Remembered for his highly-commercial approach to pop music, Xavier Cugat (b… Read Full Bio ↴Remembered for his highly-commercial approach to pop music, Xavier Cugat (born: Francisco De Asis Javier Cugat Mingall De Cru Y Deulofeo) made an even greater mark as one of the pioneers of Latin-American dance music. During his eight decade long career, Cugat helped to popularize the tango, the cha-cha, the mambo and the rhumba. His hits included "El Manicero" in the 1930s, "Perfida" in 1940 and the original recording of "Babalu" in 1944. Members of Cugat's band included Desi Arnaz, Miguelito Valdes, Tito Rodriguez, Luis Del Campo, Yma Sumac and his third (of four) wife, Abbe Lane. Cugat used the success of his musical career as a springboard for a movie career that included appearances in such films as Gay Madrid (1930), You Were Never Lovelier (1942), Bathing Beauty (1945), Weekend At The Waldorf (1945), Holiday In Mexico (1946), On An Island With You (1948), A Date With Judy (1948), Chicago Syndicate (1955) and Desire Diabolique (1959). A native of Genoa, Spain, Cugat emigrated with his family to Cuba in 1905. Trained as a classical violinist, he played with the Orchestra of the Teatro Nacional in Havana at the age of twelve. Emigrating to the United States, sometime between 1915 and 1918, he quickly found work accompanying an opera singer. At the height of the tango craze, in 1918, Cugat joined a popular dance band, The Gigolos. His involvement with the group, however, was brief. As the popularity of the tango faded, he took a job as a cartoonist for The Los Angeles Times. Cugat returned to music in 1920, forming his own group, The Latin American Band. Although they played regularly at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles and supplied the soundtracks for several musical shorts, the group had its greatest success after moving to New York and became the houseband for the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Despite being criticized for their middle-of-the-road approach, Cugat remained committed to his commercial-minded sound. He later explained, "I would rather play 'Chiquita Banana' and have my swimming pool than play Bach and starve". Cugat and his orchestra remained at the hotel for sixteen years. Beautiful women were consistently featured in Cugat's band. After helping Rita Hayworth to launch her career, he appeared in her film, You Were Never Lovelier. Cugat's recordings of the 1950s featured the singing of his third wife, Abbe Lane. In the mid-1960s, he featured his fourth wife, Charo, who he billed as a "folksinger". Upon his retirement in 1970, Cugat returned to Spain. He died in Barcelona on October 27, 1990. His band, which was led by Tito Puente following his retirement, continues to perform under the direction of dancer, musician and vocalist Ada Cavallo.

My Shawl
Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My shawl, pretty lady, try it on you,
By my shawl, spun in magic, wishes come true.
It's glory, with the story of love dreams, old but new.
My shawl brings a romance, maybe for you.

My shawl, pretty lady, try it on you,
By my shawl, spun in magic, wishes come true.
It's glory, with the story of love dreams, old but new.

My shawl brings a romance, maybe for you.

Try it on you, try it on you, my shawl

Overall Meaning

The song 'My Shawl' by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra is a romantic ballad that praises the power of a shawl to bring about love and romance. The lyrics describe the shawl as a mystical object that possesses the ability to spin magic and make wishes come true. It talks about the shawl's glory and how it carries with it the story of love dreams, both old but new. The song's message is clear in that the shawl could bring a romance, and the singer invites the pretty lady to try it on her.

The shawl, in this case, is a metaphor for love that ignites passion and stirs joy in the heart of the receiver. The song speaks directly to every woman's desire to be swept away in the embrace of a perfect love, to be carried away into the land of romance and magic. The music itself reinforces the dreamy and passionate atmosphere, with the soft and sensuous accents of the violins that imbue the song with a feeling of bittersweet longing.

In conclusion, 'My Shawl' weaves a romantic tale of love and passion, encapsulated in the mystique of a shawl. It speaks directly to the heart of every woman who has ever dreamed of being swept away in a cloud of romance and magic.

Line by Line Meaning

My shawl, pretty lady, try it on you,
I offer you my shawl, beautiful woman, please try it on.

By my shawl, spun in magic, wishes come true.
My shawl is enchanted, it has the power to make your wishes come true.

It's glory, with the story of love dreams, old but new.
My shawl is magnificent, it's full of romantic stories and dreams, both ancient and modern.

My shawl brings a romance, maybe for you.
My shawl can bring you love and romance, perhaps it's meant for you.

Try it on you, try it on you, my shawl
Please, give it a try, put it on, let my shawl charm you.

Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: STANLEY ADAMS, XAVIER CUGAT, PEDRO BERRIOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@chuckberger3196

3y↑1

A really big moment for me was meeting "Cugie" at the old Tropicana in Vegas. He was performing there with his wife Charo. A really nice gentleman. Very personable.