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®
Señora
Joan Manuel Serrat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ese ladrón que os desvalija
De su amor, soy yo, señora
Ya sé que no soy un buen yerno
Soy casi un beso del infierno
Pero un beso, al fin, señora
Yo soy ese por quien ahora
Os preguntais por qué, señora
Perdiendo la vida, mimando su infancia
Velando su sueño
Llorando su llanto
Con tanta abundancia
Si cuando se abre una flor
Al olor de la flor
Se le olvida la flor
De nada sirvieron las monjas
Ni los caprichos y lisonjas
Que tuvo a granel, señora
No la educo, ya me hago cargo
A un soñador de pelo largo
¿Qué le va usted a hacer, señora?
Si en su reloj sonó la hora
De olvidar vuestro hogar, señora
En brazos de un desconocido
Que sólo le ha dado un soplo de Cupido
Que no la hizo hermosa
A fuerza de arrugas
Y de años perdidos
Si cuando se abre una flor
Al olor de la flor
Se le olvida la flor
Póngase usted un vestido viejo
Y, de reojo, en el espejo
Haga marcha atrás, señora
Recuerde antes de maldecirme
Que tuvo usted la carne firme
Y un sueño en la piel
Y un sueño en la piel
Y un sueño en la piel, señora
The song "Señora" by Joan Manuel Serrat tells the story of a man who is in love with the daughter of the woman he sings to. He knows that the mother doesn't approve of him and sees him as a thief who is taking away her daughter's love. However, he acknowledges that he is not a good match for her and that he is more like a kiss from hell. Despite his flaws, he still desires to be with her daughter and wants the mother to understand why her life has lost its luster. He thinks about how he was able to steal the daughter's love and wants the mother to remember the time when she was young and full of dreams.
The song is a beautiful portrayal of the struggle between tradition and love. The man in the song knows that he is not a good match for her daughter, but love is too powerful to resist. He recognizes that his actions have caused the mother to be upset, but he still believes that his love for her daughter is strong enough to overcome any barrier. The song is a reminder that love is complicated and often battles against traditional expectations. It is a message of hope and courage for anyone who has ever fought for love against the odds.
Line by Line Meaning
Ese con quien sueña su hija
I am the one whom your daughter dreams of
Ese ladrón que os desvalija
I am that thief who steals your love
De su amor, soy yo, señora
I am the receiver of your love, madam
Ya sé que no soy un buen yerno
I know that I am not a good son-in-law
Soy casi un beso del infierno
I am almost a kiss of hell
Pero un beso, al fin, señora
But still, I am a kiss, madam
Yo soy ese por quien ahora
I am the one that makes you wonder now
Os preguntais por qué, señora
You ask yourself why, madam
Se marchitó vuestra fragancia
Your fragrance withered away
Perdiendo la vida, mimando su infancia
Losing your life, cherishing her childhood
Velando su sueño
Guarding her sleep
Llorando su llanto
Crying when she cries
Con tanta abundancia
In such abundance
Si cuando se abre una flor
If when a flower blooms
Al olor de la flor
With the scent of the flower
Se le olvida la flor
The flower itself is forgotten
De nada sirvieron las monjas
The nuns were of no use
Ni los caprichos y lisonjas
Nor the whims and flattery
Que tuvo a granel, señora
That you had in abundance, madam
No la educo, ya me hago cargo
I know that I did not educate her
A un soñador de pelo largo
To a long-haired dreamer
¿Qué le va usted a hacer, señora?
What can you do about it, madam?
Si en su reloj sonó la hora
If the time has come on her clock
De olvidar vuestro hogar, señora
To forget your home, madam
En brazos de un desconocido
In the arms of a stranger
Que sólo le ha dado un soplo de Cupido
Who has only given her a breath of Cupid
Que no la hizo hermosa
Who did not make her beautiful
A fuerza de arrugas
With the force of wrinkles
Y de años perdidos
And lost years
Póngase usted un vestido viejo
Put on an old dress, madam
Y, de reojo, en el espejo
And, from the corner of your eye, in the mirror
Haga marcha atrás, señora
Take a step back, madam
Recuerde antes de maldecirme
Remember before you curse me
Que tuvo usted la carne firme
That you once had firm flesh
Y un sueño en la piel
And a dream on your skin
Y un sueño en la piel
And a dream on your skin
Y un sueño en la piel, señora
And a dream on your skin, madam
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Homero Aguilar Cabrera
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marianoramirez5435
tengo 34, y mi viejo me enseñó a querer a Serrat. hace 10 que ya no está entre nosotros, escucharlo me hace sentir un poco más cerca de el. gracias por compartirlo.
@entevirtual
Yo tengo 50 años y mi papá también me enseñó a querer a Serrat. 👍🏻
@karinabucci
Serrat vivia de joven a 3 calles de mis tios, el corazon de Poble Sec. Vizca Catalunya!
@angelicapratt7247
Un abrazo Mariano.
@magdalenaortegaros5362
Gracias por hacer canciones tan bonitas y con tanto sentimiento mí entrás viva no dejaré de escucharte eres único ❤
@esthelavaldes2569
Nunca me cansaré de escucharte,me gusta mucho tu música, gracias por tanto.❤️
@normaaa894
Me encanta Serrat. Tengo 68 años y lo sigo desde que tenía 17años
@chechi736
Bendición es haber coincidido en el tiempo con Joan Manuel Serrat, eso amerita dar gracias a Dios, a la vida, al Universo, a todo
@andresbritomartinez5641
Extraordinaria canción
@juliogerstenkorn3283
Cuando chicos.. nuestro padre nos dijo: hay un Español! Escuchenlo! Emociona escucharlo si!!