Trini Lopez (born Trinidad López III in Dallas, TX, on 15 May 1937; died 11… Read Full Bio ↴Trini Lopez (born Trinidad López III in Dallas, TX, on 15 May 1937; died 11 August 2020) was an American singer, guitarist, and actor. His first album included his version of "If I Had a Hammer", which earned a Golden Disc for him. Other hits included "Lemon Tree", "I'm Comin' Home, Cindy" and "Sally Was a Good Old Girl". He designed two guitars for the Gibson Guitar Corporation, which are now collectors’ items.

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.

Shame And Scandal In The Family
Trini Lopez Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Woe is me, shame and scandal in the family
Woe is me, shame and scandal in the family

In Trinidad there was a family
With much confusion as you will see
There was a mama and a papa and a boy who was grown
He wanted to marry and have a wife of his own

He met a young girl who suited him nice
He went to his papa to ask his advice
His papa said, "Son, I have to say no
That girl is your sister but your mama don't know"

Hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family
Hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family

A week went by and the summer came down
And soon another girl on the island, he found
He went to his papa to name the day
His papa shook his head and this time he did say

"You can't marry this girl, I have to say no
That girl is your aunty but your granny don't know

Hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family
Hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family

Now, he went to his mama and covered his head
He told his mama what his papa had said
His mama, she laughed, she said, "Go man, go
Your daddy ain't your daddy but your daddy don't know"

Hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family
Hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family
Hey, worries, it worries me, shame and scandal in the family
Hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family

Hey, hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family
Hey, hey, hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family

Overall Meaning

The song "Shame and Scandal in the Family" by Trini Lopez tells the story of a family from Trinidad that finds itself in a complicated and scandalous situation. The family comprises a mother, father, and their son who becomes romantically involved with two different women. When he seeks his father's advice on marrying the first woman he falls in love with, his father says no because the woman happens to be the son's biological sister. However, when the son finds another woman he wants to marry, his father once again denies his request because the woman is actually his aunt.

The son eventually turns to his mother for help and confesses his troubles. Although the mother laughs at the situation, she reassures the son that his father is not his biological father, and that he should go ahead and marry whoever he chooses. The song ends with the refrain, "Hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family."

The song's lyrics are humorous and upbeat, but the story they tell is one of scandal and shame. The song highlights the complexities of family relationships and how secrets and misunderstandings can lead to disastrous consequences.

Line by Line Meaning

Woe is me, shame and scandal in the family
An expression of sadness and shame resulting from a family scandal

In Trinidad there was a family
The story takes place in Trinidad, a country in the Caribbean

With much confusion as you will see
The story is complicated and difficult to follow

He wanted to marry and have a wife of his own
The son desired to get married and start his own family

He met a young girl who suited him nice
The son found a young lady who he was attracted to

He went to his papa to ask his advice
The son sought his father's counsel before getting married

His papa said, "Son, I have to say no
The father disapproved of the son's choice of wife

That girl is your sister but your mama don't know"
The girl the son wanted to marry was actually his sister, but only the father knew the secret

A week went by and the summer came down
Time passed, and summer arrived on the island

And soon another girl on the island, he found
The son found another girl to fall in love with

He went to his papa to name the day
The son sought his father's blessing for his second marriage

His papa shook his head and this time he did say
The father, again, disapproved of the son's choice of wife

"You can't marry this girl, I have to say no
The father revealed that the girl the son wanted to marry was actually his aunt

That girl is your aunty but your granny don't know
The son's grandmother was unaware of the family secret

Now, he went to his mama and covered his head
Feeling embarrassed, the son approached his mother with shame

He told his mama what his papa had said
The son conveyed to his mother what his father had revealed about the family secret

His mama, she laughed, she said, "Go man, go
The mother laughed and encouraged the son to go ahead with his marriage plans

Your daddy ain't your daddy but your daddy don't know"
The mother disclosed that the son's father was not his biological father, but he was unaware of the secret

Hey, worries, it worries me, shame and scandal in the family
The scandal in the family is causing the singer a lot of worry and concern

Hey, hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family
Reiteration of the initial expression of sadness and shame due to the family scandal

Hey, hey, hey, woe is me, shame and scandal in the family
Further reiteration of the singer's sorrow and shame regarding the family scandal

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LORD MELODY, LANCELOT PINARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS