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.
Bramble Bush
Trini Lopez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The flowers on the bramble bush are all so pink and white
But if you reach to pluck one, as sure as you are born
The bramble bush will stick you with it′s prickly thorn
And the pretty girl is like a bramble bush
Yes, a pretty girl will thrill you very much
Oh, a pretty girl is like a bramble bush
The girl I fell in love with was such a lovely sight
So beautiful to gaze upon, so soft and pink and white
And as I reached to kiss her, beneath the summer skies
I was so much in love, I didn′t realise
That a pretty girl is like a bramble bush
Yes, a pretty girl will thrill you very much
Oh, a pretty girl is like a bramble bush
But you'll get stuck if you should touch
The summer soon was over and autumn chilled the sky
The flowers on the bramble bush began to fade and die
And with the faded flowers, my true love travelled on
And I can feel the thorns now that my lover has gone
But the pretty girl, yes, is like a bramble bush
Yes, a pretty girl will thrill you very much
Oh, the pretty girl is like a bramble bush
But you'll get stuck if you should touch
Oh, the bramble bush
Yes, the bramble bush
Oh, the bramble bush
Yes, the bramble bush
The song "Bramble Bush" by Trini Lopez compares the experience of encountering a pretty girl to that of reaching for a flower on a bramble bush. The bramble bush is initially described as lovely and delightful, with its pink and white flowers. However, as soon as you try to pluck a flower, you will be pricked by the bush's thorns. Similarly, a pretty girl may thrill you, but if you get too close or try to touch her, you may get hurt.
The singer of the song reflects on falling in love with a beautiful girl and being so taken with her that he doesn't realize the potential danger. As the seasons change and the flowers on the bramble bush fade and die, so too does his love leave him. The thorns of the bramble bush that were once hidden now make themselves known, as he feels their sting in the wake of his lost love.
The message of the song seems to be a warning against jumping too quickly into a romantic relationship without realizing the potential risks. The use of the bramble bush as a metaphor brings to mind the idea that beauty can be deceiving and that there may be hidden thorns beneath the surface.
Line by Line Meaning
The bramble bush is lovely, it fills you with delight
The singer finds joy in the bramble bush, admiring its beauty.
The flowers on the bramble bush are all so pink and white
The singer notices the vibrant colors of the bramble bush's flowers.
But if you reach to pluck one, as sure as you are born
The bramble bush will stick you with it's prickly thorn
The bramble bush may be attractive, but getting too close may result in pain or injury.
And the pretty girl is like a bramble bush
Yes, a pretty girl will thrill you very much
Oh, a pretty girl is like a bramble bush
But you'll get stuck if you should touch
The artist draws a comparison between a pretty girl and a bramble bush, cautioning that getting too close could have negative consequences.
The girl I fell in love with was such a lovely sight
So beautiful to gaze upon, so soft and pink and white
And as I reached to kiss her, beneath the summer skies
I was so much in love, I didn't realise
The artist reflects on falling in love with a beautiful girl and getting lost in the moment, failing to recognize any potential danger from getting close to her.
The summer soon was over and autumn chilled the sky
The flowers on the bramble bush began to fade and die
And with the faded flowers, my true love travelled on
And I can feel the thorns now that my lover has gone
As the seasons change and the bramble bush withers away, the singer's love for the pretty girl also fades, leaving behind painful memories.
Oh, the bramble bush
Yes, the bramble bush
Oh, the bramble bush
Yes, the bramble bush
The refrain repeats the metaphor between the bramble bush and the pretty girl, emphasizing the theme throughout the song.
Writer(s): Mack David, Frank Devol
Contributed by Jake H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@maximushermanite
[Lyrics]
A bramble bush is lovely, it thrills you with delight
The flowers on the bramble bush, are all so pink and white.
But if you reach to pluck one, as sure as you are born
The bramble bush will stick you with it’s..prickly thorn!
And a pretty girl, is like a bramble bush
Yes a pretty girl, will thrill you very much!
Oh a pretty girl, is like a bramble bush
But you’ll get stuck, if you should touch! Huh!
The girl I fell in love with, was such a lovely sight.
So beautiful to gaze upon, so soft and pink and white.
And as I reached to kiss her, beneath the summer skies
I was so much in love I didn’t..realize!
That a pretty girl, is like a bramble bush
Yes a pretty girl, will thrill you very much!
Oh a pretty girl, is like a bramble bush
But you’ll get stuck, if you should touch! Aha!
The summer soon was over, and autumn chilled the sky.
The flowers on the bramble bush, began to fade and die.
And with the faded flowers, my true love traveled on
And I can feel the thorns now, that my..lover has gone!
Cause a pretty girl, yes, is like a bramble bush
Yes a pretty girl, will thrill you very much!
Oh a pretty girl, Ha! Is like a bramble bush
But you’ll get stuck, if you should touch!
Oh the bramble bush, yes, the bramble bush! (2x)
@tristanmiranda7118
DIRTY DOZEEEENN! Love how Trini plays this on acoustic in the film. RIP Trini. You’ll be missed and thanks for the great music!
@ruidsouza1578
Always loved Trini Lopez . RIP Trini you were one of a kind.
@wisdog
I'm 43 and I've been singing this form the movie every since I was a kid. Glad I found the full version.
@MeryToste
Amazing Song 🎸R.I.P..TRINI LOPEZ 🎸 Unforgettable Brilliant,Singer, Actor, Composer, GibsonTriniLopez 🎸🎸 Thanks For Your Amazing Legacy 👏👏👏👏 My Eternal Idol..15/5/1937..11/8/2020
@peterfranks6243
One of the best ww2 movie's of the sixties that everyone loves, classic
@diarmuidquigley9651
This and the great escape
@FumblsTheSniper
Damn what a great song. Even just the little bit from the film was enough for me to know I got a new favorite for the list.
@glenncambray626
Me too.
@christopherdunne7848
I actually heard this online from another source (not YouTube)… and I hadn’t heard this song since I heard it on the radio in over 50 years! I didn’t know htat the song was from a movie, either; and I had no idea the title/artist/actual lyrics. Got it now! A true blessing—-I knew this thing existed.
@jaimechavez4217
Great song performed by Trini López from dirty dozen movie ... Filmed in England