Song by song
1. Ana María
I could say that this track was my first song. I wrote it in August 1994
in Brussels at 72 rue de Neufchatel. In that flat I spent a whole
summer
locked up. This song has a carelessness in its intro, sliding from a
D minor chord to a C major which gives a particular freshness to its
melody.
2. Cornudo y corneado
August 1998, at Xavier Doyen's apartment at rue Léon Lepage. Summer months
of heat, a leather jacket and freedom... Lots of hard work writing
funny
songs in French songwriter's George Brassens' style.
3. La psicodelia
I sang this melody walking in the Sierra, feeling a bit like the conductor
of a military brass band. The lyrics recount the end of a chaotic and
eclectic century in a cybernetic Madrid that didn't know where to
go.
4. La Madame vienesa
I adore the display of guitar-chords in this song. Thierry Poull had a
phenomenal
version for guitar as well. In the end we decided to use Maria Calvo's
piano arrangement which told the story better. I remember I sang it for
François Rauber in his house in Paris. Its rhythm reminded him of the
style of that sweet Jacques Brel song,
" L'Ostendaise ".
5. La voz con son
My mother heard me sing this in my room in our house. A little song with
a popular taste. I remember she said: " What a lovely
tune ! "
6. Ningún
This song occurred to me in the bus station at Motril, near Malaga in
Southern
Spain. Fernando Cubo played a Jewish tune on his flute and I began to
sing along in the echoes of the waiting room in the stifling heat of
that afternoon.
7. La camarera
In the old Madrid near Alonso Martinez used to be a bar, called
" El Boulevard ".
Every Friday I went to check out the barmaid, a girl known by the name
of Immaculada. I watched her work behind the counter: serve drinks,
smile
and coming towards me from time to time. I finished the lyrics, after
a lot of hard work, on New Year's Day 1999 in the early morning. A holy
hour in which I couldn't stop writing !
8. La ventana
I was inspired for this song looking down from the balcony of the house in
Segovia. I saw a row of windows, like pointed beehives, each like a
painting
with its own story. Maria Calvo did some fantastic piano work here.
9. Marusella
Marusella was a whore from near the Brussels South Station with flaming red
lips. It took me quite an effort to master the central bossa nova
rhythm
of the song. People tend to hum along with the refrain.
10. Tengo en la cara tristeza
Sitting in the stone emptiness of the cathedral in Segovia. Walking down
the tiny alleys that lead towards Saint-Nicolas' church. My religious
and profane sentiments are recounted in this theme. And in spite of the
sadness of things, I always find a reason to sing.
11. Oledilé
Travelling on the night train from Lisbon to Madrid, I heard a black
Portuguese sing some sounds that I wrote down in my notebook, which
explains the African
feeling to this song.
12. Vamos a hablar
My " Ne me quitte pas ". The final melody is
particularly enchanting. It's
a romantic song in which a man asks once more tenderness from his
lover.
13. Liabas en tu mano
A short love story, beginning in a yellow Deux-Chevaux. A stiff joint, some
amorous looks and a sweet kiss. She was beautiful. Dawn broke early.
It was still hot in that September month and trekkers walked up from
the city towards the Segovia Sierra, looking for the freshness of the
morning air. We went to her house together. I've never seen her
again.
14. Yo-yo
I don't know what this means... It's a song to a friend, a real friend who
exists: my alter ego, my other me. A friend's name, perhaps ?
An invented
friend evoked from far away. This track is a homage to all great
friendships
I've had. One of my favourite songs with a fine piano.
15. Santa Ana
What I remember most is the awful amount of time I spent writing this song.
A whole springtime, a summer ? I worked hard on the lyrics and
the rhythmic
structure. I had my doubts about whether it should be in 3/4
or 4/4. In the end I opted for a binary tempo, which
proved more lyrical. The electric guitar's emblematic coda was dreamt
up by Thierry Poull and me at his house in Boitsfort.
16. Dónde esta la luna
I always figured this song could be great for a film. The story seems to
be a thriller. Magical until the end. This work could be called a
legend-song.
17. Todo lo que va de las manos
A poetic text from the book " Trayectoria ",
recited over the sounds of a screaming
guitar that makes one think of the soundtrack of
" Paris-Texas ".