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®
Piel de Manzana
Joan Manuel Serrat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que dio a morder
Su piel de manzana
Cuando Cupido
Plantaba un nido
En cualquier ventana.
A esa muchacha
Guardando cola
Y revoloteando
Como polillas
En las farolas.
A esa muchacha que fue Piel de Manzana
Se le quebró el corazón de porcelana,
Se le bebieron de un trago la sonrisa.
La primavera con ella tuvo prisa.
Y quién me hace entender
Que la entretuve ayer
Temblándome en las manos.
Maldigo el no poder
Volvernos a esconder
En el último rellano
Y a oscuras, compartir
Un ramillete de promesas
Y oír, sobre las diez:
Niña, la hora que es y sin poner la mesa.
Muchachas tristes
Que florecisteis
En mis aceras,
Bien poco ha escrito
En vuestros cuadernos
La primavera......y llega el invierno.
In the song "Piel de Manzana" by Joan Manuel Serrat, the lyrics are about a girl who is compared to an apple, an easily consumed fruit, when Cupid had a nest on every window. The first few lines talk about a girl who offered her skin that was as tender as an apple's to be bitten into. The second stanza introduces another girl who was always waiting in line, perhaps for something or someone, and fluttering like moths on the streetlights. This stanza contrasts with the first one as the lyrics describe a sad girl with faded beauty who did not catch Cupid's attention.
In the chorus, the lyrics state that the girl who was once compared to an apple had a porcelain heart that broke, and her smile was taken away in an instant. Spring came and left quickly with her. The lyrics express regret about not being able to go back in time to share a bouquet of promises and listen to an old clock ringing at ten in the evening. The song ends with a few lines talking to a group of girls that blossomed on the streets but did not write much in their notebooks about spring, and winter arrives.
One interesting fact about this song is that it was released in 1973 and is considered one of Joan Manuel Serrat's most famous songs. The song was written by Joan Manuel Serrat and Antonio Gala. Another interesting fact is that the song originally had another title, "Cupid," but was later changed to "Piel de Manzana" ("Apple Skin") due to censorship concerns. The song has been covered by many artists, including Luz Casal, Pedro Guerra, and Rocío Dúrcal, among others. "Piel de Manzana" was one of the songs played in the first concert ever held in Spain by Bob Dylan.
Another interesting fact is that the song has been used in several movies, including "El Calentito" (2005), "Barcelona, noche de invierno" (2015), and "La Plaza del Diamante" (1982). The song was included in Joan Manuel Serrat's "Mediterráneo" album, which has sold more than two million copies worldwide. Despite being censored for years during the Franco regime, Joan Manuel Serrat sang the song during his first concert after Franco's death in Barcelona in 1977. Lastly, Joan Manuel Serrat has expressed that the song was inspired by his experience of going to dance halls filled with young people when he was younger.
Chords (Capo on 1st fret):
Verse: Am, G, F, E
Chorus: Am, G, C, E, F, Dm, E.
Line by Line Meaning
A esa muchacha que dio a morder su piel de manzana cuando Cupido plantaba un nido en cualquier ventana.
Referring to a girl who was giving away her love to just anyone during the season of love.
A esa muchacha que tuvo al barrio guardando cola y revoloteando como polillas en las farolas.
Talking about a girl from the neighborhood who was always waiting in line and always hanging around in the streets.
A esa muchacha que fue Piel de Manzana se le quebró el corazón de porcelana, se le bebieron de un trago la sonrisa. La primavera con ella tuvo prisa.
The girl who gave away her love easily eventually got hurt and lost her smile. She wanted things to happen fast.
Y quién me hace entender que la entretuve ayer temblándome en las manos. Maldigo el no poder volvernos a esconder en el último rellano y a oscuras, compartir un ramillete de promesas y oír, sobre las diez: Niña, la hora que es y sin poner la mesa.
The artist regrets not being able to spend more time with this girl and wishes they could hide away in a secret place and promise each other their love for one another.
Muchachas tristes que florecisteis en mis aceras, bien poco ha escrito en vuestros cuadernos la primavera......y llega el invierno.
The artist is reflecting on the girls he has seen around his neighborhood during springtime but has noticed that they never truly experience the beauty of love and now winter has come.
Contributed by Matthew W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TheEndomedico
Muy hermosa canción, mas que canción poema que describe lo fugaz de la juventud de muchas mujeres en las en el cuaderno de su vida pocas cosas escribió la primavera. La vejez es inevitable.
victoria villagra
Mamá decía: "La suerte de la fea, la linda la desea." Lamento que en mi se cumplió el dicho.
Reinaldo De Souza
Nano...te conoci en un pueblo chico cuando yo era niño..un lugar de Uruguay. hoy con 60 te sigo queriendo. gracias por hacerme sentir la poesia
alberto baru
Recuerdo este disco muy bien, porque me lo regaló, hace mil años, una novia porque sabia que yo amaba a Serrat. Y cada vez que escucho el tema la recuerdo buenamente.
Todo tiempo pasado fue mejor...
Mirta Susana
Es una triste canción, homenaje a esas muchachas que fueron la primera vez de los jóvenes del barrio. La manzana que mordían y dejaban para otros. Ilusionada creyó en lo que no fue. Un homenaje de arrepentimiento. Me hace llorar, vaya a saber porqué, "niña!, la hora que es y sin poner la mesa". Tal vez, la ingenuidad de la madre que no sabe, que su niña perdió la primavera.
Jesus Sebastian Ros Reina
@Mirta Susana y llega el invierno..
Mirta Susana
Un comentario a veces es cuestionado (aquí hay un ejemplo), como si fuera una redundancia. Si la canción lo dice todo ¿para qué? Una necesidad de ordenar imágenes, sentires.
Para los que no estén de acuerdo, una disculpa. Gracias.
emanuel valdes
Mirta Susana; EXCELENTE ! tu comentario.
Jorge Grillo
@alberto baru Cierto... Recuerdos quizás, de una de esas muchachas...!!!
alberto baru
Con la canción bastaba para soltar una lagrima, que necesidad tenías de hacer este comentario y seguir hechando leña al fuego...