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.
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Trini Lopez Lyrics
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I've been careless with a delicate man
And it's a sad, sad world
When a girl will break a boy just because she can
Don't you tell me to deny it
I've done wrong and I want to suffer for my sins
I've come to you 'cause I need guidance to be true
What I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love
Heaven help me for the way I am
Save me from these evil deeds before I get them done
I know tomorrow brings the consequence at hand
But I keep living this day like the next will never come
Oh help me but don't tell me to deny it
I've got to cleanse myself of all these lies 'till I'm good enough for him
I've got a lot to lose and I'm bettin' high so I'm begging you
Before it ends just tell me where to begin
What I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love
Let me know the way
Before there's hell to pay
Give me room to lay the law and let me go
I've got to make a play
To make my lover stay
So what would an angel say the devil wants to know
What I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love
What I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love
The lyrics of "Criminal" by Fiona Apple delve into the complexities of guilt and redemption. The singer of the song is an unfaithful woman seeking forgiveness for her wrongdoing. She acknowledges that she has been careless with a "delicate man" and that the world is a sad place when someone is hurt just because they can be. The imagery of a criminal is used to describe how the woman feels about herself, she sees herself as someone who has committed a crime and is now seeking forgiveness for her sins. She is aware that there will be consequences for her actions, and she knows that she needs to make amends.
The woman is asking for help not to deny her wrongdoing but rather to atone for it. She realizes that she needs guidance to be true and seeks redemption from the one she has hurt because he is "all she ever knew of love." She acknowledges that she has a lot to lose and begs for a chance to make things right before it's too late. She recognizes that she needs a good defense, as she feels like a criminal, and needs to be redeemed.
One could interpret this song as being about the human condition and our constant search for forgiveness and redemption. We all make mistakes, and we all need to be forgiven at some point. The song is a plea for help and forgiveness, a cry for redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been a bad, bad girl
I have made mistakes and acted inappropriately
I've been careless with a delicate man
I have not taken into account the emotions of a vulnerable person
And it's a sad, sad world
It is disheartening to witness people causing harm to one another
When a girl will break a boy just because she can
It is concerning when someone chooses to harm another simply because they have the power to do so
Don't you tell me to deny it
Please do not ask me to pretend that I have not made mistakes
I've done wrong and I want to suffer for my sins
I acknowledge my mistakes and want to take responsibility for my actions
I've come to you 'cause I need guidance to be true
I am seeking help and support to become a better person
And I just don't know where I can begin
I am not sure how to start making amends for my actions
What I need is a good defense
I require strong support to face the consequences of my actions
'Cause I'm feeling like a criminal
I feel guilty and responsible for the harm I have caused
And I need to be redeemed
I want to make things right and be forgiven
To the one I've sinned against
I want to make amends to the person I have wronged
Because he's all I ever knew of love
The person I have hurt is the only one I have ever loved
Heaven help me for the way I am
I hope for forgiveness and mercy from a higher power despite my mistakes
Save me from these evil deeds before I get them done
I am struggling to resist the urge to continue making bad choices
I know tomorrow brings the consequence at hand
I am aware that there will be repercussions for my actions soon
But I keep living this day like the next will never come
I am living recklessly and ignoring the future consequences of my actions
Oh help me but don't tell me to deny it
I am asking for assistance but do not want to ignore the harm I have caused
I've got to cleanse myself of all these lies 'till I'm good enough for him
I want to become a better person and fix my mistakes so that I am worthy of the person I have hurt
I've got a lot to lose and I'm bettin' high so I'm begging you
I cannot afford to make any more mistakes and am asking for help to avoid doing so
Before it ends just tell me where to begin
I am seeking guidance on how to start making amends for my actions before it's too late
Let me know the way
I need direction and guidance on how to fix my mistakes
Before there's hell to pay
I know that there will be consequences for my actions and hope to avoid them
Give me room to lay the law and let me go
I need the space and support to take responsibility for my actions and move forward
I've got to make a play
I need to take action to make things right
To make my lover stay
I want to make things right with the person I have hurt so that they will stay with me
So what would an angel say the devil wants to know
I am questioning what the right thing to do is, even if it goes against my impulses
Writer(s): Hoyt Wayne Axton, Ken Ramsey
Contributed by Max C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.