Career
Jurado began performing flamenco at a very young age, debuting on the big screen in 1962 with Los guerrilleros, acting alongside Manolo Escobar. She also played a main role in 1966's Proceso a una estrella and 1971's Una chica casi decente. While temporarily living in Argentina, the Spanish diva participated in a successful musical called La zapatera prodigiosa, based on Federico García Lorca's work. After teaming with composer Manuel Alejandro, Rocío Jurado became a major and beloved figure on the Latin music scene, acclaimed throughout America and Spain after releasing Muera el amor and Señora, among other hits.
Illness
In 2004, Jurado was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer for which she was treated in Houston, Texas in 2006. In April 2006, she was also treated for acute liver failure in a hospital in Madrid, Spain. On May 26, 2006, Spain's Culture Minister Carmen Calvo announced that Jurado had suffered a stroke, an assertion denied by Jurado's personal physician Dr. Domingo and by her brother and manager Amador Mohedano. She died at 5:15 in the morning on June 1st, 2006, at her home in La Moraleja, Madrid, aged 61. She is buried in her hometown, Chipiona, Cadiz, in the San José Cemetery.
Puse un Letrero
Rocío Jurado Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y una pena sin consuelo.
Tengo lso mango perdios
Y tengo en el alma duelo
Poder del corazon mio que se
Me muere de celos.
En tus humbrales puse un letrero
Quiero.
De los amores eres el mas
Bonito, el que sabe hacer callaitos.
Mira que poco valio el querer
Que me brindaba, mira que poco
Valio,
Por tu madre lo juraba, te quiero
Te quiero mas que ami vida
Y con otra me enganabas.
En tus humbrales puse un letrero
Con tres palabras cuanto
Te quiero.
De los amores eres el mas bonito
Eres el que sabe hacer callaitos.
Yo era clavito y canela.
Amapola y pan de trigo,
Yo era clavito y canela y tu
Fuiste mi castigo, nieve en lugar
De candela y mi peor enemigo.
En tus humbrales puse un letrero
Con tres palabras cuanto
Te quiero.
De los amores eres el mas bonito,
Eres el que sabe hacer callaitos.
The lyrics to Rocío Jurado's song "Puse un Letrero" are full of heartbreak and regret, as the singer laments a lost love and the pain it has caused. The opening lines of "Tengo los mangos perdios / Y una pena sin consuelo" evoke a sense of disorientation and sadness, as if the singer has lost their way and can find no comfort. The repeated phrase "Tengo los mangos perdios" is a play on words, as "mangos" can mean both "mangoes" and "handlebars" (as in, losing one's grip or direction), adding a layer of ambiguity and metaphor to the lyrics.
The chorus, "En tus humbrales puse un letrero / Con tres palabras cuanto te quiero" ("I put a sign on your doorstep / with three words of how much I love you"), reveals that despite the pain and heartbreak, the singer still deeply loves this person. The use of the word "humbrales" (doorstep) suggests a longing to be near the person, even if it's just in spirit. The second half of the chorus, "De los amores eres el mas bonito / el que sabe hacer callaitos" ("You're the most beautiful of loves / the one who knows how to keep quiet"), reinforces the idea of a hidden, secret love that cannot be openly expressed or acknowledged.
The verses continue with more expressions of heartbreak and betrayal, as the singer reveals that their love was disregarded and their feelings not reciprocated. The lines "Mira que poco valio el querer / Que me brindaba, mira que poco valio / Por tu madre lo juraba, te quiero" ("Look how little my love was worth / That I offered you, look how little it was worth / I swore it on your mother, I love you") are particularly poignant, as they suggest a deep trust and commitment that was ultimately broken.
Overall, "Puse un Letrero" is a powerful expression of love, loss, and regret. The imagery and metaphors used throughout the lyrics add depth and complexity to the emotions being expressed, and the chorus serves as a memorable and emotional refrain.
Line by Line Meaning
Tengo los mangos perdios
I am lost and without direction.
Y una pena sin consuelo.
I am burdened with an inconsolable sadness.
Tengo los mango perdios
I am lost and without direction.
Y tengo en el alma duelo
I carry a deep pain in my soul.
Poder del corazon mio que se
My heart's power is fading away
Me muere de celos.
I am consumed by jealousy.
En tus humbrales puse un letrero
I put a sign on your doorstep.
Con tres palabras cuanto te Quiero.
It said three words - how much I love you.
De los amores eres el mas Bonito, el que sabe hacer callaitos.
Of all the loves in my life, you were the prettiest and knew how to keep secrets.
Mira que poco valio el querer Que me brindaba, mira que poco Valio,
Look how little our love was worth, how it meant nothing to you.
Por tu madre lo juraba, te quiero Te quiero mas que ami vida Y con otra me enganabas.
You swore to me by your mother that you loved me more than life itself, yet you cheated on me.
En tus humbrales puse un letrero
I put a sign on your doorstep.
Con tres palabras cuanto Te quiero.
It said three words - how much I love you.
De los amores eres el mas bonito Eres el que sabe hacer callaitos.
Of all the loves in my life, you were the prettiest and knew how to keep secrets.
Yo era clavito y canela. Amapola y pan de trigo,
I was the spice and the bread, and you were my downfall.
Yo era clavito y canela y tu Fuiste mi castigo, nieve en lugar De candela y mi peor enemigo.
I was the passion and the fire, but you were my punishment, bringing coldness instead of warmth.
En tus humbrales puse un letrero
I put a sign on your doorstep.
Con tres palabras cuanto Te quiero.
It said three words - how much I love you.
De los amores eres el mas bonito, Eres el que sabe hacer callaitos.
Of all the loves in my life, you were the prettiest and knew how to keep secrets.
Contributed by Natalie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.