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
Trini Lopez Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Woe is me
Shame and scandal in the family!
Woe, it worries 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 a wife by 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, worries is me
Shame and scandal in the family, hey!
Woe, it worries me
Shame and scandal in the family!

Brrr, jap!

A week went by, the summer came down
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, have to say no
That girl is your aunty
But your granny don't know! Hey!

Woe, it worries me
Shame and scandal in the family, hey!
Woe, it worries me
Shame and scandal in the family!

Hui, hui!

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

Woe, it worries me
Shame and scandal in the family, hey!
Woe, it worries me
Shame and scandal in the family!

You know it, Woe, it worries me?

Shame and scandal in the family!
Shame and scandal in the family!

Overall Meaning

Trini Lopez's song "Shame and Scandal in the Family" tells the story of a family in Trinidad that experiences a great deal of confusion and embarrassment due to a boy's desire to marry. The boy meets a girl and wants to ask his father's advice regarding the marriage, but his father refuses because the girl is actually his sister, therefore, the boy's mother does not know about the incest. The story continues in the second verse, where the boy meets another girl and wants to marry her, but his father denies it again because the girl is his aunt, unbeknownst to the boy's grandmother. The boy goes to his mother and tells her about what his father had said, to which she hilariously responds that though his father is not actually his biological father, he does not know it. The lyrics delve into a taboo subject of incest and highlight the societal ramifications such actions can have.

The lyrics of "Shame and Scandal in the Family" create a colorful narrative that tells the story of the characters in the song. The song's theme highlights the societal stigma attached to incestuous relationships and how these actions could impact not only those involved but also the wider family unit. It also highlights how deception can exist in a family structure and how people can lead double lives with even their closest relatives remaining unaware.

Line by Line Meaning

Woe is me
I am distressed and upset.

Shame and scandal in the family!
There is disgraceful and scandalous behavior going on amongst the members of my family.

Woe, it worries me
I am deeply concerned and anxious.

In Trinidad there was a family
There was a family unit residing in Trinidad.

With much confusion as you will see
There was considerable disorder and chaos within the family.

There was a mama and a papa and a boy who was grown
The family was composed of parents and their grown-up son.

He wanted to marry a wife by his own
The son wished to wed a woman of his choice.

He met a young girl, who suited him nice
He encountered a young lady who was to his liking.

He went to his papa to ask his advice
He consulted his father for guidance.

His papa said, "Son, I have to say no
His father refused his request.

That girl is your sister but your Mama don't know!"
The girl he wished to marry was actually his sister, but his mother was unaware of this fact.

Hey, worries is me
I am experiencing distress and apprehension.

Brrr, jap!
This is an exclamation of disapproval or disgust.

A week went by, the summer came down
A week passed by, and summer arrived.

Soon another girl on the island he found
He discovered another girl on the island.

He went to his Papa to name the day
He informed his father of the planned wedding day.

His papa shook his head and this time he did say
Again, his father refused his request.

You can't marry this girl, have to say no
His father forbade him from marrying the new girl as well.

That girl is your aunty
The girl he wished to marry was actually his aunt.

But your granny don't know! Hey!
However, his grandmother was unaware of this fact.

Hui, hui!
This is another exclamation of disapproval or disgust.

Now he went to his mama, covered his head
He went to his mother, perhaps feeling ashamed or embarrassed.

And told his mama what his papa had said
He related to his mother what his father had told him.

His mama, she laughed, she said, "Go, son, go!
His mother laughed and encouraged him to proceed with his plans.

Your daddy ain't your daddy but your daddy don't know!"
She revealed to him that his father was not his biological father, but that his father was unaware of this fact.

You know it, Woe, it worries me?
Do you understand why I am so concerned and distressed?

Shame and scandal in the family!
There are shameful actions happening within our family.

Shame and scandal in the family!
This is a repetition of the refrain, emphasizing the ongoing issues in the family.

Contributed by Muhammad H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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