In her native town of Rosario, Sinaloa, Beltrán completed her secretarial studies while she participated in many singing competitions. She then moved to Mexico City where she was discovered while working at the radio station XEW, and never went back to Rosario again.
She married Alfredo Leal, a matador and film actor, and with him had two children: María Elena Leal, who is also a singer, and José Leal. She entered the world of film in 1954 starring in El tesoro de la muerte. After participating in dozens of films, most of them musicals, she obtained a role in the telenovela Mi rival with Saby Kamalich. In 1976 and 1984 she hosted the musical shows Noches tapatías and El estudio de Lola Beltrán respectively.
Beltrán is still considered with Lucha Reyes the most successful ranchera-music singer of all time. She was the first ranchera singer to perform at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. She also performed at the Olympia music hall in Paris, the Tchaikovsky Hall of Moscow and the Conservatory of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in the former Soviet Union.
Soon after recording Disco del Siglo with Lucha Villa and Amalia Mendoza "La Tariácuri" (produced by Juan Gabriel) she died of a massive pulmonary embolism at the Ángeles hospital of Mexico City.
Soy Infeliz
Lola Beltrán Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vive feliz mi bien, si el amor que tu me diste para siempre he de sentir
Soy infeliz si porque tu no me quieres, piensas que yo he de morir
Que me sirvan otro trago cantinero yo los pago
Pa' calmar este sufrir
Vive feliz en tu mundo de ilusiones
No pienses mas en tu amor y tus traiciones
Soy infeliz si porque tu no me quieres, piensas que yo he de morir
Pa' calmar este sufrir
Vive feliz en tu mundo de ilusiones
No pienses mas en tu amor y tus traiciones
Soy infeliz si porque tu no me quieres, piensas que yo he de morir
Que me sirvan cuatro tragos cantinero yo los pago
Pa' calmar este sufrir
The lyrics of Lola Beltran's song "Soy Infeliz" express the pain of being in love with someone who doesn't reciprocate that love. The singer acknowledges their unhappiness and their awareness that their love is unrequited, but they plead with their beloved to live happily and remember the love they once shared. The repetition of the line "soy infeliz" reinforces the singer's despair and sense of hopelessness, but they cope with this by asking for drinks to numb the pain.
The song contains a sense of resignation and acceptance of the situation, but also a lingering desire for things to be different. The suggestion that the singer will pay for their own drinks reveals a sense of self-reliance in the face of their hardship. Ultimately, the lyrics capture the complex emotions that arise from unrequited love, from hurt and sadness to longing and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Soy infeliz porque se que no me quieres para que mas insistir
I am unhappy because I know you do not love me, so why bother trying.
Vive feliz mi bien, si el amor que tu me diste para siempre he de sentir
Live happy my love, for I will forever feel the love you gave me.
Soy infeliz si porque tu no me quieres, piensas que yo he de morir
I am unhappy because you think I should die just because you do not love me.
Que me sirvan otro trago cantinero yo los pago
Pa' calmar este sufrir
Bring me another drink, bartender. I will pay. To ease this suffering.
Vive feliz en tu mundo de ilusiones
No pienses mas en tu amor y tus traiciones
Live happy in your world of illusions. Stop thinking about your love and your betrayals.
Soy infeliz si porque tu no me quieres, piensas que yo he de morir
Que me sirvan cuatro tragos cantinero yo los pago
Pa' calmar este sufrir
I am unhappy because you think I should die just because you do not love me. Bring me four drinks, bartender, I'll pay. To ease this suffering.
Contributed by Jeremiah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.