YO NO SOY ESA by MARI TRINI

Spanish Rock in the Seventies Part 7: Singer-Songwriters

For many Spaniards the Seventies was the decade of the singer-songwriter. Two of the best were women: Cecilia (previously featured on this blog) and Mari Trini. The latter had a huge hit in 1972 with ‘Yo No Soy Esa’ which became a kind of feminist anthem.

Like many Spanish singer-songwriters Mari Trini was heavily influenced by the French chanson tradition. She also sang in French, recording an acclaimed version of Brel’s ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’ (see below).

YO NO SOY ESA Yo no soy esa Que tu te imaginas Una señorita tranquila y sencilla Que un dia abandonas Y siempre perdona Esa niña, sí.. no.. Esa no soy yo Yo no soy esa Que tu te creias La paloma blanca Que le baila al agua Que rie por nada Diciendo sí a todo Esa niña, sí.. no.. Esa no soy yo No podras presumir jamas De haber jugado con la verdad Con el amor de los demas Si en verdad me quieres Yo ya no soy esa Que se acobarda Frente a una borrasca Luchando entre olas Encuentra la playa Esa niña, sí.. no.. Esa no soy yo Pero si buscas Tan solo aventuras Amigos por guardia A toda tu casa Yo no soy esa Que pierde esperanzas Piensalo ya Yo no soy esa Que tu te imaginas Una señorita tranquila y sencilla Que un dia abandonas Y siempre perdona Esa niña, sí.. no.. Esa no soy yo

I'M NOT THAT ONE I'm not that one That you imagine A quiet and simple lady That one day you leave And she always forgives you That girl, yes.. no.. That's not me I'm not that one That you thought The white dove Which flatters him Who laughs easily Saying yes to everything That girl, yes.. no.. That's not me You can never boast Having played with the truth With the love of others If you really love me Now that I'm not the one That gets frightened Confronted with a thunderstorm Fighting between the waves Finding the beach That girl, yes.. no.. That's not me But if you are looking for Just an affair Friends to guard Your whole house I'm not that one That loses hope Think about it now I'm not that one That you imagine A quiet and simple lady That one day you'll leave And she always forgives you That girl, yes.. no.. That's not me

ME QUEDARÉ SOLTERA By CECILIA

Spanish Pop Lyrics is going to have a look at some female singers in the next few posts.
First Cecilia – this song is from her second LP (1973). On the cover she pretended to be pregnant – which combined with the title of this song was controversial at the time. She died in a car crash three years later aged just 27.

ME QUEDARÉ SOLTERA * Yo quisiera tener alguien cerca, aquí. Yo no quiero vestir sedas de soltera, Santos de madera: eso no es para mi. * Y si muero de vieja sin tener pareja, Dime quien llorará a una solterona. Llantos de verdad en su funeral. * Me quedaré soltera aunque yo no quiera ¿con quien casaré Si mi cuerpo está viejo? No miente el espejo Cuando me miro en él. * Dicen que es mejor ser monja que estar así, Como lo estoy yo, con mi perro viejo, Mi loro que llora, mi gato tuerto. * Soy como un verso suelto sin rima, sin par. Soy un alma en pena contando lunas, Apenas me quedan ni para contar. * Me quedaré soltera…

I'LL STAY SINGLE * I wish I had someone close, here. I don’t want to wear silks of a singleton, Wooden saints: it's not for me. * And if I die of old age without having a partner, Tell me who’ll mourn a spinster. Weeping for real at her funeral. * I'll stay single although I may not want to Who will I marry If my body is old? The mirror doesn’t lie When I look into it. * They say it's better to be a nun Than to be like this Like I am, with my old dog My parrot that cries, my one-eyed cat. * I'm like an odd verse without rhyme, without a pair I'm a tormented soul counting days I hardly have any left to count * I'll stay single…

*

GUITAR CHORDS:

Verse:

D – D7 – GM7/D – GmM7/D

A – Bm – E – A

Chorus:

D – D/C – GM7/B – GmM7/Bb – A

*

 

GRAMMAR: QUEDAR

Quedar is a tricky verb which can have many meanings:

Quedar used as a ordinary verb usually means ‘To Meet’

¿Donde quedamos? – Where shall me meet?

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Quedarse usually means ‘To Stay’ (Remain)

Me quedaré soltera – I’ll stay single

–

Used like Gustar, it usually means ‘To Have Left’

Me quedan para contar – I have left to count

–

‘Santos de madera’ refers to a Spanish saying:

‘Te vas a quedar para vestir santas’

You’re going to stay (unmarried) to dress the statues of the saints (in the church) i.e. be left on the shelf.

–

Note the double meaning in the last verse:

‘Sin par’ means without a pair, but also without equal – maybe she’s single because no one’s good enough for her!