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®
Vencidos
Joan Manuel Serrat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Se vuelve a ver la figura
De Don Quijote pasar
Y ahora ociosa y abollada, va en el rucio la armadura
Y va ocioso el caballero, sin peto y sin espaldar
Va cargado de amargura
Que allá encontró sepultura
Va cargado de amargura
Que allá "Quedó su ventura"
En la playa de barcino, frente al mar
Cuántas veces, Don Quijote, por esa misma llanura
En horas de desaliento así te miró pasar
Y cuántas veces te gritó: "Hazme un sitio en tu montura
Y llévame a tu lugar
Hazme un sitio en tu montura
Caballero derrotado
Hazme un sitio en tu montura
Que yo también voy cargado
De amargura
Y no puedo batallar
Ponme a la grupa contigo
Caballero del honor
Ponme a la grupa contigo
Y llévame a ser contigo
Contigo pastor"
Por la manchega llanura
Se vuelve a ver la figura
De don quijote pasar
Va cargado de amargura
Va, vencido, el caballero
De retorno a su lugar
The lyrics of Joan Manuel Serrat's song Vencidos revolve around the character of Don Quijote, the central figure of Miguel de Cervantes' novel Don Quijote de la Mancha. The song describes Don Quijote's return to his home, the manchega llanura (La Mancha's plain), with his armor rusty, his courage depleted, and his heart filled with sadness. He is no longer the bold and fearless knight, but a defeated and "abollada" (dented) shadow of his former self. As he passes by, the people who had mocked him before now greet him with kind words, realizing the depth of his suffering.
The lyrics of the song also express the longing of a young man who wishes to be part of Don Quijote's noble world, even if it means sharing in his pain and defeat. He begs Don Quijote to make room for him in his horse and take him along on his adventures. The young man wants to ride with the knight, to become part of his journey, to escape his mundane life and become a "caballero del honor" (knight of honor). However, as Don Quijote passes by, the young man realizes that the knight is too burdened with his own sorrow to take on another passenger. The young man must face his own battles and find his own way in life.
Overall, the song speaks of resilience, hope, and the inevitability of defeat. It inspires us to find our own paths in life, to overcome the obstacles that come our way, and to find beauty in the most unexpected places.
Line by Line Meaning
Por la manchega llanura
We see Don Quijote passing through the plains of La Mancha.
Se vuelve a ver la figura
Once again, we see the silhouette of Don Quijote.
De Don Quijote pasar
As he makes his way through the land.
Y ahora ociosa y abollada, va en el rucio la armadura
Don Quijote's armor is now battered and idle as it rests on his trusty steed.
Y va ocioso el caballero, sin peto y sin espaldar
The knight too is idle, without his breastplate or backplate.
Va cargado de amargura
He carries a heavy burden of bitterness.
Que allá encontró sepultura
Where his beloved quest met its end.
Su amoroso batallar
And where his chivalrous fighting spirit has since been laid to rest.
Va cargado de amargura
He carries a heavy burden of bitterness.
Que allá 'Quedó su ventura'
Where his fortune was left behind.
En la playa de Barcino, frente al mar
On the shores of Barcino, by the sea.
Cuántas veces, Don Quijote, por esa misma llanura
How many times, Don Quijote, have you crossed this same plain?
En horas de desaliento así te miró pasar
In moments of despair, how often have we watched you pass us by?
Y cuántas veces te gritó: 'Hazme un sitio en tu montura
And how many times have we begged to be taken along on your ride?
Y llévame a tu lugar
And carried off to your place in the world.
Hazme un sitio en tu montura
Make a place for me on your horse.
Caballero derrotado
I am a defeated knight.
Hazme un sitio en tu montura
Make a place for me on your horse.
Que yo también voy cargado
For I too carry the weight of bitterness.
De amargura
And struggle to fight on, like you.
Ponme a la grupa contigo
Take me up behind you, Don Quijote.
Caballero del honor
Knight of valor and honor.
Ponme a la grupa contigo
Take me up behind you.
Y llévame a ser contigo
And carry me off to be with you.
Contigo pastor'
Together as shepherds of our fate.
Va, vencido, el caballero
The knight rides on, defeated.
De retorno a su lugar
Returning to his home, now empty-handed.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LEON FELIPE CAMINO GALICIA, JUAN MANUEL SERRAT TERESA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Juan Jose Ruiz
Cuántas veces, Don Quijote, por esa misma llanura,
en horas de desaliento así te miró pasar...
y cuántas veces te gritó: "Hazme un sitio en tu montura
y llévame a tu lugar.
Hazme un sitio en tu montura,
caballero derrotado,
hazme un sitio en tu montura,
que yo también voy cargado
de amargura
y no puedo batallar.
de las mejores estrofas que escuche en una cancion.
Nery S Salazar
Me llevaré la letra de esta canción a mi sueño eterno, Don Quijote, yo hubiera ido contigo incluso con mayor humildad que Sancho, cuando en su regreso creyó en la aventura del cual hacía recuerdo, Don Alonso Quijano en su fase racional, le dice: Sancho regresemos a casa, todo lo que has vivido es por causa de mi locura, leyendo libros de caballeros andantes, perdóname Sancho, por todo lo que te hice pasar, y ahí en esas líneas suelto el llanto, pues Cervantes le da fin y posteriormente muerte a mi héroe, al caballero de la triste figura, al caballero de los leones. No estoy consciente de este final.... Y tampoco quiero su regreso a casa, por que es el final de las aventuras de ese libro, tan hermoso. Aún hoy después de 20 años, recuerdo, Don Quijote, no te rindas¡¡¡¡ Que tal parece que es a mi a quien han desarmado y, me han tirado de Rocinante con la lanza del caballero de la Luna... Y esta canción finalmente resume el final, y el regreso de Don Quijote, Yo también me cargue de amargura, y hubiera ido a la grupa contigo, Caballero del honor....
Julio Leonetti
❤
suso bar
😭😭😭😭
Nery S Salazar
@Jose Alberto Galaviz Soto ❤️
Nery S Salazar
@Yessica Alejandra Moreno Corral ❤️
Nery S Salazar
@Pablo Paitán Ayuque "OROPESINO" quechua hablante. ❤️
Jorge Maura Gamero
"Y cuantas veces te grito: hazme un sitio en tu montura ... y llévame a tu lugar ! " Preciosa frase, cargada de tierno sentido , de nuestro gran poeta zamorano León Felipe
domingo rodriguez
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MARIA ISABEL SANABRIA
Joan Manuel Manuel serrat, único e irrepetible en todas y cada una de sus interpretaciones.
Sirenita Playa
Anoche estuve en su concierto en Mérida, lugar privilegiado para escuchar a un privilegiado, Magnífico, Maravilloso y bueno pues que sigo flotando después de más de 24 horas 😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩