Porque te vas
"Porque te vas" | ||||
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Single by Jeanette | ||||
Language | Spanish | |||
B-side | "Seguiré amando" | |||
Released | 1974 | |||
Recorded | 1974 | |||
Studio | Hispavox Studios, Madrid | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:21 | |||
Label | Hispavox | |||
Songwriter(s) | José Luis Perales | |||
Producer(s) | Rafael Trabucchelli | |||
Jeanette singles chronology | ||||
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"Porque te vas" (pronounced [poɾˈke te βas]; Spanish for "Because you are leaving")—often but mistakenly referred to as "¿Por qué te vas?" or "Porqué te vas" ("Why are you leaving?")—is a song by English-born Spanish singer Jeanette, written by José Luis Perales and produced by Rafael Trabucchelli for record label Hispavox in 1974.
Background and recording[]
Jeanette made her solo debut in 1971 with the release of the Manuel Alejandro-penned single "Soy rebelde" on label Hispavox, which marked her return to music and established her as a melodic singer, veering away from the folk-pop of Pic-Nic, her previous group of the 1960s.[2] A commercial success, the hit single topped the charts in Spain[3] and charted in the Top 10 of Latin American countries such as Argentina,[4] Colombia[5] and Peru;[6] becoming a popular "teen anthem" in the Spanish-speaking world.[7] Inspired by Jeanette's success, José Luis Perales decided to write a song for her, since he was still at the beginning of his career and "practically nobody well-known had recorded his songs".[8] Perales has stated that he wrote "Porque te vas" in three hours during a rainy afternoon in his cottage, which possessed no water or light.[8][9] That day, he also wrote the song "Escucha"; both tracks were composed with Jeanette's singular voice in mind, with Perales imitating her high-pitched vocals in the demo recording.[8]
The song was produced by Rafael Trabuchelli, considered a pioneer of music production in Spain and "one of the most influential figures in Spanish music between 1965 and 1975."[10][11] While working for Hispavox, he had developed the "characteristic lush sound" of 1970s Spanish ballads, which "[resulted] from sophisticated orchestral arrangements and studio wizardy."[12] He is now described as the "Spanish Phil Spector", and his production style was known as the "Torrelaguna Sound", named after the Torrelaguna Street in Madrid, where Hispavox Studios was based.[12] Perales had met Trabuchelli through musician friends, and showed him the demo of "Porque te vas", which he received with enthusiasm.[8] Juan Márquez was in charge of the track's conducting and arrangement.[13] According to Perales, Jeanette initially refused to record the song, as she wanted to keep working with well-known composers like Manuel Alejandro, and eventually gave in after her surroundings pushed her to do it.[8][14] The singer has denied such claims, saying that she "[loved] it" from the beginning.[15]
Composition[]
"Porque te vas" is a romantic ballad[17] that incorporates elements of funk, disco and pop music, featuring a predominant use of the saxophone.[18] Critic Julián Molero of Lafonoteca described the track's instrumentation as "full of self-confidence with almost mocking interventions of the brasses and the crash of the drums releasing unexpected blows".[19] Writing for the Spanish edition of Rolling Stone, Miguel Ángel Bargueño wrote that the song possessed "an unruly rhythm and distinctly pop sound".[20] In the book Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed, authors Kim Cooper and David Smay described the song as: "delicate breezy pop with one of those super-suave catchy tunes".[21] The organizers of Festival Europa Sur stated in 2014 that with tracks like "Porque te vas", Jeanette "demonstrated that a canción melódica song can be approached from a pop optic".[22] Her vocals have been described as "innocent",[23] "mischievous",[24] "sweet",[24] "sultry" and "angelic".[21] Julián Molero felt that Jeanette's voice, "this time moves a bit away from the usual sweetness to become a childish and playful air."[19]
A love song, "Porque te vas" deals with "the pain of parting."[25] Its lyrics "speak of a loss, of an abandonment",[26] and have been described as conveying a "sense of longing".[23] Jeanette begins singing: "Hoy en mi ventana brilla el sol y el corazón se pone triste contemplando la ciudad, porque te vas" ("Today the sun shines in my window and the heart gets sad contemplating the city, because you're leaving").[27][28] The refrain features the lyrics: "Todas las promesas de mi amor se irán contigo/Me olvidarás/Me olvidarás/Junto a la estación yo lloraré igual que un niño/Porque te vas" ("All of my love's promises will go with you/You will forget me/You will forget me/Beside the station I will cry like a child/Because you are leaving").[16] She is often but mistakenly thought to be singing "¿Por qué te vas?" or "Porqué te vas" ("Why are you leaving?").[29][30] Regarding the confusion, La Voz de Galicia stated in 2016: "that causal conjunction does not contain a question, but an assumption. Come on, she, the abandoned, has assumed it, so the small stripe of the diacritic would be a step back in history. And no! With all the work that comes from heartbreak."[29]
Release and reception[]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Lafonoteca | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
La Vanguardia | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Hispavox released "Porque te vas" as a 7-inch single in 1974.[13] It featured B-side "Seguiré amando", a ballad written by Jeanette with a "South American air".[19] Upon release, La Vanguardia gave the single two out of five stars—rating that indicated "applause"—and called it "trivial and well-arranged".[31]
In 1976, "Porque te vas" was reissued after the commercial and critical success of the film Cría cuervos, where it was part of its soundtrack. Following the single's reissue in 1976, La Vanguardia rose its rating to three out of five stars—indicating "ovation".[32]
Cover versions[]
"Porque te vas" has been covered by many artists across several languages. It remains the "most covered and profitable" song in José Luis Perales' career.[33] In 1977, Finnish singer Merja Rantamäki recorded the song as "Veit sydämen", which was included in her album Mä mistä löytäisin sen laulun.[34] The same year, German singer Sabrina covered the song as "...Und du willst gehn" and released it as a single.[35] Brazilian singer Lilian recorded a Portuguese version of the song under the title "Eu sem você", released in 1978.[36] Soviet band Vesyolye Rebyata recorded a version in Russian titled "V posledniy raz", which appeared in their 1979 album Muzykal'nyy Globus[37] Argentine punk rock band Attaque 77 included a cover of "Porque te vas" in their 1992 album Ángeles caídos.[38] The British born Andorran singer Jack Lucien released an English language version titled "You're Leaving Me" with English language lyrics by Elizabeth Hurley and Patsy Kensit. In 1999, German band Masterboy covered the song and released it as a single. In 2020, French-Italian singer Carla Bruni released an acoustic version of the song on her self-titled album. It is the first song she recorded in Spanish.
Legacy[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Jeanette_20142.jpg/220px-Jeanette_20142.jpg)
Since its inclusion in Cría cuervos, "Porque te vas" has attained cult status,[39] and is now considered a classic,[40][41] remaining one of the most famous songs of Spanish pop music.[42] In 1979, Madrilenian newspaper ABC wrote that, "never a Spanish song, and sung in our language, had achieved such popularity levels on both sides of the Atlantic."[43] Efe Eme's Luis Lapuente described the single in 2016 as "a precious cult object among European collectors, who compare the former lead singer of Pic-Nic with delicious French lolitas such as Lio or Françoise Hardy".[17] "Porque te vas", along with other Jeanette songs, has been revalued by the indie music scene—particularly indie pop—which considers the singer a "muse" and "godmother".[44][45][46]
"Porque te vas" is often analyzed in relation to the final years of Francisco Franco's regime, time in which "Spanish society began to submerge in the cultural wave that dominated Europe."[47] Authors Kim Cooper and David Smay considered the single to be "quite symbolic", since its "breakout" was around the same time as Franco's death.[21] Likewise, in his book Yé-Yé Girls of '60s French Pop, Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe felt that Jeanette was "a real ray of sunshine in a country under the strict military regime of the dictator Franco."[48] Writing for the South Korean online newspaper Voice of the People, Gwon Jongsul argued that the song's inclusion in Cría cuervos gave it a new, political meaning—becoming associated with the dictatorship and bringing a "more intense pain" to the lyrics.[25]
The Spanish edition of Rolling Stone ranked it forty third on the magazine's 2006 list of "The 200 Best Songs of Spanish Pop-Rock".[49] In the song's entry, Miguel Ángel Bargueño felt that "Porque te vas" "broke the image of folk balladist that Jeanette carried since her Pic-Nic stage and conveyed an accentuated feeling of loss that caused a greater impact by being interpreted by a helpless-looking twenty-year-old."[20] In 2014, Diariocrítico.com placed "Porque te vas" at number fifty four on its list of the 100 best songs of Spanish pop.[50] Writing for The Guardian, Andrew Khan described the song as "a masterpiece of downbeat easy listening," and praised it for "[proving] once again there's often more depth of emotion in derided MOR pop than other, more fashionable, genres."[51]
Carla Bruni has claimed that listening to the song inspired her to pursue a career in music.[2] French film director Jean-Pierre Améris has called it one of his favorite records.[52] In a 1995 interview, the then newly formed French duo Air described themselves as big admirers of the song, which they came to know during their childhood.[53] Band member Nicolas Godin stated: "We like it so much that we have composed a song in its line. We would love for her to sing it, but in France she is too well known and we are afraid that the collaboration will end up eclipsing us. So we're looking for a singer that resembles her."[53]
The song has been adapted as football chants by fans of the Argentine San Lorenzo de Almagro and the Chilean Colo-Colo clubs.[54][55]
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
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Year-end charts[]
Decade-end charts[]
All-time charts[]
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Personnel[]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of the original single release.[13]
- Jeanette – primary artist, vocals
- Rafael Trabucchelli – producer
- Juan Márquez – arranger, conductor
- Elías Dolcet – photography
- Juan Dolcet – photography
See also[]
- Yé-yé
- Music of Spain
- 1974 in music
- 1976 in music
- List of best-selling singles in France
- List of number-one singles of 1976 (France)
- List of number-one hits of 1977 (Germany)
References[]
- ^ Jeanette (1976). Porque te vas (7-inch record). Germany and Austria: Polydor. 2001690.
- ^ Jump up to: a b José María Íñigo, Jeanette (2008). La entrevista. Las canciones de tu vida, 1981 (1) (DVD) (in Spanish). Ediciones del Prado.
- ^ "Hits Of The World". Billboard. Vol. 84 no. 6. Nielsen Business Media. February 5, 1972. p. 53. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ "Hits Of The World". Billboard. Vol. 84 no. 17. Nielsen Business Media. April 22, 1972. p. 55. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ "Cromos, Números 2837-2840". Cromos (in Spanish). No. 2837–2840. 1972. p. 79. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ "7 [i.e. siete] días del Perú y del mundo". La Prensa (in Spanish). No. 723–730. Lima, Peru. 1972. p. 42. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ Clayton, Jace (August 16, 2016). Uproot: Travels in 21st-Century Music and Digital Culture. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. p. 119. ISBN 978-0374533427. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Cristina Pacheco, José Luis Perales (July 27, 2012). Conversando con Cristina Pacheco - José Luis Perales (YouTube) (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico: Canal Once. Event occurs at 25:21 minutes. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
- ^ Álvarez, Rafael J. (May 14, 2016). "A los españoles nos ponen los cuernos los políticos". El Mundo (in Spanish). Unidad Editorial. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ Neira, Fernando (October 2, 2006). "Rafael Trabuchelli, pionero de la producción musical en España". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved October 31, 2017.
- ^ "Fallece Rafael Trabuchelli, pionero de la producción musical". El Norte de Castilla (in Spanish). Grupo Vocento. October 3, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Corona, Ignacio; Madrid, Alejandro L. (December 28, 2017). Postnational Musical Identities: Cultural Production, Distribution, and Consumption in a Globalized Scenario. Lexington Books. p. 68. ISBN 978-0739118221.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Jeanette (1974). Porque te vas (7-inch record). Spain: Hispavox. 45-1034.
- ^ M. P. (May 10, 2016). "José Luis Perales confiesa que Jeanette no quería cantar su canción '¿Por qué te vas?'". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Titania Compañía Editorial. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ "Nunca tuve dudas de grabar 'Por qué te vas" (in Spanish). Radio Internacional. March 24, 2017. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Deshusses, Antoine (July 26, 2005). "Porque te vas". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Lapuente, Luis (February 18, 2011). "Operación rescate: Jeanette" (in Spanish). Efe Eme. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ "'Porque te vas' tiene ahora la voz de la cantante orense Daniela Mora". El Telégrafo (in Spanish). May 1, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Molero, Julián (September 18, 2010). "Discos: Porque te Vas" (in Spanish). Lafonoteca. Música Española S.L. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Bargueño, Miguel Ángel (May 21, 2010). "43. ¿Por qué te vas? – Jeannette, 1974" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on April 12, 2013.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Cooper, Kim; Smay, David (2004). Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed. Routledge. pp. 101–102. ISBN 978-0415969987. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ "El Festival Europa Sur tendrá en Trujillo a Jeanette como cabeza de cartel" (in Spanish). Región Digital. September 1, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Saez, Cristóbal (January 23, 2017). "Iconográfica: A Tribute to Jeanette, the Godmother of Sad Girl Ballads". Remezcla. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Potdevin, Pascaline (October 23, 2017). "Musique : la playlist du lundi est 100 % française". Grazia (in French). Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Gwon Jongsul (Korean: 권종술) (April 13, 2015). "[아트액추얼리] 유튜브 음악산책 8. 영화 '까마귀 기르기'의 명곡, 지네트의 'Porque te vas'" (in Korean). Voice of the People. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
- ^ Martínez, Antonio (October 19, 2013). "La balalaica de Lara y Yuri" (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ Rando, Paloma (August 17, 2017). "Si no has visto aún 'Estiu 1993', ¿a qué estás esperando?". Vanity Fair España (in Spanish). Condé Nast. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ "Perales: "Jeanette no quería cantar ¿por qué te vas?"". Ideal (in Spanish). May 9, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Tú también las cantabas mal". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). May 14, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ Tenemos que hablar (talk show) (in Spanish). Spain: RTVE. April 26, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "A 45 vueltas por minuto". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). March 9, 1974. p. 55. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "A 45 vueltas por minuto". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). July 10, 1976. p. 37. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ García, Rodrigo (October 15, 2016). "José Luis Perales: A.Latina me abrió tanto las puertas que olvidó cerrarlas" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires: EFE. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ Merja Rantamäki (1977). Mä mistä löytäisin sen laulun (LP record). Finland: Finnlevy. FL 5012.
- ^ Sabrina (1977). "...Und du willst gehn" (7-inch record). Germany: Polydor Records. 2041 853.
- ^ Lilian (1978). "Sou rebelde" (7-inch record). Brazil: RCA. 101.0574..
- ^ Весёлые Ребята (1979). Музыкальный Глобус (LP record). Soviet Union: Мелодия. С 60—12953-54.
- ^ Attaque 77 (1992). Ángeles caídos (CD). Argentina: Trípoli Discos. CPP 51.023.
- ^ Danjean, Joss (June 28, 2017). "Vitalic et La Bien Querida signent le tube électro espagnol de l'été" (in French). Modzik. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ "¿Y cómo es el? o los 71 años de José Luis Perales" (in Spanish). Zeleb. January 18, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ "Arielle Dombasle et Bernard-Henri Lévy : Ils ont trouvé un nouveau nid d'amour!" (in French). PureMédias. May 6, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Gómez, José Andrés (April 4, 2016). "Bromea con una canción de Jeanette y PayPal lo bloquea por presunta vinculación con Irán". El Mundo (in Spanish). Unidad Editorial. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
- ^ "José Luis Perales: Un compositor que tuvo que cantar". ABC (in Spanish). December 19, 1979. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ Hassan, Marcos (2015). "Latin Indie Darlings Herald Jeanette as the Godmother of a New Generation on 'Contemplaciones'". Remezcla. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ R. Cantero (March 3, 2010). "Jeanette y Anni B. Sweet comparten el jueves el escenario del Gran Teatro". El Periódico Extremadura (in Spanish). Grupo Zeta.
- ^ R. Cantero (October 22, 2014). "Siento que la gente me quiere: hasta Carla Bruni habla de mí" (in Spanish). Hoy.es.
- ^ "The Guardian repasa la historia de España a través de sus éxitos musicales" (in Spanish). Te Interesa. June 19, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
- ^ Deluxe, Jean-Emmanuel (2013). Yé-Yé Girls of '60s French Pop. Feral House. p. 304. ISBN 978-1936239719. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ "Las 200 mejores canciones del Pop-Rock español". Rolling Stone España (in Spanish). No. 85. November 2006.
- ^ Ariza Lázaro, Sergio (May 21, 2014). "Las 100 mejores canciones del pop español (Del 60 al 51)" (in Spanish). Diariocrítico.com. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ Khan, Andrew (June 18, 2012). "Sounds of Spain – day one: a history of Spanish pop in 10 songs". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
- ^ "Le tube qui tache de Jean-Pierre Améris : " Porque te vas " de Jeanette" (in French). France Inter. August 17, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Cervera, Rafa (July 12, 2015). "Un nuevo dúo francés llamado Air" (in Spanish). Valencia Plaza. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ Besnard, Jacques (February 8, 2017). "Ces 12 vidéos de supporters qui donnent des frissons". La Libre Belgique (in French). Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ "¿De dónde vienen las canciones de las barras chilenas?". La Hora (in Spanish). Copesa. November 21, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Jeanette [ES] - Porque te vas". Ultratop. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Songs from the Year 1977". Steve Hawtin. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ "Hits Of The World". Billboard. Vol. 90 no. 1. Nielsen Business Media. January 7, 1978. p. 93. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ "Hits Of The World". Billboard. Vol. 88 no. 41. Nielsen Business Media. October 9, 1976. p. 59. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ^ "Hits Of The World". Billboard. Vol. 87 no. 37. Nielsen Business Media. September 13, 1975. p. 63. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ^ "Hits Of The World". Billboard. Vol. 89 no. 8. Nielsen Business Media. February 26, 1977. p. 84. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
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- ^ Ferment, Fabrice (2001). 40 ans de tubes (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. ISBN 978-2914205603.
- ^ Steinkoenig, Gerd (2017). Blood On The Rooftops Teil 3: Noch mehr Infos über Musik und mehr ... (in German). BoD. p. 25. ISBN 978-3743197169. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
- ^ "Les Meilleures Ventes "Tout Temps" de 45 T. / Singles / Téléchargement" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
External links[]
- "Porque te vas" at Discogs (list of releases)
- "Porque te vas" statistics, tagging and previews at Last.fm
- "Porque te vas" at Rate Your Music
- "Porque te vas" at Acclaimed Music
- 1974 singles
- 1974 songs
- 1976 singles
- Spanish pop songs
- Easy listening songs
- Spanish-language songs
- Songs written by José Luis Perales
- Number-one singles in Spain
- Number-one singles in Germany
- Number-one singles in France
- Songs about heartache