Cugat was born Francisco de Asis Javier Cugat Mingall de Bru y Deulofeo in Girona, Spain. His family immigrated to Cuba when he was five. He trained as a classical violinist and played with the Orchestra of the Teatro Nacional in Havana.
Sometime between 1915 and 1918, Cugat moved to New York, where he played with a band called "The Gigolos" during the tango craze. Later, he went to work for the Los Angeles Times as a cartoonist (Cugat's caricatures were later nationally syndicated).
In the late 1920s, when sound began to be used in films, Cugat put together a tango band that had some success in early short musical films. By the early 1930s, he began appearing with his group in feature films. Cugat took his band to New York to open the new Waldorf Astoria Hotel and it became the hotel's resident group.
He shuttled between New York and Los Angeles for most of the next thirty years, alternating hotel and radio dates with movie appearances.
In 1940, he recorded the song Perfidia with singer Miguelito Valdรฉs which became a big hit. Cugat followed trends closely, making records for the conga, the mambo, the cha-cha-cha, and the twist when each were in fashion.
His first marriage in 1952 was to singer, Abbe Lane, they performed together until they divorced in 1964. He married salsa dancer Charo on August 7, 1966; the two were the first couple to marry in the newly opened Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
Cugat did not lose sleep over artistic compromises: "I would rather play
Chiquita Banana and have my swimming pool than play Bach and starve."
Cugat died of heart failure at age 90 in Barcelona, in his native province of Catalonia, Spain.
Tequila
Xavier Cugat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was me Jack Daniels and my homey Jim Bean.
We were kinda blitzed and we were trying to behave Y'all
when in walked a soldier he was from the fuzzy naval.
We were fallin, stumblin, crawlin
her come da police, Captain Tom Collins,
and the rapper said freeze
he said "hands in the air and hand over your keys"
now here came Marguarita and her friend Shirley Temple.
I asked my friend 'bout Marguarita,
he said Shirley was a virgin an I wouldn't wanna meet her.
So I talked to Marguarita, cause yoh, she was flyer.
I took her to the coast cause I wanted to Screw Driver.
Now Im not one for a speech,
but there was plenty of Tequila and Sex On The Beach, Y'all.
Tequila
Te-Te-Te - Tequila
Tequila
Here we go again and Im not fussin,
see I'm a French Mexican but I can get with White Russians,
at the bar with a drink in my hand.
In walked Jose Cuervo what was marguaritas man.
I talked to the wise man cause, yoh he's distinguished.
His name was St. Ives and he spoke in old english.
He said "you'd better think fast,
cause Jose is kinda crazy and I heard he Shot Glass".
He gave me some advice and it went like this:
"catch the night train and head up to 'cisco"
I didn't wanna stick around,
I caught the 1:51 to New York, the Grey Hound.
Now I'm at the Red Zone, everybody's stylin'.
Was sippin Ice Teas on Long Island.
I blacked out and the party came to a halt,
cause I was drinking the Tequila with the lemon assault Y'all
Tequila
Te-Te-Te - Tequila
Tequila
I woke up in the morning and felt like a Zombie,
the Tequila Gold Label had bombed me.
You see I woke up late and wasn't feelin' so great,
And Mike said there's a Bicardi party startin' at eight.
Yo we walked in the party and started playin our games,
we played tops, fuzzy quarters, with Bartles & James.
Here came Shirley Temple and they told me to chill,
because the Mickey Brothers took her up to strawberry hill.
They took her $1000 mink and she could barely think,
cause the Tequila that she drank had her tickled pink.
Now the music came on and I rocked the instrumental.
There's a groupie named Mai Tai, a fly oriental.
A groupie is a girl that jocks,
She wore the def Black Velvet and drank Scotch on the Rocks.
We had a fake marriage, now here's to honeymoon,
Ya zone vagabond and the Blue Lagoon.
Now everybody take a word from the wise,
A girly and a bottle, Tequila Sunrise.
Tequila
Te-Te-Te - Tequila
Tequila
Tequila
Te-Te-Te - Tequila
Tequila
The lyrics to Xavier Cugat's Tequila depict a night of heavy drinking and partying by the singer and his friends. They start off at a bar with their go-to drinks, Jack Daniels and Jim Beam when they see a soldier come in from the Fuzzy Naval. Things start to get a bit messy as the group starts to stumble and fall, and the police arrive, prompting them to hand over their keys. Things begin to take a turn for the better when two girls, Margarita and Shirley Temple, come in, and the singer takes Margarita to the coast. The night continues in a similar fashion, with various drinks and people entering the night. The lyrics paint a picture of a wild and fun night that is somewhat chaotic but ultimately ended well.
The song is not merely about tequila; it touches on a variety of different drinks, including Jack Daniels, Fuzzy Naval, White Russain, Jose Cuervo, Bacardi, and more. The lyrics are a fun and lighthearted tribute to a night of heavy drinking and partying in a somewhat nonsensical but relatable way.
Line by Line Meaning
I was at the bar with my drinkin team,
I was at the bar with my friends and alcohol.
It was me Jack Daniels and my homey Jim Bean.
My friends were Jack Daniels and Jim Bean.
We were kinda blitzed and we were trying to behave Y'all
We were a little drunk but attempting to not cause any trouble.
when in walked a soldier he was from the fuzzy naval.
A soldier from the naval establishment came in the bar.
We were fallin, stumblin, crawlin
We were so drunk that we were losing our balance and crawling around.
her come da police, Captain Tom Collins,
Suddenly the police arrived, led by Captain Tom Collins.
and the rapper said freeze
The police instructed us to stop moving.
he said 'hands in the air and hand over your keys'
The police demanded us to surrender our keys.
now we did, and that was kinda simple,
We complied and it was an easy task.
now here came Marguarita and her friend Shirley Temple.
Two women, Margarita and Shirley Temple, entered the bar.
I asked my friend 'bout Marguarita,
I inquired about Margarita to my friend.
he said Shirley was a virgin an I wouldn't wanna meet her.
My friend told me that Shirley was a virgin and I shouldn't pursue her.
So I talked to Marguarita, cause yoh, she was flyer.
Instead, I started a conversation with Margarita, who was more attractive.
I took her to the coast cause I wanted to Screw Driver.
I took Margarita to the coast so I could make a sexually suggestive drink with her.
Now Im not one for a speech,
I don't like to give speeches.
but there was plenty of Tequila and Sex On The Beach, Y'all.
There were lots of Tequila and provocative activities happening at the beach.
Here we go again and Im not fussin,
A new scenario began and I had no issue with it.
see I'm a French Mexican but I can get with White Russians,
I am of French and Mexican descent but I enjoy drinking White Russians.
at the bar with a drink in my hand.
I had a drink in my hand while at the bar.
In walked Jose Cuervo what was marguaritas man.
Jose Cuervo, the man Margarita was with, came into the bar.
I talked to the wise man cause, yoh he's distinguished.
I spoke with a wise man who was well-respected.
His name was St. Ives and he spoke in old english.
The wise man's name was St. Ives and he spoke with an old English accent.
He said 'you'd better think fast,
The wise man warned me to act quickly.
cause Jose is kinda crazy and I heard he Shot Glass'.
Jose Cuervo is dangerous and has been known to break shot glasses.
He gave me some advice and it went like this:
The wise man gave me some guidance in this way:
'catch the night train and head up to 'cisco'
I should take the night train and travel to San Francisco.
I didn't wanna stick around,
I didn't want to stay where I was.
I caught the 1:51 to New York, the Grey Hound.
I took the Greyhound bus to New York City.
Now I'm at the Red Zone, everybody's stylin'.
I'm currently at the Red Zone, where everyone is fashionable.
Was sippin Ice Teas on Long Island.
I was drinking Long Island Iced Teas.
I blacked out and the party came to a halt,
I lost consciousness and the party ended.
cause I was drinking the Tequila with the lemon assault Y'all
I became extremely intoxicated after drinking Tequila with a strong lemon flavor.
I woke up in the morning and felt like a Zombie,
The next morning, I felt exhausted and unwell.
the Tequila Gold Label had bombed me.
The Tequila Gold Label I drank had a severe impact on me.
You see I woke up late and wasn't feelin' so great,
I overslept and still felt unwell.
And Mike said there's a Bicardi party startin' at eight.
My friend Mike informed me of a Bacardi party starting at eight.
Yo we walked in the party and started playin our games,
My friends and I arrived at the party and began socializing.
we played tops, fuzzy quarters, with Bartles & James.
We played games such as tops, fuzzy quarters, and Bartles & James trivia.
Here came Shirley Temple and they told me to chill,
Shirley Temple arrived, and my friends advised me to calm down.
because the Mickey Brothers took her up to strawberry hill.
The Mickey Brothers brought Shirley Temple to a location called Strawberry Hill.
They took her $1000 mink and she could barely think,
They stole her expensive mink coat, and she was too drunk to realize it.
cause the Tequila that she drank had her tickled pink.
She was extremely happy and giggly because of the Tequila she consumed.
Now the music came on and I rocked the instrumental.
The music started, and I began enjoying the instrumental melody.
There's a groupie named Mai Tai, a fly oriental.
I met a groupie named Mai Tai who was an attractive Asian woman.
A groupie is a girl that jocks,
A groupie is a woman who is attracted to musicians.
She wore the def Black Velvet and drank Scotch on the Rocks.
Mai Tai wore stylish Black Velvet clothing and enjoyed drinking Scotch on the Rocks.
We had a fake marriage, now here's to honeymoon,
Mai Tai and I pretended to get married, and our honeymoon was about to begin.
Ya zone vagabond and the Blue Lagoon.
I am a wandering adventurer, and we were at the Blue Lagoon.
Now everybody take a word from the wise,
Now everyone should listen to some wise words.
A girly and a bottle, Tequila Sunrise.
Drinking Tequila at dawn with a woman is known as Tequila Sunrise.
Tequila
Tequila
Te-Te-Te - Tequila
The sound of someone chanting Tequila.
Tequila
Tequila
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RIO, CHUCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
GEORGE MUSIC 4 ALL 4 SEASONS
What a beautiful sound!!!! Over the past couple of years Iโve picked up some used albums by Xavier Cugat and they are absolutely incredible sounding.
Tom Yaz
It doesnโt get any better than this this is truly spectacular
Tom C
Cugat played some of the best Latin dance ๐ music ever. Listen to his earlier records.
Skillet
Yet it certainly wasn't the authentic Afro-Cuban musical form of expression.
Tom C
@Skillet No one said, it ever was. What did Afro Cubans contribute besides percussion and rhythms. Most of the composers were classically trained Spaniards like Cugat. The Spaniards brought the guitar, melody and harmony.
Skillet
@Tom C Well, down to the 'nitty gritty' of it all---numerous Latin music forms including: Son, Salsa, Samba, Merengue, Bachata, Timba, Rumba, Mambo, Cumbia, Champeta, Bomba-Plena, Soukas-Sebene, Cha Cha Cha, Tango, Pachanga, Tropicalia, Zouk, Carioca, and of course Reggaeton--all enjoy well documented African roots coupled with undeniable African influence whether directly or indirectly and which had been transported to many different parts of the world over several historical periods.
Surely history has shown that the myriad of the African music forms already mentioned certainly remain a helluva lot more influential, imitated, copied, adored, jammed-over than classically trained spaniards like--ya know-----cugart.
Furthermore, whether through 'MUSIC', architecture, food, language or cuisine, they all remain staples of Spanish culture already in development that was contributed through Spain's Black African Muslim Moors.
Chip Power
Xavier Cugat plays the Champs' Latin beat version!!!!!
SharkSport
Xavier also was an artist, I had one of his paintings years ago.
Sheri Robinson
Other than Guy Lombardo, Xavier Cugat was the last of the big bands. He outlasted them all except for guy. Watching this performance, I can see why.
D ODay
As Iโve noted many times on YouTube, what most amazes me about these clips is recalling just how much was on TV up to the late 70โs. The review shows like Ed Sullivan, Hollywood Palace, Kraft Music Hall; the weekly variety shows like Carol Burnett, Dean Martin, Flip Wilson, Tony Orlando; the youth shows like Bandstand, Hullabaloo, Shindig, Soul Train; then there were the specials featuring every great entertainer of the time. Truly a golden age of TV entertainment.