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.
Que Se Acabe el Agua
José Alfredo Jiménez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que se acabe todo lo que necesito para mal vivir
Pero tú quedas
Porque ya no puedo seguir por el mundo sin llevarte en mí
Que me apague el cielo
Todas las estrellas, a Luna y el Sol
Pero tú te quedas
No te vayas nunca, ni nunca te vayas
No me dejes nunca, ni nunca me dejes
Y cuando te alejes un metro de mí
Prométeme, vida, que regresas pronto
Trayendo en tu pecho mucho más cariño que el que yo te di
Ni nunca te vayas
Ni nunca me dejes
Y cuando te alejes un metro de mí
Prométeme, vida, que regresas pronto
Trayendo en tu pecho mucho más cariño que el que yo te di
Que se acabe el agua
Que se acabe todo
Pero tú quedas
The song "Que Se Acabe el Agua" by José Alfredo Jiménez is a beautiful and heartfelt plea to a loved one to never leave. The first verse talks about the singer's desire for everything they need to live in a less-than-pleasant way to disappear - even water. However, the one thing that remains is the person they love. The singer cannot continue through life without them, and they hold a special place in their heart. The second verse continues this theme with the singer not wanting anything else in the world, not even the stars, moon or sun, but their loved one. They credit their strength and ability to carry on because of the love they share with their partner.
The chorus emphasizes the fear of losing this person even for a moment. The singer implores the person to never leave them and promises to do the same. They ask that if the person has to leave for any reason, they should come back with even more love in their heart, and ready to share it. The overall message of the song is one of dependency and deep love. The singer cannot imagine their life without the person they love and would do anything to keep them close.
Line by Line Meaning
Que se acabe el agua
I wish everything I depend on for living deteriorates, fades, or ends
Que se acabe todo lo que necesito para mal vivir
I want to lose everything that's been nurturing my wayward style of living
Pero tú quedas
But you remain. You are the constant in my life that I cannot stand to lose
Porque ya no puedo seguir por el mundo sin llevarte en mí
To live on this planet is unbearable without you, you are embedded within me.
Que me apague el cielo
I want even the heavens above to snuff out all its light.
Todas las estrellas, a Luna y el Sol
I want every star, moon, and sun to turn off its light.
Pero tú te quedas
But you stay by my side - you are the reason I can find the strength to continue
Porque yo soy fuerte, gracias a tus besos, gracias a tu amor
It's your love that has made me strong, your kisses that inspire me.
No te vayas nunca, ni nunca te vayas
Please don't leave me, not even for a moment
No me dejes nunca, ni nunca me dejes
Always be with me, help me through every rough patch
Y cuando te alejes un metro de mí
But should you ever have to leave, just for a short while,
Prométeme, vida, que regresas pronto
Promise me, my love, that you will return soon to me.
Trayendo en tu pecho mucho más cariño que el que yo te di
Bring back even more love in your heart than what I have given to you.
Ni nunca te vayas
Please don't leave me at all
Y cuando te alejes un metro de mí
But should you ever have to leave, just for a short while,
Prométeme, vida, que regresas pronto
Promise me, my love, that you will return soon to me.
Trayendo en tu pecho mucho más cariño que el que yo te di
Bring back even more love in your heart than what I have given to you.
Que se acabe el agua
I wish everything I depend on for living deteriorates, fades, or ends
Que se acabe todo
I want to lose everything that's been nurturing my wayward style of living
Pero tú quedas
But you remain. You are the constant in my life that I cannot stand to lose
Writer(s): Jose Alfredo Jimenez
Contributed by Anna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@myriamespitiaespitia9587
Definitivamente, José Alfredo Jiménez es el mejor de todos los tiempos, el señorón de la ranchera.
@albertohrivera
QUE CANCION DEL MAESTRO Y PUEDO DECIR QUE SE ACABE TODO LO MATERIAL PERO LO BUENO SE QUEDA Y QUIEN DIJA QUE JOSE ALFREDO NO ERA PROFUNDO EN SU LETRAS NO VIVO Y PA VIVIR NO SOLO SE RESPIRA GRACIAS POR COMPARTIR ESTA CANCION
@miriamchuyrp
Mil gracias y felicidades caalglez por subir tan hemosas canciones de el mejor compositor y cantante de maxima expresion.
@liliacenaidarodriguezcelis2522
Hermosa muy hermosa, que letra tan bonita... Gracias...
@IngEmilioGarciaLagos
El sentimiento Cantado y Contado en una cancion..........solo Jose Alfredo lo pudo hacer.....
@myriamespitiaespitia9587
Hermosa canción.
@evahernandez5315
que cancion tan bonita de verdad bellisima
@brauliososa7834
Lo mejor que Mexico dio,no habra otro igual
@adriansandoval1439
Es una bonita canción patodos los adoloridos el mejor compositor del mundo
@carloshenaorequinto
y cuiando te alejes un metro de mi prometeme vida q regresas pronto trayendo en tu pecho mucho mas cariño q el q yo te di