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.
This Time
Los Lobos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Go by so fast
If only time
Was built to last
If it could learn
To take it slow
Then maybe time
That if Monday, Tuesday
Should go away
It'll be Wednesday, Thursday
Then Saturday
And when Sunday comes
It's just too late
It's gotta be this time
How come the days
Do what they do
Maybe if time
Time only knew
Could be that time
Don't really know
That it should try
To take it slow
Then maybe Monday, Tuesday
Won't go away
Then maybe Thursday, Friday
Could be like Saturday
And when Sunday comes
It's never too late
It'll be this time
It's gotta be this time
How come the days
Do what they do
Maybe if time
Time only knew
That if Monday, Tuesday
Should go away
It'll be Wednesday, Thursday
Then Saturday
And when Sunday comes
It's just too late
It's gotta be this time
It's gotta be this time
It's never too late
It'll be this time
Los Lobos’s song “This Time” meditates on the notion of time and how it shapes our lives. The first verse states: “Why do the days go by so fast? If only time was built to last.” This suggests that the rapid passage of time is frustrating because it doesn't provide us with enough opportunity to enjoy or appreciate the present. The second verse introduces the idea that maybe time itself could learn to slow down: “If it could learn to take it slow, then maybe time at last would know.” This raises the possibility of controlling or manipulating time to bend it to our desires.
The chorus presents a scenario in which time is tamed and reorganized into a more preferable sequence: “Then maybe Monday, Tuesday won't go away, then maybe Thursday, Friday could be like Saturday, and when Sunday comes, it's never too late. It'll be this time, it's gotta be this time.” The chorus suggests that life would be greatly improved if time could be rearranged to keep us in a state of happiness and leisure. The final verse repeats the questions, “How come the days do what they do? Maybe if time, time only knew.” This conclusion suggests that time remains a mystery or force beyond our control, even though we would like to think otherwise.
Line by Line Meaning
Why do the days
Questioning the quickness of time passing
Go by so fast
Expressing surprise and concern about the speed of time
If only time
Expressing a desire for how time could be
Was built to last
Desiring a time that endures for longer periods
If it could learn
Speculating about the potential traits of time
To take it slow
Desiring a slower pace to the passing of time
Then maybe time
Speculating about the potential effect of slowing down time
At last would know
Suggesting that time currently doesn't know what it's doing
That if Monday, Tuesday
Describing the order of days in a week
Should go away
Expressing a desire to remove some days from the week
It'll be Wednesday, Thursday
Predicting the days that come after Monday and Tuesday
Then Saturday
Describing a possible change in the order of days
And when Sunday comes
Describing the last day of the week
It's just too late
Suggesting that the week has already ended
How come the days
Asking again about the passing of time
Do what they do
Expressing confusion about why time operates the way it does
Maybe if time
Speculating again on the potential traits of time
Time only knew
Suggesting that time currently doesn't know what it's doing
Could be that time
Expressing the possibility of change
Don't really know
Suggesting that time is unaware of things it doesn't do
That it should try
Implicitly urging time to do something
To take it slow
Reiterating the hope for a slower pace to time
Then maybe Monday, Tuesday
Repeating the same description of the beginning of the week
Won't go away
Expressing a desire for Monday and Tuesday to stay
Then maybe Thursday, Friday
Predicting a possible change in the order of days
Could be like Saturday
Expressing another possible change in the order of days
It's never too late
Suggesting that there is still time for change
It'll be this time
Reiterating that this time is the time for change
It's gotta be this time
Emphasizing the importance of this moment for change
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Cloud9
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?