José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945 in Lares, Puerto… Read Full Bio ↴José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945 in Lares, Puerto Rico) is a singer and guitarist, who has been successful in both Spanish and English music. A victim of congenital glaucoma, he was left permanently blind at birth. He is most known for his Christmas song "Feliz Navidad", as well as his covers of "California Dreamin'" and "Light My Fire".

Mas Sabe El Diablo
José Feliciano Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Otra vez estas aqui,
Esperando ver en mi,
El de siempre...

Y el de siempre ya no esta,
Se a cansado de esperar,
Y de creerte...

Cuantas veces dije si,
Y mil veces yo cai en tu trampa.
Un gorrion en libertad,
Nunca suele regresar a su jaula.

Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo,
Ten por seguro que jamas vuelvo a tu lado,
Hoy me di cuenta que eres parte del pasado,
Porque de ti, hace ya tiempo que ni hablo.

Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo,
Ya es sufiente lo que tu me has lastimado,
Un ciervo herido nunca vuelve al mismo prado...
Cuando se a salvado...

Dicen que saber de amor
Es poder llegar amar sin esperanzas
Pero tanta decepcion
Parte en dos al corazon como una lanza

Cuantas veces dije si,
Y mil veces yo cai en tu trampa.
Un gorrion en libertad,
Nunca suele regresar a su jaula.

Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo,
Ten por seguro que jamas vuelvo a tu lado,
Hoy me di cuenta que eres parte del pasado,
Porque de ti, hace ya tiempo que ni hablo.

Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo,
Ya es sufiente lo que tu me has lastimado,
Un ciervo herido nunca vuelve al mismo prado...
Cuando se a salvado...

Oye tu vas a llorar...
Vas a llorar por mi amor...
Y tu vas a llorar...

Oye por mi un gorrion, un gorrion
Jamas suele volver a su jaula...

Overall Meaning

In José Feliciano's song Mas Sabe El Diablo, he describes the end of a toxic relationship. The song talks about a person who keeps coming back, hoping to see the same old version of José, but he has grown tired of waiting and believing in that same person. He has fallen for their tricks and promises one too many times, like a bird that has been set loose but never returns to its cage. José understands that "Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo", which means, "The devil knows more because he is old, not because he is the devil." This line shows how experience and age make one wiser and more knowledgable. In the chorus, he assures the listener that he is done with the person, and they are now a part of his past because they no longer speak.

The second verse talks about how love can be deceiving, and it can break a person's heart into two. José acknowledges that he has given in to this deception multiple times, and he has fallen for the same traps. He compares himself to a bird that cannot be caged again once it has tasted its freedom. The final stanza reveals that the person who kept coming back will now cry for love that they no longer have because José has moved on.

The song's title "Mas Sabe El Diablo" is a Spanish saying, and its English equivalent is "Experience is the best teacher." It is a phrase that emphasizes the essence of experience in gaining wisdom.

José Feliciano adapted this song from a popular Venezuelan ballad originally performed by Simón Diaz.

The song was released in 1981 in his album "Escenas De Amor," where it was a commercial and critical success.

In 1982, the song won the Billboard Latin Music Award for Best Pop Male Performance.

Feliciano's version features a mix of pop, ballad, and Latin flavors, with his soulful voice and guitar playing adding liveliness to the arrangement.

The song has been covered by several artists, including Mexican band RBD and Spanish singer Miguel Bosé.

The music video was shot in Los Angeles and features Feliciano performing the song with his band. He also walks around the city and talks to a woman using sign language.

The song's lyrics are relatable to anyone who has been in a toxic relationship, making it one of the timeless classics of Latin music.

Chords: Gm, F, Bbm, Cm, D, Eb, C, A.

Line by Line Meaning

Otra vez estas aqui, Esperando ver en mi, El de siempre...
Once again you are here, expecting to find the old me in me...

Y el de siempre ya no esta, Se a cansado de esperar, Y de creerte...
But the old me is no more, tired of waiting and believing in you...

Cuantas veces dije si, Y mil veces yo cai en tu trampa. Un gorrion en libertad, Nunca suele regresar a su jaula.
How many times I said yes, and how many times I fell into your trap. Like a sparrow in freedom, it never returns to its cage...

Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo, Ten por seguro que jamas vuelvo a tu lado, Hoy me di cuenta que eres parte del pasado, Porque de ti, hace ya tiempo que ni hablo.
The devil knows more from being old than from being the devil. Be sure that I will never return to your side. Today I realized that you are part of the past, and I haven't spoken to you in a long time...

Ya es sufiente lo que tu me has lastimado, Un ciervo herido nunca vuelve al mismo prado... Cuando se a salvado...
What you have hurt me with is enough. A wounded deer never returns to the same field... once it has been saved...

Dicen que saber de amor Es poder llegar amar sin esperanzas Pero tanta decepcion Parte en dos al corazon como una lanza
They say that knowing about love is being able to love without hope. But so much disappointment can break a heart in two, like a spear...

Oye tu vas a llorar... Vas a llorar por mi amor... Y tu vas a llorar... Oye por mi un gorrion, un gorrion Jamas suele volver a su jaula...
Hey, you will cry... Cry for my love... And you will cry... Listen, for me, a sparrow, a sparrow never returns to its cage...

Contributed by Luke G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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