Perfidia
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.

Perfidia
Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

To you my heart cries out "Perfidia,"
For I found you, the love of my life,
In somebody else's arms
Your eyes are echoing "Perfidia,"
Forgetful of our promise of love,
You're sharing another's charms
With a sad lament, my dreams
Have faded like a broken melody

While the gods of love look down and laugh
At what romantic fools we mortals be
And now I know my love was not for you




And so I'll take it back with a sigh,
Perfidious one, good-bye.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra's song, Perfidia, speak of heartbreak caused by the betrayal of a lover. The singer of the song addresses his lover and describes how he had found the love of his life, only to see her in someone else's arms. Her eyes seem to be communicating a sense of betrayal and forgetfulness, as she shares her love with another. The singer then goes on to describe how his dreams have faded, much like a broken melody, and how the gods of love must be looking down and laughing at the foolishness of their love. In the end, he realizes that his love was not for her and bids her goodbye.


The song Perfidia is a powerful expression of the feelings of betrayal and heartbreak that come with unrequited love. The lyrics are poignant and emotive, expressing the deep hurt and sadness that the singer feels as a result of his lover's betrayal. The song has become a popular classic, with its themes of love, longing, and heartbreak resonating with audiences across generations.


Line by Line Meaning

To you my heart cries out "Perfidia,"
I am calling you out as traitorous and unfaithful to me, which makes me deeply upset and heartbroken.


For I found you, the love of my life,
I believed that you were my soulmate and the person I would spend the rest of my life with.


In somebody else's arms
But unfortunately, I have discovered that you are now in a romantic relationship with someone else.


Your eyes are echoing "Perfidia,"
The way you look at me suggests that you are betraying our love and disregarding your promise to me.


Forgetful of our promise of love,
It seems that you have forgotten the commitment we made to each other to love and cherish one another exclusively.


You're sharing another's charms
Instead, you are engaging in romantic activities with someone else and being charmed by their personality and actions.


With a sad lament, my dreams
I am mourning the loss of my dreams and hopes for a happy life with you.


Have faded like a broken melody
These dreams have disappeared, like a melody that has been ruined or broken beyond repair.


While the gods of love look down and laugh
To add insult to injury, the deities who are supposed to oversee and promote love and romance are watching our love crumble and are finding it amusing.


At what romantic fools we mortals be
They are laughing at how silly and foolish humans can be when it comes to matters of the heart.


And now I know my love was not for you
After all this heartbreak and disappointment, I have come to the realization that you were not truly worthy of my love.


And so I'll take it back with a sigh,
As such, I will take back my love from you, but it will be with a heavy heart and a deep sigh of regret.


Perfidious one, good-bye.
Finally, I bid farewell to you, the unfaithful one who betrayed my trust and broke my heart.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ALBERTO DOMINGUEZ, MILTON LEEDS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@paulrickman7549

A song like a first love. Once experienced, it will not be forgotten.

@nimazsheik5152

The intro in this song coupled with Christopher Doyle's visuals and Wong Kar-wai's direction almost always brings a tear to my eye. I can't really explain it, it's just very profound to me.

@josephguenther59

I saw Wong Kar-wai's Year 2046 and this theme kept running through it. I feel the same. It is a very haunting melody. It makes me want to see the movie again.

@shabeer7109

@Joseph Guenther same here ... Right after i was done with the movie, i started looking for this theme, and here i am... Such a beautiful theme music, makes me feel nostalgic about a life and world that we see only in our dreams... eternally beautiful

@moicecibon4768

I feel exactly the same, it’s nostalgic
What the Portuguese call saudade

@christinevillanueva54

This song gets under the skin, lovely.

@jorgepastor5557

what do u mean portuguese? xd​@@moicecibon4768

@wakgonong

the music so beautifuly composed

@melvacarnero6818

Precioso, 💘 lindo recuerdo 💖

@gordondafoe3516

The violin clime at 2:08 back to the melody will give you WINGS! I had to replay it 5 times. If you ever need a boost, listen to this version a few times. Then, take on the world!

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