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.
El Reloj
Trini Lopez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Porque me voy a enloquecer
Ella se irá para siempre
Cuando amanezca otra vez
No más nos queda esta noche
Para vivir nuestro amor
Y tu tic-tac me recuerda
Reloj no marques las horas
Porque mi vida se apaga
Ella es la estrella
Que alumbra mi ser
Yo sin su amor no soy nada
Detén el tiempo en tus manos
Haz esta noche perpetua
Para que nunca se vaya de mí
Para que nunca amanezca.
Trini Lopez's song "El Reloj" is a poignant ballad about the fear of losing a loved one. The title, which means "the clock" in Spanish, sets the tone for the lyrics that describe the singer's anguish at the sound of the ticking clock, which serves as a constant reminder that he is running out of time to be with the woman he loves. He pleads with the clock to stop ticking and to let him hold on to the moment, to make this night last forever, and to prevent the dawn, which would mark the end of their time together.
The song is full of imagery that describes the deep pain the singer feels at the prospect of losing his love. He describes her as the star that illuminates his being, and without her, he is nothing. He begs the clock not to mark the hours because he knows that when morning comes, she will be gone forever. The song captures the desperation and longing of a person who is on the verge of losing the most important thing in his life.
In conclusion, Trini Lopez's song "El Reloj" is a beautiful and heart-wrenching ballad that speaks to the fear of losing a loved one. The lyrics, full of imagery and emotion, capture the essence of a person's anguish when faced with the prospect of losing someone they love. The song is a reminder to cherish the time we have with our loved ones and to hold on to every moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Reloj no marques las horas
Don't tick the hours away
Porque me voy a enloquecer
Because I'll lose my mind
Ella se irá para siempre
She'll leave forever
Cuando amanezca otra vez
When morning comes again
No más nos queda esta noche
We have only this night left
Para vivir nuestro amor
To live our love
Y tu tic-tac me recuerda
And your tick-tock reminds me
Mi irremediable dolor
Of my irreparable pain
Reloj no marques las horas
Don't tick the hours away
Porque mi vida se apaga
Because my life fades away
Ella es la estrella
She's the star
Que alumbra mi ser
That illuminates my being
Yo sin su amor no soy nada
Without her love, I'm nothing
Detén el tiempo en tus manos
Stop time in your hands
Haz esta noche perpetua
Make this night everlasting
Para que nunca se vaya de mí
So that she never leaves me
Para que nunca amanezca
So that morning never comes
Writer(s): Roberto Cantoral Garcia
Contributed by Owen G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.