, promising to return before the willow leaves fell. Penélope's love has not returned, and she still waits. Her once-beautiful garden has withered away, and there are no more willow trees to remind her of her lost love.
As the song goes on, Penélope sees countless trains passing by, hoping that one of them will bring her lover. Eventually, a traveler does come back, but it is not the one she is waiting for. She recognizes the man, but he is not the same person she fell in love with. She remains seated on the bench with her brown leather bag and high-heeled shoes, waiting for the only one she truly loves.
The lyrics of Penélope are a beautiful and poignant commentary on the nature of waiting and missed chances in life. The song uses vivid imagery and a heartbreaking story to paint a picture of a woman who has lost everything but her love for the man who promised to come back to her. It is a testament to the power of love and a reminder that even the most patient person can be broken by time.
Line by Line Meaning
Penélope
This is the name of the woman who is the main subject of the song.
Con su bolso de piel marrón
She carries a brown leather bag with her.
Y sus zapatos de tacón
She wears high-heeled shoes.
Y su vestido de domingo
She dresses up in her Sunday best.
Se sienta en un banco en el andén
She sits on a bench at the train station.
Y espera que llegue el primer tren
She waits for the first train to arrive.
Meneando el abanico
She passes time by fanning herself with a hand-held fan.
Dicen en el pueblo
As rumors go around the village,
Que un caminante paró
Apparently a traveler stopped by.
Su reloj
He halted his watch.
Una tarde de primavera
It was in springtime.
"Adiós amor mío
He said farewell to his loved one,
No me llores, volveré
Promising to return soon,
Antes que
Before
De los sauces caigan las hojas
The leaves of the willows fall.
Piensa en mí
He asks her to think of him,
Volveré a por ti"
Reassuring her that he will be back to get her.
Pobre infeliz
Unfortunately for her,
Se paró tu reloj infantil
Her watch stopped as well,
Una tarde plomiza de abril
On a gray April afternoon,
Cuando se fue tu amante
When her lover left her behind.
Se marchitó
Her garden has withered away,
En tu huerto hasta la última flor
There isn't a willow tree in the main street anymore for Penélope.
Penélope
Penélope remains
Tristes a fuerza de esperar
Sad from waiting for so long,
Sus ojos, parecen brillar
Her eyes light up,
Si un tren silba a lo lejos
Whenever she hears a train whistle in the distance.
Penélope
Penélope
Uno tras otro los ve pasar
She watches train after train go by.
Mira sus caras, les oye hablar
She looks at the people's faces and imagines their conversations.
Para ella son muñecos
To her, they are all dolls.
Dicen en el pueblo
The rumor spreads,
Que el caminante volvió
That the traveler came back,
La encontró
He found her,
En su banco de pino verde
On her green pine bench.
La llamó: "Penélope
He addressed her: “Penélope
Mi amante fiel, mi paz
My faithful lover, my peace,
Deja ya
Please stop
De tejer sueños en tu mente
Weaving dreams in your mind.
Mírame
Look at me,
Soy tu amor, regresé"
I am your love, I have returned.
Le sonrió
Penélope smiled at him,
Con los ojos llenitos de ayer
Her eyes full of memories gone by.
No era así su cara ni su piel
But his face and skin weren't the same,
"Tú no eres quien yo espero
As she realized, he wasn't the one she was waiting for,
Y se quedó
So she remained
Con el bolso de piel marrón
Still with her brown leather bag,
Y sus zapatitos de tacón
And her high-heeled shoes,
Sentada en la estación
Sitting at the train station.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Augusto Alguero Dasca, Juan Manuel Serrat Teresa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Argelia Criztina Hernandez Flores
No puedo dejar de llorar con esta canción, quién me a visto cree que yo pase por está desilusión, pero no es así , solo que como me ven llorar con tanto sentimiento creen que miento cuando digo es solo por la canción.
Ricardo Leon marce
Está canción es un poema de amor yo aprendí a escuchar a Joan Manuel Serrat en paz descanse por un hermano y la verdad se lo agradezco mucho
Subgerencia de Inversiones Valores Unión
Amor juvenil de primavera, puro e inocente, el promete algo, volver antes del otoño y ella cargada de ilusión espera por su amor y ve pasar muchos otoños, el sigue su vida y hasta tal vez se olvida de ella. En el amor uno de los dos siempre ama más y es el que sale mas lastimado. Por algún motivo muchos años después, quien sabe después de mucho camino recorrido y de algunos fracasos en su haber, el se acuerda de ella y decide volver quien sabe si por curiosidad. Ella al verlo viejo y cambiado, en lugar de amarlo lo detesta, pues se da cuenta que todos esos años de fidelidad fueron desperdiciados en alguien que la dejó esperando, hizo su vida y ahora quiere volver como si no hubiera pasado el tiempo. Creo que ella pensaba que su reacción al verlo sería de amor, pero la rabia que siente puede más al verse reflejada en ese hombre cansado y ella vieja ahí sentada, una vida desperdiciada, la rabia de no haber sido correspondida en el momento que se debía le hace dar cuenta que el no es lo que ella quiere.
Nunca des falsas esperanzas a una persona que te ama apasionadamente, es mejor decirle: no me esperes porque no volveré por ti.
Otraprimavera otraprimavera
Siiii, buena. Lastima la verdad siempre es tremenda en estos casos.
Y no tiene remedio
Rosa María Vega
Muy buena interpretación...!!! 😆👍
Guillermo Chavarin
Que hermosa melodia y en la voz del Señorón Serrat.
KokiFPV
Único este Serrat, que belleza cuando las canciones tenían letra ... que recuerdos.
Antonio Luis Betancourt Sanchez
Pasaran los años y penelope seguirá sentada en la estación. de las canciones más memorables, una historia de amor bien contada cantada y sentida por millones de personas de mi generación y otras
Carolina Muñiz Velazquez
Es una historia real
Yudi Virijivich
Me encantó: "Sentada en la estación de las ..." 🤗👏🌹