With the various qustions about the song, I turned to a dear friend in Mexico who knows these things and here is his reply: I am sure no one cares anymore and I know that I bore people here, but in case anyione is interested: Michael Voigt wrote: > Vince: > > I've got a bunch of mails from you and want to respond to several of them. > We'll start with Jose Marti and Guantanamera. > > >Questions: who is Jose Marti? > > He was the leader of the revolt against Spain at the end of the 19th > century. While the rest of Spain's colonies in the New World had obtained > their freedom during the first years of the 1800's, Spain continued to hang > on to Cuba. Marti was one of the leaders in the struggle for independence. > He was killed before Cuba gained its independence and just before Teddy > Roosevelt rode in, "heroically gained Cuba's independence" and placed it > under the U.S. tutelage. You may recall the infamous Platt Amendment which > basically said that the Cuban's choice of Presdent would have to be > approved by the U.S government. This went on until the middle of the > 1930's, by which point the U.S. Mafia was firmly in control of the island, > so the U.S. government relinquished formal control to the gangsters. This > may help explain why there is some hostility toward the U.S. in Cuba or it > may just be a bunch of sour grapes from our little brown brothers who fail > to appreciate good will when they see it. > >What does "Guantanamera" mean? > > It means a "woman from the town of Guantanamo" which, by sheer coincidence, > is the Cuban port which the US military controls and refuses to leave. > This too, oddly enough, creates some ill will (sort of like the folks on > the Puerto Rican island of Vieques who object to having their isle used for > shelling practice by the US military). > > >Is this is any way a revolutionary song? > > Not really. But Marti did author a lot of revolutionary literature and > political tracts. So, in the end, you have to take Guantanamera with a > certain amount of history and perspective. I guess it's sort of like the > diffrence as to how you would read one of Richard Brautigan's lighter > poems, as opposed to Emily Dickenson's constantly light weight work. You > have to take the writer into account when weighing the "value" of the work. > > >I always thought the word in the first verse was "crece" so am I wrong? > > Yes. "Crece" would refer to only one palm tree (grows) and "crecen" refers > to more than one palm (grow). > > In any case, it's a beautiful song, even in English. I am particularly fond > of Pete Seeger's version. And again, like the reference to Marti or > Brautigan, one has to take into account Pete's history. > > Saludos...Mike > > >> The correct lyrics: > >> > >> GUANTANAMERA > >> Original music by Jose Fernandez Diaz > >> Music adaptation by Pete Seeger & Julian Orbon > >> Lyric adaptation by Julian Orbon, based on a poem by Jose Marti > >> > >> Yo soy un hombre sincero > >> De donde crecen las palmas > >> Yo soy un hombre sincero > >> De donde crecen las palmas > >> Y antes de morirme quiero > >> Echar mis versos del alma > >> > >> Chorus: > >> Guantanamera > >> Guajira Guantanamera > >> Guantanamera > >> Guajira Guantanamera > >> > >> Mi verso es de un verde claro > >> Y de un carmin encendido > >> Mi verso es de un verde claro > >> Y de un carmin encendido > >> Mi verso es un ciervo herido > >> Que busca en el monte amparo > >> > >> Chorus > >> > >> I am a truthful man from this land of palm trees > >> Before dying I want to share these poems of my soul > >> My verses are light green > >> But they are also flaming red > >> > >> (the next verse says,) > >> I cultivate a rose in June and in January > >> For the sincere friend who gives me his hand > >> And for the cruel one who would tear out this > >> heart with which I live > >> I do not cultivate thistles nor nettles > >> I cultivate a white rose > >> > >> Cultivo la rosa blanca > >> En junio como en enero > >> Qultivo la rosa blanca > >> En junio como en enero > >> Para el amigo sincero > >> Que me da su mano franca > >> > >> Chorus > >> > >> Y para el cruel que me arranca > >> El corazon con que vivo > >> Y para el cruel que me arranca > >> El corazon con que vivo > >> Cardo ni ortiga cultivo > >> Cultivo la rosa blanca > >> > >> Chorus > >> > >> Con los pobres de la tierra > >> Quiero yo mi suerte echar > >> Con los pobres de la tierra > >> Quiero yo mi suerte echar > >> El arroyo de la sierra > >> Me complace mas que el mar > >> > >> Chorus > >> > >> �1963,1965 (Renewed) Fall River Music, Inc (BMI) > >> All Rights Reserved. > >Received: from [216.200.102.14] (helo=smoe.org) > > by uruguay.pathwaynet.com with esmtp (Exim 3.15 #1) > > id 13kEt2-0000FO-00 > > for [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Fri, 13 Oct 2000 20:09:16 -0400 > >Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost) > > by smoe.org (8.8.7/8.8.7/listq-jane) with SMTP id UAA19944; > > Fri, 13 Oct 2000 20:06:27 -0400 (EDT) > >Received: by smoe.org (bulk_mailer v1.10); Fri, 13 Oct 2000 20:06:18 -0400 > >Received: (from majordom@localhost) > > by smoe.org (8.8.7/8.8.7/listq-jane) id UAA19893 > > for joni-outgoing; Fri, 13 Oct 2000 20:05:57 -0400 (EDT) > >Received: from imo-r17.mail.aol.com (imo-r17.mx.aol.com [152.163.225.71]) > > by smoe.org (8.8.7/8.8.7/daemon-mode-jane) with ESMTP id UAA19871 > > for <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Fri, 13 Oct 2000 20:05:46 -0400 (EDT) > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Received: from [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > by imo-r17.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v28.31.) id n.67.ac90c32 (16790); > > Fri, 13 Oct 2000 20:04:29 -0400 (EDT) > >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 20:04:29 EDT > >Subject: Re: guantanamera njc > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >MIME-Version: 1.0 > >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" > >X-Mailer: AOL for Macintosh sub 7 > >X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by smoe.org id UAA19872 > >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Archives: http://www.smoe.org/lists/joni > >Websites: http://www.jmdl.com http://www.jonimitchell.com > >Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=unsubscribe > >Precedence: bulk > >X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by smoe.org id UAA19944 > >X-PATHWAY: LOCAL DELIVERY ON URUGUAY TO revrvl > >X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 > > > >The correct lyrics: > > > >GUANTANAMERA > >Original music by Jose Fernandez Diaz > >Music adaptation by Pete Seeger & Julian Orbon > >Lyric adaptation by Julian Orbon, based on a poem by Jose Marti > > > >Yo soy un hombre sincero > >De donde crecen las palmas > >Yo soy un hombre sincero > >De donde crecen las palmas > >Y antes de morirme quiero > >Echar mis versos del alma > > > >Chorus: > >Guantanamera > >Guajira Guantanamera > >Guantanamera > >Guajira Guantanamera > > > >Mi verso es de un verde claro > >Y de un carmin encendido > >Mi verso es de un verde claro > >Y de un carmin encendido > >Mi verso es un ciervo herido > >Que busca en el monte amparo > > > >Chorus > > > >I am a truthful man from this land of palm trees > >Before dying I want to share these poems of my soul > >My verses are light green > >But they are also flaming red > > > >(the next verse says,) > >I cultivate a rose in June and in January > >For the sincere friend who gives me his hand > >And for the cruel one who would tear out this > >heart with which I live > >I do not cultivate thistles nor nettles > >I cultivate a white rose > > > >Cultivo la rosa blanca > >En junio como en enero > >Qultivo la rosa blanca > >En junio como en enero > >Para el amigo sincero > >Que me da su mano franca > > > >Chorus > > > >Y para el cruel que me arranca > >El corazon con que vivo > >Y para el cruel que me arranca > >El corazon con que vivo > >Cardo ni ortiga cultivo > >Cultivo la rosa blanca > > > >Chorus > > > >Con los pobres de la tierra > >Quiero yo mi suerte echar > >Con los pobres de la tierra > >Quiero yo mi suerte echar > >El arroyo de la sierra > >Me complace mas que el mar > > > >Chorus > > > >�1963,1965 (Renewed) Fall River Music, Inc (BMI) > >All Rights Reserved. > > > >
