Vocalist/guitarist David Hidalgo and drummer Louie Pérez met at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, and bonded over their mutual affinity for obscure musical acts such as Fairport Convention, Randy Newman and Ry Cooder. Pérez recalls, "We’re looking at each other, 'You like this stuff? I thought I was the only weird one.' So I went over to his house one day for about a year, which we spent listening to records, playing guitars, and starting to write songs." The two borrowed reel-to-reel recorders from a friend and created multi-track recordings of music spanning from parody songs to free-form jazz. They later enlisted fellow students Cesar Rosas and Conrad Lozano to complete the group's line-up in 1973.
Formed in the late 1970's, band members Dave Hidalgo, Cesar Rojas, Steve Berlin, Louie Pérez and Conrad Lozano became the bellwether for Mexican-American music in the U.S. when they recorded the music for "La Bamba" in 1987, which added popular acclaim to the critical praise they had received for their 1984 album "How Will the Wolf Survive?".
They have since become one of the mainstays of the Latin music scene as well as rock music in general, staying together through over 20 albums, and for almost three decades, through changing music climate and personal tragedies, they've continued cranking out albums and touring to dedicated fans.
Manny's Bones
Los Lobos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The men all laughed and the girls did cry
Now it's time to lay his soul to rest
Do him up in his Sunday best, oh my
Manny's dead and didn't leave me none
Went off to heaven, left his bed undone
Gone away, he didn't leave a cent
Don't go leave me here by myself
Won't hear me callin' when you've all done left
Guess I didn't make it out this time
But I'll be waitin' on the other side, bye bye
Way down in Manny's bones
A dry old river and a dusty soul
We'll take him down to the fishin' hole
And let the water take him to his home
Way down in Manny's bones
A dry old river and a dusty soul
We'll take him down to the fishin' hole
And let the water take him to his home
Way down in Manny's bones
Way down in Manny's bones
The lyrics of the song Manny's Bones by Los Lobos depict a tale of a man, Manuel, who has recently passed away. The men in the community are laughing while the women are crying, which is often the case during traditional funerals. The lyrics also mention the ritual of dressing up the deceased in their "Sunday best" and laying their soul to rest. However, despite the somber moment, the singer expresses a sense of missing Manuel, who didn't leave anything behind and has gone to heaven. The absence of the singer is also felt by his dogs.
The chorus of the song refers to Manny's bones and takes us on a journey down to the fishing hole where the water can take him to his final resting place. The images of a "dry old river and a dusty soul" paint a vivid picture of the desolate and arid landscape, setting a melancholic and poetic mood. The final verse also alludes to the singer's own mortality, expressing the longing to meet Manny on the other side.
Line by Line Meaning
On the day Manuel went and died
Manuel passed away on a particular day
The men all laughed and the girls did cry
The men seemed unemotional about the incident while the girls were emotional and cried
Now it's time to lay his soul to rest
It's time to give Manuel's soul some rest
Do him up in his Sunday best, oh my
Dress Manuel in his best clothes for his funeral
Manny's dead and didn't leave me none
Manuel is dead and did not leave anything for me
Went off to heaven, left his bed undone
Manuel went to heaven and did not make up his bed
Gone away, he didn't leave a cent
Manuel left with nothing, not even a single cent
The dogs are all wonderin' where their daddy went, oh my
The dogs are curious and wondering where their owner, Manuel went
Don't go leave me here by myself
Please don't leave me alone
Won't hear me callin' when you've all done left
When everyone leaves, I won't be heard calling out for them
Guess I didn't make it out this time
The singer did not make it out of a situation this time
But I'll be waitin' on the other side, bye bye
The artist will be waiting for their loved one on the other side or in the afterlife
Way down in Manny's bones
Deep within Manuel's remains
A dry old river and a dusty soul
Manuel's remains are dry and dusty
We'll take him down to the fishin' hole
They will take his remains down to the fishing hole
And let the water take him to his home
They will let the water take his remains to his final resting place
Way down in Manny's bones
Deep within Manuel's remains
A dry old river and a dusty soul
Manuel's remains are dry and dusty
We'll take him down to the fishin' hole
They will take his remains down to the fishing hole
And let the water take him to his home
They will let the water take his remains to his final resting place
Way down in Manny's bones
Deep within Manuel's remains
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID KENT HIDALGO, LOUIS FRAUSTO PEREZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jim Wood
on Me Estas Matando
I would like to learn this song. My Spanish is sufficient, but I require the lyrics. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Jim Wood
on Me Estas Matando
I can't seem to find lyrics for this song. Can anyone help me out?