Sosa was born in Tucumán, a northwestern province of Argentina, of mestizo descent from French and Amerindian (Quechuan) ancestry. In 1950, at age fifteen, she won a singing competition organized by a local radio station and was given a contract to perform for two months.
Sosa and her first husband Manuel Oscar Matus were key players in the mid-60s nueva canción movement (which was called nuevo cancionero in Argentina). Her first record was Canciones con Fundamento (Songs with Fundament), a collection of Argentine folk songs.
In 1967, Sosa toured with great success the United States and Europe. In subsequent years, she performed and recorded extensively, broadening her repertoire to include material from throughout Latin America.
In the early 1970s, Sosa released two concept albums in collaboration with composer Ariel Ramírez and lyricist Félix Luna: Cantata Sudamericana (South American Cantata) and Mujeres Argentinas (Argentine Women). She also recorded a tribute to Chilean poet Violeta Parra.
After the military dictatorship of Jorge Videla came to power, the atmosphere in Argentina grew increasingly oppressive. At a concert in La Plata (Buenos Aires) in 1979, Sosa was searched and arrested on stage, and the attending crowd was arrested. Banned in her own country, she moved to Paris and then to Madrid.
Sosa returned to Argentina in 1982, several months before the military regime collapsed as a result of the Falklands War, and gave a series of concerts at the Opera theater in Buenos Aires, where she invited many of her younger colleagues to share the stage. A double album of recordings from these performances became an instant best seller.
In the following years, Sosa continued to tour both in Argentina and abroad, performing in such venues as the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the Mogador in París.
Sosa's repertoire continued to broaden, and she made recordings in various styles. She collaborated frequently with Argentine musicians such as León Gieco, Charly García, Antonio Tarragó Ros, Rodolfo Mederos and Fito Páez, and other Latin American artists such as Milton Nascimento and Silvio Rodríguez.
Sosa participated in a 2001 production of the Misa Criolla by Ariel Ramírez.
Mercedes Sosa's website(in Spanish)
Qué He Sacado Con Quererte
Mercedes Sosa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que los dos miramos juntos, ay ay ay?
¿Qué he sacado con los nombres, ay ay ay
Estampados en el muro, ay ay ay?
Como cambia el calendario, ay ay ay
Cambia todo en este mundo, ay ay ay
Ay
Que plantamos en el patio, ay ay ay?
No era uno el que plantaba, ay ay ay
Eran dos enamorados, ay ay ay
Hortelano, tu plantío, ay ay ay
Con el tiempo no ha cambiado, ay ay ay
Ay
¿Qué he sacado con la sombra, ay ay ay
Del aroma por testigo, ay ay ay
Y los cuatro pies marcados, ay ay ay
En la orilla del camino, ay ay ay?
¿Qué he sacado con quererte, ay ay ay
Clavelito florecido, ay ay ay?
Ay
Aquí está la misma luna, ay ay ay
En el patio el blanco lirio, ay ay ay
Los dos nombres en el muro, ay ay ay
Y tu rostro en el camino, ay ay ay
Pero tú, palomo ingrato, ay ay ay
Ya no arrullas en mi nido, ay ay ay
Ay
The song "Qué He Sacado Con Quererte" by Mercedes Sosa is a beautiful and melancholic exploration of what is gained and lost in love. The lyrics reflect on various symbols and moments that the singer shared with their beloved, such as looking at the moon together, planting a lily in the garden, and leaving footprints by the roadside. The repetition of "ay ay ay" throughout the song adds to its emotive power, conveying a sense of longing and regret.
In the first verse, the singer asks what they have gained by sharing the experience of looking at the moon with their lover. The moon is a romantic symbol, often associated with intimacy and closeness. However, the question implies that this moment of togetherness did not ultimately result in anything tangible or lasting. Similarly, the names that the couple wrote on the wall suggest a desire for permanence, but the question "what have I gained?" implies that this, too, was fleeting.
The second verse further explores the theme of impermanence, as the singer reflects on the lily that they planted with their lover in the garden. The fact that it was "two enamored people" who planted it is significant, as it suggests that love was the driving force behind the act. However, the repetition of "ay ay ay" implies that this feeling of love has not endured, despite the fact that the lily itself has continued to grow over time.
The final verse is the most poignant, as the singer directly addresses their former lover, calling them a "palomo ingrato" (ungrateful dove) and expressing their sense of loss. The images of the moon, lily, and names on the wall all come together in this final verse, as the singer acknowledges that these symbols are still present, but the person they shared them with is gone.
Overall, "Qué He Sacado Con Quererte" is a hauntingly beautiful song that captures the bittersweet nature of love and loss. The imagery is vivid and evocative, and the melancholic melody adds to the overall impact of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
¿Qué he sacado con la luna, ay ay ay
What have I gained from the moon, oh oh oh
Que los dos miramos juntos, ay ay ay?
that we both looked at together, oh oh oh?
¿Qué he sacado con los nombres, ay ay ay
What have I gained from the names, oh oh oh
Estampados en el muro, ay ay ay?
Stamped on the wall, oh oh oh?
Como cambia el calendario, ay ay ay
As the calendar changes, oh oh oh
Cambia todo en este mundo, ay ay ay
everything in this world changes, oh oh oh
¿Qué he sacado con el lirio, ay ay ay
What have I gained from the lily, oh oh oh
Que plantamos en el patio, ay ay ay?
That we planted in the patio, oh oh oh?
No era uno el que plantaba, ay ay ay
It wasn't just one planting, oh oh oh
Eran dos enamorados, ay ay ay
It was two lovers, oh oh oh
Hortelano, tu plantío, ay ay ay
Gardener, your planting, oh oh oh
Con el tiempo no ha cambiado, ay ay ay
With time, it has not changed, oh oh oh
¿Qué he sacado con la sombra, ay ay ay
What have I gained from the shadow, oh oh oh
Del aroma por testigo, ay ay ay
The fragrance as a witness, oh oh oh
Y los cuatro pies marcados, ay ay ay
And the four marked feet, oh oh oh
En la orilla del camino, ay ay ay?
On the edge of the road, oh oh oh?
¿Qué he sacado con quererte, ay ay ay
What have I gained by loving you, oh oh oh
Clavelito florecido, ay ay ay?
A bloomed little carnation, oh oh oh?
Aquí está la misma luna, ay ay ay
Here is the same moon, oh oh oh
En el patio el blanco lirio, ay ay ay
In the patio the white lily, oh oh oh
Los dos nombres en el muro, ay ay ay
The two names on the wall, oh oh oh
Y tu rostro en el camino, ay ay ay
And your face on the road, oh oh oh
Pero tú, palomo ingrato, ay ay ay
But you, ungrateful dove, oh oh oh
Ya no arrullas en mi nido, ay ay ay
You no longer coo in my nest, oh oh oh
Ay
Oh
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: VIOLETA PARRA SANDOVAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Danny Arias
Qué he sacado con la luna, ay, ay, ay
Que los dos miramos juntos, ay, ay, ay
Qué he sacado con los nombres, ay, ay, ay
Estampados en el muro, ay, ay, ay
Cómo cambia el calendario, ay, ay, ay
Cambia todo en este mundo, ay, ay, ay
¡Ay, ay, ay! ¡Ay! ¡Ay!
Qué he sacado con el lirio, ay, ay, ay
Que plantamos en el patio, ay, ay, ay
No era uno el que plantaba, ay, ay, ay
Eran dos enamorado’, ay, ay, ay
Hortelano, tu plantío, ay, ay, ay
Con el tiempo no ha cambiado, ay, ay, ay
¡Ay, ay, ay! ¡Ay! ¡Ay!
Qué he sacado con la sombra, ay, ay, ay
Del aromo por testigo, ay, ay, ay
Y los cuatro pies marcados, ay, ay, ay
En la orilla del camino, ay, ay, ay
Qué he sacado con quererte, ay, ay, ay
Clavelito florecido, ay, ay, ay
¡Ay, ay, ay! ¡Ay! ¡Ay!
Aquí está la misma luna, ay, ay, ay
Y en el patio el blanco lirio, ay, ay, ay
Los dos nombres en el muro, ay, ay, ay
Y tu rastro en el camino, ay, ay, ay
Pero tú, palomo ingrato, ay, ay, ay
Ya no arrullas en mi nido, ay, ay, ay
¡Ay, ay, ay! ¡Ay! ¡Ay!
Josefina Merlos
Grande Mercedes,
siempre autentica,
nunca se. pinto el
cabello de rubio como
lo hacen ciertas
"artistas" como la
Guadalupe Pineda
que ahora es rubia
de bote, que
decepcion
como Mercedes
ninguna, y que voz
de terciopelo,
TE doy un 1000
mi negra. ♥️
Andrés Aciar
Si Violeta Parra y Mercedes Sosa hubieran vivido en la misma época, me las imagino muy amigas, luchando de la mano, llevando música para toda América Latina y al mundo, nutriéndonos con ríos de melodías y sabiduría. Que bueno es saber que La Negra siguió llevando esa antorcha revolucionaria y musical que la gran Violeta dejó encendida...
Dayan Steven Zapata Gutierrez
+Andrés Aciar Tienes toda la razón, Y a lo mejor Julieta no se hubiera suicidado, tendría por quien darle gracias a la vida.
Ismael Auger
pero en una dimension que va mas alla del mundo material que aun conocemos ellas comparten juntas una intencion y un mismo espiritu, hermano
Eduardo Aravena
Son unas imortales siempre estarán en la memoria de nuestros pueblos admiradas y amadas
Guillermina Azocar
Gracias por tus palabras, me las llevo.
Neto A T
Qué manera de transmitir el dolor, qué artista tan grande. Alguna vez te pude ver en vivo. Se te extraña Mercedes.
Francisco A
Argentina y Chile unidos por la musica
Higinio Juarez
Y toda América Latina con ellas, xq son mujeres Universales, de otra dimensión
Ride74
pero por la musica si hermano peace s2
Rolando enrique Jimenez moraga
Violeta parra cantora e interprete de este tema creo música para nuestro pueblo mapuche y chileno y para toda América gracias Mercedes por engrandecer la cultura latinoamericana la música traspasa fronteras