The restaurant where he worked as a young man, "La Sirena" was frequented by Andres Huesca, who heard some of his compositions of the then young singer, among which was "Cuando el Destino" and "Yo". Huesca immediately decided to record this and following this in 1948 for the first time on the radio station XEX-AM and months after the XEW-AM, which was catapulted to fame. He married Paloma Gálvez and had two children, José Alfredo and Paloma.
He had no musical training—according to the singer Miguel Aceves Mejía, Jiménez didn't play an instrument and didn't even know the Spanish terms for "waltz" and "key". Nonetheless he composed more than 1000 songs. Among the most famous are "Ella", "Media Vuelta", "El Rey", "El Jinete", "Si Nos Dejan", "Amanecí Entre Tus Brazos", "Cuando el Destino", "El Caballo Blanco", "Llegó Borracho el Borracho" and "Que Te Vaya Bonito", as well as "Camino de Guanajuato", where he sang about his home State of Guanajuato as well as his home town of Dolores Hidalgo Guanajuato.
In addition to his own hit recordings, many of his songs have been recorded successfully by recording artists around the Spanish-speaking world, most notably by Pedro Infante, Rocío Durcal, Javier Solís, Pedro Fernández, Jorge Negrete, Vikki Carr, Luis Miguel, Lola Beltrán, Lucha Villa, Vicente Fernández and by Spaniards Julio Iglesias, Joaquín Sabina and Manolo García.
Jiménez passed at a young age, like others of his contemporaries: Negrete, Infante and Solís, the so-called "Three Mexican Roosters", or Tres Gallos Mexicanos all died young. He was struck-down by hepatitis at age 47 and is regarded, along with Agustín Lara and Juan Gabriel, as one of the best songwriters that Mexico has ever produced. He was certainly one of the most prolific composers in the history of popular music, world-wide.
Shortly before his death, he wrote and recorded his last song, "Gracias", thanking the public for all of the affection they had shown him. His tomb has become a place of pilgrimage for serious music fans from around the Spanish-speaking world.
Corazón Corazón
José Alfredo Jiménez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Amor sin desengaño
Me duele que lo sepas corazón
Querer es admitir que tienes que sufrir
Tal vez te has encontrado
Con un amor sincero
Pero no estés confiado corazón
Existen tantas cosas
En contra de un cariño
La vida es como un niño
Que juega por capricho
Con nuestro gran dolor
Tu nunca te arrepientas
Y quiérela aunque sufras
Amar es tu destino
Por algo Dios te puso
Por nombre corazon
Ay, corazon
The lyrics of José Alfredo Jiménez's song Corazón Corazón reflect a deep understanding of the intricacies of love and the pain that comes along with it. The opening lines suggest that if you search for love in life without experiencing any disillusionment, then it will hurt to know that it is not possible. The song acknowledges that love is about admitting that you have to suffer. It is a journey full of ups and downs, joy and sorrow, and the admission of potential heartache that underpins the song's message.
The second verse describes the unpredictability of love, noting that one may find genuine love, but that does not mean it will necessarily last. Eventually, tears will come, and the pain of loving someone will be part of the package that love brings. The song suggests that love is a perilous journey, full of obstacles, indicating that there are so many things against love. Life is like a child who sometimes inflicts pain on the people who love it, but they continue to love it unconditionally.
The chorus advises the listener never to regret loving someone, even if that love leads to pain. Love is a person's destiny, and they should embrace it wholeheartedly, even if it hurts because that is what God put them in the world to do. The song is a powerful reminder that love is not straightforward, and it is not always a bed of roses. Understanding its complexities and embracing it is an essential part of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Si buscas en la vida
If you search in life
Amor sin desengaño
Love without disappointment
Me duele que lo sepas corazón
It hurts me that you know it, heart
Querer es admitir que tienes que sufrir
To love is to admit that you have to suffer
Tal vez te has encontrado
Maybe you have found
Con un amor sincero
A sincere love
Pero no estés confiado corazón
But don't be confident, heart
Tarde o temprano llorarás
Sooner or later, you will cry
Existen tantas cosas
There are so many things
En contra de un cariño
Against a love
La vida es como un niño
Life is like a child
Que juega por capricho
That plays on a whim
Con nuestro gran dolor
With our great pain
Tu nunca te arrepientas
You never regret
Y quiérela aunque sufras
And love her even if you suffer
Amar es tu destino
To love is your destiny
Por algo Dios te puso
For some reason, God put you
Por nombre corazon
By the name of heart
Ay, corazon
Oh, heart
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adolfo Urias
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind