Universally known as the King of the Mambo, Pérez Prado was the single most… Read Full Bio ↴Universally known as the King of the Mambo, Pérez Prado was the single most important musician involved in the hugely popular Latin dance craze. Whether he actually created the rhythm is somewhat disputed, but it's abundantly clear that Prado developed it into a bright, swinging style with massive appeal for dancers of all backgrounds and classes. Prado's mambo was filled with piercing high-register trumpets, undulating saxophone counterpoint, atmospheric organ (later on), and harmonic ideas borrowed from jazz. While his tight percussion arrangements allowed for little improvisation, they were dense and sharply focused, keeping the underlying syncopations easy for dancers to follow. Prado played the piano, but was often more in his element as the focal point of the audience's excitement; he leaped, kicked, danced, shouted, grunted, and exhorted his musicians with a dynamic stage presence that put many more sedate conductors and bandleaders to shame. With this blueprint, Prado brought mambo all the way into the pop mainstream, inspiring countless imitators and scoring two number one singles on the pop charts (albeit in a smoother vein than the fare that first made his name) as the fad snowballed. He was a star throughout most of the Western Hemisphere during the '50s, and even after his popularity waned in the United States, he remained a widely respected figure in many Latin countries, especially his adopted home of Mexico. Prado is often best remembered for his softer, more commercial work, which has an undeniable kitschiness that plays well with modern-day lounge-revival hipsters. Unfortunately, that has served to obscure his very real credentials in the realm of authentic, unadulterated Latin dance music, and to this day he remains somewhat underappreciated.

Perfidia
Perez Prado and His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

To you my heart cries out "Perfidia,"
For I found you, the love of my life,
In somebody else's arms
Your eyes are echoing "Perfidia,"
Forgetful of our promise of love,
You're sharing another's charms
With a sad lament, my dreams
Have faded like a broken melody

While the gods of love look down and laugh
At what romantic fools we mortals be
And now I know my love was not for you

And so I'll take it back with a sigh,
Perfidious one, good-bye.

Overall Meaning

The song "Perfidia" by Perez Prado and His Orchestra is a classic Latin love song that tells the story of a betrayed lover. The lyrics are written from the perspective of someone who has found the love of their life in the arms of another person. The word "Perfidia" is Spanish for "betrayal," and the singer's heart cries out this word as they express their pain and disappointment.

Throughout the song, the singer refers to the promise of love that was made, and how their lover has forgotten that promise in favor of sharing another's charms. The singer's dreams have faded like a broken melody, and they feel like a fool for believing in the power of love. The gods of love are depicted as looking down and laughing at the singer's pain, highlighting the universal nature of heartbreak.

Finally, the singer realizes that their love was not meant to be, and they must say goodbye to their perfidious lover. The song ends with a sigh, leaving the listener with a sense of bittersweet sadness.

Overall, "Perfidia" is a beautiful and emotional song that has resonated with audiences for decades. Its lyrics speak to the pain and complexity of love, and its lush orchestration adds to the emotional impact of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

To you my heart cries out "Perfidia,"
My heart is distressed and pained because of your deceitful actions, which I can only describe as perfidious.

For I found you, the love of my life,
I believed that you were my soul mate, the one true love of my life.

In somebody else's arms
However, I discovered that you were in a romantic relationship with someone else, even holding them closely in your arms.

Your eyes are echoing "Perfidia,"
I can see in your eyes the same deceitful behavior that caused me so much pain, which is what I mean by echoing perfidia.

Forgetful of our promise of love,
You have completely disregarded the vow we made to love each other and be faithful.

You're sharing another's charms
Instead, you are now enjoying the attraction and attention of another person.

With a sad lament, my dreams
All of the hopes and aspirations that I had with you are now mere memories, which bring me grief and sorrow.

Have faded like a broken melody
They have become like the notes of a once-beautiful song that has become incomprehensible and ruined due to being broken or disturbed.

While the gods of love look down and laugh
The deities of love are observing our tragedy from above with ridicule and contempt, mocking our foolishness for ever believing such an impossible fantasy.

At what romantic fools we mortals be
They are making fun of us, mere mortals who are too foolishly romantic to see the painful truth before our eyes.

And now I know my love was not for you
After everything that has happened, I realize that the love I had for you was misplaced, and it wasn't genuine because you were never the person I thought you were.

And so I'll take it back with a sigh,
Therefore, I will retract the love I had for you with a deep sigh, expressing my sorrow, and realizing it was a mistake to ever give it to you in the first place.

Perfidious one, good-bye.
As I let go of this charade, I bid you farewell, you who are guilty of such perfidy and deceit.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ALBERTO DOMINGUEZ, MILTON LEEDS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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