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.
Dame Un Poco De Ti
José Alfredo Jiménez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
dame un poco de ti.
Te lo estoy suplicando.
Este amor sin igual
no se puede acabar
si lo dejas llorando.
más bonito que ayer
y por toda la vida.
Yo te voy a enseñar
cómo debes amar
cuando todo se olvida.
Esta noche de amor
yo seré para ti
lo que tanto has soñado.
Esta noche de amor
tú serás para mí
lo que nunca he encontrado.
No te vayas así,
dame un poco de ti.
Te lo estoy suplicando.
Este amor sin igual
no se puede acabar
si lo dejas llorando.
Te lo estoy suplicando:
no me dejes llorando.
Esta noche de amor
yo seré para ti
lo que tanto has soñado.
Esta noche de amor
tú serás para mí
lo que nunca he encontrado.
No te vayas así,
dame un poco de ti.
Te lo estoy suplicando.
Este amor sin igual
no se puede acabar
si lo dejas llorando.
No te vayas así,
dame un poco de ti.
The lyrics to José Alfredo Jiménez's song "Dame un Poco de Ti" tell the story of a lover pleading for their partner to stay and not leave them alone. The singer begs their lover to give them a little bit of themselves, so they can continue their unparalleled love. They implore that this love cannot end without causing a great deal of pain and sorrow. They promise to love them more every day and teach them how to love when everything is forgotten.
The singer promises to be everything their lover has ever dreamed of, fulfilling desires and being the perfect partner for them. They want this night of love to be unforgettable, making their lover feel cherished and appreciated. They want to be the one that their lover has been searching for their whole life. The song ends with the pleas of the singer not to go and to give them a little bit of themselves so they can continue this extraordinary love.
The lyrics are layered with emotion, portraying a sense of desperation for the lover not to leave. The lyrics' tone and mood are poignant, and the way they implore their lover is both heart-wrenching and sympathetic. The song's message is clear - love is not something that should be given up so easily, and that both parties should work together to make it last.
Line by Line Meaning
No te vayas así,
Please don't go like that,
dame un poco de ti.
Give me a little bit of yourself.
Te lo estoy suplicando.
I'm begging you for it.
Este amor sin igual
This unparalleled love
no se puede acabar
cannot end
si lo dejas llorando.
if you leave it crying.
Yo te pienso querer
I plan to love you
más bonito que ayer
more beautifully than yesterday
y por toda la vida.
and for the rest of our lives.
Yo te voy a enseñar
I will teach you
cómo debes amar
how to love properly
cuando todo se olvida.
when everything is forgotten.
Esta noche de amor
This night of love
yo seré para ti
I'll be for you
lo que tanto has soñado.
what you've dreamt of for so long.
Esta noche de amor
This night of love
tú serás para mí
you'll be for me
lo que nunca he encontrado.
what I've never found before.
Te lo estoy suplicando:
I'm begging you:
no me dejes llorando.
don't leave me crying.
No te vayas así,
Please don't go like that,
dame un poco de ti.
Give me a little bit of yourself.
Te lo estoy suplicando.
I'm begging you for it.
Este amor sin igual
This unparalleled love
no se puede acabar
cannot end
si lo dejas llorando.
if you leave it crying.
No te vayas así,
Please don't go like that,
dame un poco de ti.
Give me a little bit of yourself.
Writer(s): Jose Alfredo Jimenez Sandoval
Contributed by Elizabeth L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.