Lopez made his name on the club circuit of the Southwestern United States before being 'discovered' in 1962 playing at the club PJ's in Hollywood, California, by record producer Don Costa. Costa was taken with Lopez's latinized versions of contemporary hits and signed him up to Frank Sinatra's record label, Reprise Records. His debut album, Trini Lopez Live at PJ's, was released in 1963. The album included a version of If I Had a Hammer, which reached number one in 36 countries (No. 3 in the United States) and was a radio favorite for many years. He also performed his own version of the traditional Mexican song La Bamba on the album; his recording of the tune was later re-issued as a single in 1966.
His popularity led the Gibson Guitar Corporation to ask him in 1964 to design a guitar for them. He ended up designing two: The Trini Lopez Standard, a rock and roll model based on the Gibson ES-335 semi-hollow body, and the Lopez Deluxe, a variation of a Gibson jazz guitar designed by Barney Kessel. Both of these guitars were in production from 1964 until 1971 and are now highly sought after amongst collectors. Some owners of the guitar include Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Noel Gallagher of Oasis.
He scored 13 chart singles through 1968, including "Lemon Tree" (1965), "I'm Comin' Home, Cindy" (1966) and "Sally Was a Good Old Girl" (1968). On the adult contemporary chart, he ranked up 15 hits, including the Top 10 singles "Michael" (1964), "Gonna Get Along Without Ya' Now" (1967) and "The Bramble Bush" (1967). Beyond his success on record, he became one of the country's top nightclub performers of that era, regularly headlining in Las Vegas, Nevada.
During the 1960s and 1970s Lopez moved into acting, though his film career was not as successful as his music. His first film role was in Marriage on the Rocks (1965), in which he made a cameo appearance in a nightclub scene; Lopez's soundtrack song, "Sinner Man", became a hit single (No. 54 pop/No. 12 adult contemporary). He was one of The Dirty Dozen (1967) and starred in Antonio (1973). He made two appearances (playing different characters) on the television program, Adam 12. He continued his musical career with extensive tours of Europe and Latin America during this period; an attempt to break out by releasing a disco album in 1978 proved a flop.
Since then, Lopez has done charitable work and received honors such as being inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2003. He was still recording and appearing live in the early 2000s. Recently he took part in a benefit concert to raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
Adalita
Trini Lopez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Una, dos
Si Adalita se fuera con otro
Le seguiria a la huella sin cesar
Si por mar en un buque de guerra
Si por tierra en un tren militar
Si Adalita ya fuera mi mujer
Le compraría un vestido de seda
Para llevarla a bailar al cuartel
Adalita se llama la joven
A quíen yo quiero y no puedo olvidar
En el campo yo tenga sa rosa
Y con el tiempo la voy a cortar
Y si acaso yo muero en campaña
Y si mi cuerpo en la sierra va a quedar
Adalita por Dios te lo ruego
Que con tus ojos me vayas a llorar
Y si acaso yo muero en campaña
Y si mi cuerpo en la sierra va a quedar
Adalita por Dios te lo ruego
Que con tus ojos me vayas a llorar
The song "Adalita" by Trini Lopez tells the story of a man who is in love with a woman named Adalita. He proclaims that if she were to leave him for another man, he would follow her relentlessly, whether by land or sea. He fantasizes about marrying her and taking her to dance at the barracks, and even imagines a scenario where he dies in battle and asks that she weep for him with her eyes.
The lyrics of the song express the depth of the man's devotion to Adalita and his willingness to sacrifice everything for her. The use of military imagery, with references to ships and trains and the mention of dying in battle, adds to the intensity of the song's emotional impact. The lines about the rose that he plans to cut over time, suggest his commitment to Adalita is one of the things he values most in his life, and he envisions their future together.
Overall, "Adalita" is a powerful love song that captures the range of emotions experienced in a passionate and dedicated relationship. The lyrics and melody work together to create a sense of longing, longing for a love that is all-consuming and unshakable.
Line by Line Meaning
Una, dos, tres, quatro
The song starts with a count-in of four.
Una, dos
The count-in continues in Spanish, indicating the song's Latin American roots.
Si Adalita se fuera con otro
The singer is expressing his possessiveness over Adalita and his fear of losing her to someone else.
Le seguiria a la huella sin cesar
He would follow her relentlessly, without stopping or giving up.
Si por mar en un buque de guerra
He would even pursue her across the sea, even in the midst of war.
Si por tierra en un tren militar
He would also pursue her over land, even if it meant joining the military and going to war.
Si Adalita quisiera ser mi esposa
The singer expresses his desire to marry Adalita and make her his wife.
Si Adalita ya fuera mi mujer
He imagines what it would be like if they were already married.
Le compraría un vestido de seda
He promises to buy her a silk dress, a sign of his affection and devotion.
Para llevarla a bailar al cuartel
He would take her dancing at the barracks or military base, where he might be stationed as a soldier.
Adalita se llama la joven
The singer introduces Adalita by name, emphasizing her importance to him.
A quíen yo quiero y no puedo olvidar
He loves her deeply and cannot forget her.
En el campo yo tenga sa rosa
He promises to bring her a rose from the fields, symbolizing his enduring love for her.
Y con el tiempo la voy a cortar
He intends to pick the rose for her when it is fully grown, indicating his commitment to their relationship over time.
Y si acaso yo muero en campaña
He acknowledges the danger of going to war and the possibility of dying there.
Y si mi cuerpo en la sierra va a quedar
He envisions the possibility of his body being left in the mountains, far from home.
Adalita por Dios te lo ruego
He pleads with Adalita, asking her a favor in the event of his death.
Que con tus ojos me vayas a llorar
He wants her to mourn his passing, to shed tears for him after he is gone.
Y si acaso yo muero en campaña
The singer reiterates his concern for the possibility of his death while serving in the military.
Y si mi cuerpo en la sierra va a quedar
He once again imagines the possibility of his body being left in a distant, dangerous place.
Adalita por Dios te lo ruego
He repeats his plea to Adalita, emphasizing his sincerity and earnestness.
Que con tus ojos me vayas a llorar
He reiterates that he wants her to grieve for him, to show that their bond was true and deep.
Writer(s): Lalo Guerrero, Trini Lopez
Contributed by Aubrey A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@madebeck9692
Si Adalita se fuera con otro
Le seguiria a la huella sin cesar
Si por mar en un buque de guerra
Si por tierra en un tren militar
Si Adalita quisiera ser mi esposa
Si Adalita ya fuera mi mujer
Le compraría un vestido de seda
Para llevarla a bailar al cuartel
Adalita se llama la joven
A quíen yo quiero y no puedo olvidar
En el campo yo tenga sa rosa
Y con el tiempo la voy a cortar
Y si acaso yo muero en campaña
Y si mi cuerpo en la sierra va a quedar
Adalita por Dios te lo ruego
Que con tus ojos me vayas a llorar
Y si acaso yo muero en campaña
Y si mi cuerpo en la sierra va a quedar
Adalita por Dios te lo ruego
Que con tus ojos me vayas a llorar
@MeryToste
Unforgettable Brilliant TRINI LOPEZ👏👏👏
@carlosfernandosiqueira5111
Linda música!
@mironswiss7123
Valdomiro Coutinho Fº Porto Alegre RS. Uma estrela de alta qualidade com sua alegria contagiante que sempre foi ao levar sua música ao mundo tornando-o mais suave e suportável. Grande artista!
@alexarolasgarcia1747
Esta buena canción es tradicional de Mexico y la versiono TRINI LOPEZ quien la canto y la publico en el año 1964
@ashratempel5094
Never gets old.
@marciamauris8476
Eu nasci em 1965 e gosto de triny lopez .
@TalmaLennon
MARAVILHOSO O DISCO DA MINHA VIDA!
@mariaantoniabarbosa3538
Amo Trini Lopes cantor músicas maravilhosa
@subramanianv5533
amazing!
@robwessels8317
not the original. Still i am glad to have found your website.