Cole began his recording career with producer Duke Reid, scoring a hit with his 1962 debut, “Rough & Tough,” a full-tilt ska number with a wild harmonica solo. His Louis Jordan revival song, “Run Joe,” was a hit in 1965, and featured members of the Techniques on harmony vocals.
Stranger frequently used duet partners, most notably Millicent “Patsy” Todd and Ken Boothe, and later in his career, Gladstone Anderson (their version of “Just Like a River” is one of Cole’s finest songs), stemming from an apparent shyness in the studio, but Cole developed into a soulful vocalist, and his songs radiate a kid of joyful personality that is rare in most reggae.
Uno Dos Tres
Stranger Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa' atrás (epa)
Un, dos
Un, dos
Un, dos, tres
Un, dos
Un, dos, tres
Un, dos
Epa
Oh eh oh
Oh eh oh
Oh eh oh
Oh eh oh
Oh eh oh (Un, dos, tres)
Oh eh oh
Oh eh oh (Un, dos, tres)
Oh eh oh (epa)
Ella me tiene loco
Ella me tiene loco
She's the one that always turns me on
Sexy angel fallen from heaven
She's the one that always drives me wild
In her arms she's driving forever
Así es María
Blanca como el día
Pero es veneno si te quieres enamorar
Así es María
Tan caliente y fría
Que si te la bebes de seguro te va a matar
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa' atrás (Aunque me muera, ahora, María)
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Un, dos, tres (María, I want to make you mine)
Un pasito pa' atrás
Ella me tiene loco
María is an angel in disguise
Feeds my love with her devotion
Searching for a special place to hide
As she conquers all my emotion
Así es María
Blanca como el día
Pero es veneno si te quieres enamorar
Así es María
Tan caliente y fría
Que si te la bebes de seguro te va a matar
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa' atrás (Aunque me muera, ahora, María)
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Un, dos, tres (María, I want to make you mine)
Un pasito pa' atrás
Un pasito pa'lante
Un pasito pa' atrás
Un pasito pa'lante
Un pasito pa' atrás (María, María)
Un pasito pa'lante
Un pasito pa' atrás (María)
Un pasito pa'lante
Un pasito pa' atrás (epa)
Oh eh oh
Oh eh oh
Oh eh oh
Oh eh oh (epa)
Un, dos, tres
Un, dos, tres
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa' atrás
Un, dos
Un, dos, tres
Un, dos
Un, dos, tres (epa)
Un, dos
Un, dos, tres
Así es María
Blanca como el día
Pero es veneno si te quieres enamorar
Así es María
Tan caliente y fría
Que si te la bebes de seguro te va a matar
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa' atrás (Aunque me muera, ahora, María)
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Un, dos, tres (María, I want to make you mine)
Un pasito pa' atrás
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa' atrás (Aunque me muera, ahora, María)
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Un, dos, tres (María, I want to make you mine)
Un pasito pa' atrás
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Un, dos, tres
Un pasito pa' atrás (epa)
The song "Uno Dos Tres" by Stranger Cole and Ken Boothe is a love song dedicated to a woman named María. The song starts with the chorus, "Un, dos, tres, un pasito pa'lante, María" which means "One, two, three, one step forward, Maria" and "Un, dos, tres, un pasito pa'atrás" which means "One, two, three, one step back." The chorus is repeated multiple times throughout the song.
The song talks about how María is the one that always turns the singer on and how she is a sexy angel fallen from heaven. The lyrics state that María is "blanca como el día" meaning "white as the day" but she's "veneno si te quieres enamorar" which means "poison if you want to fall in love." The verses explain how María is the one that always drives the singer wild and he is always in love with her.
The song is a mixture of Spanish and English languages and has a catchy beat that makes it an easy song to dance to. The repetition of the chorus makes it a fun and engaging song to sing along to.
Line by Line Meaning
Un, dos, tres
Counting in Spanish
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Step forward, María
Un pasito pa' atrás (epa)
Step backward (hey)
Ella me tiene loco
She drives me crazy
She's the one that always turns me on
She's the one that excites me
Sexy angel fallen from heaven
She's a beautiful woman
She's the one that always drives me wild
She's the one that makes me lose control
In her arms she's driving forever
Her embrace is all I need
Así es María
That's María
Blanca como el día
Pure as the day
Pero es veneno si te quieres enamorar
But she's poison if you want to fall in love with her
Tan caliente y fría
So hot and cold
Que si te la bebes de seguro te va a matar
That if you get involved with her, she's sure to kill you
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Step forward, María
Un pasito pa' atrás (Aunque me muera, ahora, María)
Step backward (Even if I die, now, María)
Un pasito pa'lante, María (María, I want to make you mine)
Step forward, María (María, I want to make you mine)
Un, dos
Counting in Spanish
Ella me tiene loco
She drives me crazy
María is an angel in disguise
María is a hidden angel
Feeds my love with her devotion
Her devotion makes me love her more
Searching for a special place to hide
Looking for a safe place
As she conquers all my emotion
She controls my feelings
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Step forward, María
Un pasito pa' atrás (Aunque me muera, ahora, María)
Step backward (Even if I die, now, María)
Un pasito pa'lante, María (María, I want to make you mine)
Step forward, María (María, I want to make you mine)
Un pasito pa'lante
Step forward
Un pasito pa' atrás
Step backward
María, María
María
Oh eh oh
Vocalization
Un, dos, tres
Counting in Spanish
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Step forward, María
Un pasito pa' atrás
Step backward
Así es María
That's María
Blanca como el día
Pure as the day
Pero es veneno si te quieres enamorar
But she's poison if you want to fall in love with her
Tan caliente y fría
So hot and cold
Que si te la bebes de seguro te va a matar
That if you get involved with her, she's sure to kill you
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Step forward, María
Un pasito pa' atrás (Aunque me muera, ahora, María)
Step backward (Even if I die, now, María)
Un pasito pa'lante, María (María, I want to make you mine)
Step forward, María (María, I want to make you mine)
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Step forward, María
Un pasito pa' atrás (Aunque me muera, ahora, María)
Step backward (Even if I die, now, María)
Un pasito pa'lante, María (María, I want to make you mine)
Step forward, María (María, I want to make you mine)
Un pasito pa'lante, María
Step forward, María
Un pasito pa' atrás (epa)
Step backward (hey)
Oh eh oh
Vocalization
Oh eh oh
Vocalization
Oh eh oh
Vocalization
Oh eh oh (epa)
Vocalization (hey)
Un, dos
Counting in Spanish
Un, dos, tres
Counting in Spanish
Un, dos
Counting in Spanish
Un, dos, tres (epa)
Counting in Spanish (hey)
Un, dos
Counting in Spanish
Un, dos, tres
Counting in Spanish
Un, dos
Counting in Spanish
Epa
Hey
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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