(from “The Democratic Forest”)
© William Eggleston
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Cucurrucucú Paloma
by Caetano Veloso (originally by Tomás Méndez)
They say that at night he did nothing but cry.
They that he didn’t eat and did nothing but drink.
They swear that heaven itself shuddered when it heard his cry,
How he suffered for her, calling out to her even as he died.
“Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay,” he sang.
“Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay,” he wept.
“Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay,” he sang.
As he died of mortal passion.
That a sad dove early in the morning comes to sing to him,
To the small house with its little doors open wide.
They swear that the dove is none other than his soul,
That he however is still waiting for her to come back, she, the wretched.
Cucurrucucú, dove,
Cucurrucucú, don’t cry.
The stones never cry, dove,
What do they know of love?
Cucurrucucú, cucurrucucú,
Cucurrucucú, don’t cry any more.
4 Comments
December 16, 2007 – 4:20 pm
Just a brief note that the song is not by Caetano Veloso. It was written Tomas Mendez Sosa, a Mexican songwriter.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0287467/soundtrack
Lola Beltran sang the tune when it became a hit around 1965 or so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OQmZdtLfDQ
It is a huapango, a style of Mexican country song. Beautiful.
December 16, 2007 – 4:24 pm
Miguel, thanks for the note. I knew it was a Mendez translation but I didn’t know he wrote the song. I love the Caetano Veloso version.
December 16, 2007 – 6:16 pm
absolutely beautiful!!!
January 13, 2008 – 1:30 am
The first time I heard that song I was 10 years old. Fina Estampa is a great album.
Hope all is well ;) Viva o Caetano.
PS: You should try Marisa Monte next time Brazilian music appeals to you.