Joaquín Sabina, is the second son of Adela Sabina del Campo and Jerónimo Martinez Gallego, which was a policeman. He attended a Carmelite primary school and he started writing his firsts poems and composing music at 14 years old. He was part of a band called Merry Youngs which imitated singers such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry or Little Richard.
In 1968 he enrolled in the University of Granada, but went into exile in London, using a fake passport, to avoid Francisco Franco's persecution. In London, he collaborated with other young artists in theater and cultural events.
In 1975, he started composing songs and singing at local bars. When the dictatorship ended in 1977 he returned to Spain and enrolled in the military.
In 1978 his first album, Inventario (Inventory), debuted with the number-one hit single Pongamos que hablo de Madrid (Let's say I'm talking about Madrid).
Afterwards, he released Malas compañías (The Wrong Crowd) and a live album called La mandrágora (The Mandragora), which caused much controversy due to the racy content of its lyrics. Spain was just coming out of the dictatorship, and Sabina's favorite topics have always been deemed "morally inappropriate" by some: the homeless, prostitutes, drunks, and Robin Hood-styled thieves. He is very much anti-stablishment.
In 1983 he released Ruleta Rusa (Russian Roulette) and two years later, Juez y parte (Judge and Jury). His political views led him to take part in the anti-NATO movement. He later published Joaquín Sabina y Viceversa.
In 1987 he released Hotel, dulce hotel (Hotel, Sweet Hotel), which sold a large number of records in Spain. That success followed with his next album El hombre del traje gris (The Man in The Gray Suit), and followed with a successful tour of South America.
In 1990 he released Mentiras piadosas (White Lies) and two years later Física y química (Physics and Chemistry), which led to another successful tour of the Americas.
His later albums Esta boca es mía (These Lips are Mine), Yo, mi, me contigo (I, Me, With You) and 19 días y 500 noches (19 Days and 500 Nights), won him recognition and multiple platinum albums.
After recovering from a stroke, he returned to the stage in 2002 with Dímelo en la calle (Let's Take It Outside). He later released a double album called Diario de un peatón (Diary of A Pedestrian), which included both his previous album and 12 new songs, along with a book illustrated by him.
In 2005 his new record Alivio de luto (Mourning Relief), put him in track to being one of the biggest names in Spanish musical stardom. The album comes with a DVD that includes interviews, music videos, acoustic versions of the songs and some home-made recordings.
De Purísima y Oro
Joaquín Sabina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sabañones, aceite de ricino
Gasógeno, zapatos Topolino
El género dentro por la calor
Para primores galerías Piquer
Para la inclusa niños con anginas
Para la tisis caldo de gallina
Para el socio del limpia un carajillo
Para el estraperlista dos barreras
Para el corpus retales amarillos
Que aclaren el mora'o de las banderas
Tercer año triunfal, con brillantina
Los señoritos cierran alazán
Y, en un barquito, Miguel de Molina
Se embarca, caminito de ultramar
Habían pasado ya los nacionales
Habían rapado a la señá Cibeles
Cautivo y desarmado
El vaho de los cristales
A la hora de la zambra, en los grabieles
Por ventas madrugaba el pelotón
Al día siguiente hablaban los papeles
De Celia, de Pemán y del bayón
Enseñando las garras de astracán
Reclinaba en la barra de chicote
La bien pagá derrite, con su escote
La crema de la intelectualidad
Permanén, con rodete Eva Perón
Parfait amour, Rebeca azul marino
Maestro, le presento a Lupe sino
Lo dejo en buenas manos, matador
Y, luego, el reserva'o en gitanillos
Y, después, la paella de riscal
Y, la tarde del manso de saltillo
Un anillo y unas medias de cristal
Niño, sube a la suite dos anisetes
Que, hoy, vamos a perder los alamares
De purísima y oro, Manolete
Cuadra al toro, en la plaza de linares
Habían pasado ya los nacionales
Habían rapado a la señá Cibeles
Volvían a sus cuidados
Las personas formales
A la hora de la conga, en los burdeles
Por San Blas descansaba el pelotón
Al día siguiente hablaban los papeles
De Gilda y del Atleti de aviación
The lyrics of Joaquin Sabina’s song De Purisima y Oro paint a vivid picture of the cultural and social realities of Spain in the 1940s and 1950s. The verses describe the Academia de corte y confección (sewing and dressmaking school), where students learn how to make clothes, while suffering from sabañones (chilblains), taking castor oil, and wearing Topolino shoes, which hurt their feet due to the heat. The singer then proceeds to list different places and people that represent the diverse social classes and backgrounds of the society of the time. For example, there is the gallery Piquer for the upper class, the inclusa (orphanage) for children with sore throats, and caldo de gallina (chicken soup) for those suffering from tuberculosis. There is also Luis Miguel for the foreigners, the carajillo (coffee with brandy) for the street sweeper, and the two barreras (cigarette) for the gambler.
In the second verse, the scene shifts to a flamenco show, where the señoritos (young noblemen) dance and Miguel de Molina sings. The singer describes the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, as the nationalists had already taken power and the statue of Cibeles in Madrid had been vandalized. The sights and sounds of daily life are present, with the steam on the windowpane, the pelotón (troops) waking up early to sell things, and the newspapers reporting about the latest news and gossip. The lyrics close with a nod to the world of bullfighting, with the mention of Manolete, who was a famous torero (bullfighter) in the 1940s, and the crowds in the plaza de Linares, a Spanish city known for its bullfighting tradition.
Line by Line Meaning
Academia de corte y confección
A fashion school for sewing and cutting techniques
Sabañones, aceite de ricino
Chilblains and castor oil
Gasógeno, zapatos Topolino
Gas generator and Topolino shoes
El género dentro por la calor
Fabrics perspire due to the heat
Para primores galerías Piquer
For luxury, Piquer's galleries
Para la inclusa niños con anginas
For an orphanage, children with angina
Para la tisis caldo de gallina
For tuberculosis, chicken broth
Para las extranjeras Luis Miguel
For foreigners, Luis Miguel (singer)
Para el socio del limpia un carajillo
For the cleaning partner, a small coffee
Para el estraperlista dos barreras
For the smuggler, two barriers
Para el corpus retales amarillos, que aclaren el mora'o de las banderas
For the religious procession, yellow pieces of cloth to lighten the black of the flags
Tercer año triunfal, con brillantina
Third triumphal year, with glitter
Los señoritos cierran alazán
The gentlemen close the bay horse
Y, en un barquito, Miguel de Molina, se embarca, caminito de ultramar
And, in a little boat, Miguel de Molina sails on his way overseas
Habían pasado ya los nacionales
The national forces had already passed
Habían rapado a la señá Cibeles
They had shaved the Lady of Cibeles
Cautivo y desarmado
Captive and unarmed
El vaho de los cristales
The steam on the glass
A la hora de la zambra, en los grabieles
At the time of the zambra, in the grabieles
Por ventas madrugaba el pelotón
The platoon would wake up early for the sales
Al día siguiente hablaban los papeles, de Celia, de Pemán y del bayón
The next day the papers would talk about Celia, Pemán, and the bayonet
Enseñando las garras de astracán
Showing off their astrakhan claws
Reclinaba en la barra de chicote
Leaning against the Chicote bar
La bien pagá derrite, con su escote
The well-paid woman melts, with her neckline
La crema de la intelectualidad, Permanén, con rodete Eva Perón
The cream of the intelligentsia, Permanén, and Eva Perón with a bun hairstyle
Parfait amour, Rebeca azul marino
Perfect love, navy blue Rebeca
Maestro, le presento a Lupe sino
Maestro, I present you to Lupe Sino
Lo dejo en buenas manos, matador
I leave him in good hands, bullfighter
Y, luego, el reserva'o en gitanillos
And then, the reserved wine with little gypsy men
Y, después, la paella de riscal
And then, the Riscal paella
Y, la tarde del manso de saltillo, un anillo y unas medias de cristal
And, in the afternoon of the Saltillo bull, a ring and some crystal stockings
Niño, sube a la suite dos anisetes, que, hoy, vamos a perder los alamares
Boy, bring up two anisetes to the suite, today we are going to let our hair down
De purísima y oro, Manolete, cuadra al toro, en la plaza de linares
Pure and gold, Manolete, match the bull, in the Linares square
Habían pasado ya los nacionales
The national forces had already passed
Habían rapado a la señá Cibeles
They had shaved the Lady of Cibeles
Volvían a sus cuidados
They returned to their duties
Las personas formales
The formal people
A la hora de la conga, en los burdeles
At the hour of the conga, in the brothels
Por San Blas descansaba el pelotón
The platoon would rest by San Blas
Al día siguiente hablaban los papeles, de Gilda y del Atleti de aviación
The next day the papers would talk about Gilda and the aviation team
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Antonio Manuel Vicente Oliver, Joaquin Ramon Martinez Sabina
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juanantonioparrarico6223
Lamentablemente esta obra maestra de mi paisano Joaquín refleja la realidad de la posguerra de nuestra querida España. Gracias maestro por recordar de esta forma tan sutil, digna de un genio, lo que nunca se podrá olvidar.
@mariabulla2584
Lamentablemente, ¿por qué?
Es historia.
A ver quien canta de esta manera, dentro de unos años, las penurias que estamos pasando con Antonio y compañia
@RufinoArandaFrutos-mf7ti
Obra maestra de un maestro!!! Gracias Joaquín, somos much@s los que sabemos que es tu mejor canción, regalo para nuestros oídos, retrato de una época, buena para algunos, peor para la mayoria
@mariarubioalias5263
Esta canción me encoje el Alma es mi preferida una joya, Gracias.
@pistachez
Si escuchas esta canción, te convalidan créditos en la carrera de historia
@RufinoArandaFrutos-mf7ti
Mejor si te la aprendes y la cantas en el examen😂
@veveruz
Si la escuchas y la entiendes, porque no es fácil.
@josefinafranciscaperaltaro1501
Cada estrofa cuenta una parte de la vida española.
@geleam1759
Esta es probablemente la más completa canción ( se queda corta está palabra) de Sabina.
Es imposible elegir una sola,pero mi corazón me dice que esta es la ''mejor''.
Ay! Joaquinito, cuanto te echo de menos.....💔✊💜
@pedroherrerocarreter3920
No tienes mal gusto,a su maestro krahe también se lo parecía