Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll is a Colombian singer. Born and raised in Bar… Read Full Bio ↴Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll is a Colombian singer. Born and raised in Barranquilla, She made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13. Following the commercial failure of her first two albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), she rose to prominence in Hispanic countries with her next albums, Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998). She entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service (2001), which sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Buoyed by the international success of her singles "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes", the album propelled her reputation as a leading crossover artist. Broadcast Music, Inc., described Shakira as a "pioneer" who extended the global reach of Latino singers.

Her success was further solidified with the Spanish albums Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005), Sale el Sol (2010) and El Dorado (2017), all of which topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and were certified diamond (Latin) by the Recording Industry Association of America. Meanwhile, her English albums Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), She Wolf (2009) and Shakira (2014) were all certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum in various countries worldwide. She served as a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series The Voice (2013–2014).

With a catalog of 145 songs, Shakira has sold over 80 million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Forbes Colombia reported that as of 2018, she is the top-selling female Latin artist of all time. She is credited with opening the doors of the international market for other Latin artists. She has received numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards, twelve Latin Grammy Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, thirty-nine Billboard Latin Music Awards, twenty-one Guinness World Records and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was named the Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade by Billboard twice (2000s and 2010s). For her philanthropic work with her Barefoot Foundation and her contributions to music she received the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year and Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year awards in 2011. She was appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in the US in 2011, and Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2012.

Wherever Mix Ska
Shakira Lyrics

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Lucky you were born that far away
So we could both make fun of distance
Lucky that I love a foreign man for
The lucky fact of your existence

Baby I would climb the Andes solely
To count the freckles on your body
Never could imagine there were only

Ten million ways to love somebody

Le do, lo le, lo le
Le do, lo le, lo le
Can't you see?
I'm at your feet!

Whenever, wherever
We're meant to be together
I'll be there and you'll be near
And that's the deal my dear

There over, here under
You'll never have to wonder
We can always play by ear
But that's the deal my dear

Lucky that my lips not only mumble
They spill kisses like a fountain
Lucky that my breasts are small and humble
So you don't confuse them with mountains

Lucky I have strong legs like my mother
To run for cover when I need it
And these two eyes are for no other
The day you leave will cry a river

Le do, lo le, lo le
Le do, lo le, lo le
At your feet
I'm at your feet!

Whenever, wherever
We're meant to be together
I'll be there and you'll be near
And that's the deal my dear

There over, here under
You'll never have to wonder
We can always play by ear
But that's the deal my dear

Le do, lo le, lo le
Le do, lo le, lo le
Think out loud
Say it again

Le do, lo le, lo le, lo le
Tell me one more time
That you'll live
Lost in my eyes

Whenever, wherever
We're meant to be together
I'll be there and you'll be near
And that's the deal my dear

There over, here under
You've got me head over heels
There's nothing left to fear
If you really feel the way I feel

Whenever, wherever
We're meant to be together
I'll be there and you'll be near
And that's the deal my dear

There over, here under
You've got me head over heels

There's nothing left to fear
If you really feel the way I feel

Overall Meaning

Shakira's song "Wherever, Whenever" is about the power of love to overcome physical distance and cultural barriers. She sings about how lucky she is to have found someone who lives far away, but who she loves despite the challenges that come with that distance. Shakira would climb mountains just to be close to her lover, and she sings that there are ten million ways to love somebody. The chorus is an expression of her commitment to being with this person, no matter what happens. She promises to always be there for him and not to play games in their relationship.

In the second verse, Shakira flaunts her physical attributes, saying that she's lucky to have lips that spill kisses like a fountain and small breasts that won't be confused with mountains. She also talks about her strong legs and two eyes that are only for her lover. Shakira is so dedicated to this relationship that she says she will cry a river if her lover ever leaves her.

The song is catchy and upbeat, with a mix of English and Spanish lyrics. Shakira's unique vocal style and the ska-influenced instrumentation give the song an international feel that matches its message of crossing borders for love.

Overall, "Wherever, Whenever" is a fun, inspiring song about finding love despite the odds. Shakira's passionate vocals and clever lyrics make it a timeless classic that still resonates with listeners today.

Line by Line Meaning

Lucky you were born that far away
I feel fortunate that you were born in a place far from me because we can make fun of the distance between us.

So we could both make fun of distance
I'm glad that we can joke about how far apart we are.

Lucky that I love a foreign man for
I consider myself fortunate for loving a man who is from another country.

The lucky fact of your existence
I feel lucky that you exist in this world.

Baby I would climb the Andes solely
I would endure a difficult journey, such as climbing the Andes, just to see you.

To count the freckles on your body
I want to explore every part of your body, even just to discover how many freckles you have.

Never could imagine there were only
I couldn't imagine there were only a finite number of ways to love someone.

Ten million ways to love somebody
There are a plethora of ways to love someone.

Le do, lo le, lo le
This is a chant, perhaps meant to express joy or excitement.

Can't you see?
This is a question, asking if the other person can recognize something that is happening.

I'm at your feet!
I am devoted to you and willing to do whatever you ask.

Whenever, wherever
Our love is not constrained by time or place.

We're meant to be together
It feels like destiny that we should be together.

I'll be there and you'll be near
I promise to always be there for you and have you close to me.

And that's the deal my dear
This is the agreement between us, what we are promising to each other.

There over, here under
We may be separated by distance, but we are still connected.

You'll never have to wonder
You never have to be unsure of my feelings or commitment to you.

We can always play by ear
We don't need to plan everything out, we can be spontaneous and flexible in our love.

But that's the deal my dear
This is still our agreement, despite being open to spontaneity.

Lucky that my lips not only mumble
I am fortunate that my words are not incoherent or meaningless.

They spill kisses like a fountain
My words express my love and desire for you in a flowing, almost endless way.

Lucky that my breasts are small and humble
I feel lucky that I don't have to worry about my physical appearance, as it doesn't detract from how you see me.

So you don't confuse them with mountains
I want to reassure you that my breasts are not comparable to something as grand and magnificent as mountains.

Lucky I have strong legs like my mother
I feel fortunate that I inherited physical strength and resilience from my mother.

To run for cover when I need it
I am grateful to be able to protect myself and escape dangerous situations when necessary.

And these two eyes are for no other
I have eyes only for you and no one else.

The day you leave will cry a river
If you were to leave me, I would be devastated and cry profusely.

Think out loud
This is an expression meaning to voice one's thoughts or opinions, perhaps without thinking too much about them first.

Say it again
Please repeat yourself, I want to hear the thing you said.

Le do, lo le, lo le, lo le
This is a repetition of the chant from earlier in the song.

Tell me one more time
Ask the other person to please repeat something once more.

That you'll live
This is a hopeful or optimistic expression, wishing for someone's continued existence.

Lost in my eyes
This is a metaphorical expression, suggesting that the other person is so enamored with the artist that they are almost drowning, or lost, in their eyes.

You've got me head over heels
I am completely enamored by you, both physically and emotionally.

There's nothing left to fear
We have made an agreement and expressed our feelings openly, so there is nothing left to be scared or uncertain of.

If you really feel the way I feel
I hope that you feel the same way about me as I do about you.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SHAKIRA MEBARAK, TIM MITCHELL, GLORIA ESTEFAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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