Help me identify this Mexican pop song based on my sketchy memory
February 17, 2006 2:37 PM   Subscribe

Mexicanpopsongfilter: Help me identify a Mexican pop song from (I think) the 80s.

In the late 1980s I went to a boarding school with a mix of Mexican and American students. My roommate was from Mexico, and we shared a very small space with much overlapping of possessions and music. One of the songs she would play quite often had a very catchy tune, and I would often find myself humming it or singing parts of the song. This amused her to no end, and it became one of the songs played most often in our room.

Now, many years later, I find that I have the song, or at least the part of the chorus that I can still remember, stuck in my head.

It is a catchy tune, and I would love to have it on my iPod.

What I remember of the chorus centers around the word siempre repeated several times.

Siempre siempre siempre [something something]
Siempre siempre siempre [something else]

At this point, I typically begin humming the tune, since I can’t remember any of the other words.

When I asked my roommate about this song, she told me that it was formerly popular, but that it was “old.”
Since we were 12 at the time, I’m assuming “old” was relative.

Can anyone help me identify this song?
posted by Sheppagus to Media & Arts (15 answers total)
 
Was it a slow song? fast song?

The only thing that comes to mind is Juan Gabriel's Siempre en mi Mente which was a mega-hit in the 70's.
posted by vacapinta at 2:52 PM on February 17, 2006


Response by poster: No, it was faster and more pop songy than Siempre en mi Mente.

The tune is infectious, but there is no good way to translate a tune into text on a website.

Thanks for the suggestion.
posted by Sheppagus at 2:54 PM on February 17, 2006


Do you have any more info than this? Male or female singer? Rock? Pop?

Have you checked discographies of Menudo or Ricky Martin? These are both 80s artists who would appeal to the young teen set.
posted by luneray at 2:55 PM on February 17, 2006


Sung by a man or a woman, or both? (Working on a process of elimination here.)
posted by ambrosia at 2:57 PM on February 17, 2006


Response by poster: I can't remember if it was a male or female.

I have looked at discographies, but really don't have enough information to be able to guess at the song title. My hope is that someone else has had the chorus stuck in their head and will know the song I mean.
posted by Sheppagus at 2:57 PM on February 17, 2006


Perhaps hum it into a mic and record it?
posted by vacapinta at 3:02 PM on February 17, 2006


I'm pretty sure this is Selena's song Siempre.
posted by Emera Gratia at 3:06 PM on February 17, 2006


Response by poster: I haven't been able to listen to a sample of Selena's Siempre, but based on the lyrics, I don't think this was it.

The Siempres were (as far as I remember) repeated twice, in groups of three. Following the first set of three was a four syllable word or words, and a three syllable word or words followed the second set of three.

The next line was not more siempres, but started with non or nun or something similar.
posted by Sheppagus at 3:31 PM on February 17, 2006


Are you certain the song was Mexican, or is it simply that the roommate was Mexican? You may not know, but if we can narrow it down to *Mexican* pop, that eliminates a lot of other 80's stuff...
posted by ambrosia at 3:44 PM on February 17, 2006


Response by poster: I guess I have been assuming the song was Mexican all these years because the roommate was Mexican.

Now I'm not so sure.
posted by Sheppagus at 3:48 PM on February 17, 2006


Best answer: Could it be Fresas con crema?
Siempre siempre siempre hay un pretexto
siempre siempre siempre impuntual
nunca cambiarás, hombre tenías que ser
I barely remember this group, it was a Mexican pop group from the 80s. I don't remember any of their songs, though.
posted by clearlydemon at 4:34 PM on February 17, 2006


I take it back, I just downloaded it and the memories came back.

I'm almost sure this is the song you are looking for. There are male and female voices, maybe that's why you couldn't remember.
posted by clearlydemon at 4:55 PM on February 17, 2006


Response by poster: Clearlydemon, this is it! I knew as soon as I read the lyrics that you found it.

Thank you so much!

I can't believe that I now have this song thanks to Mefi. This is so great.

I'm off to introduce my husband to the song I have been humming for the last 17 years.
posted by Sheppagus at 6:37 AM on February 18, 2006


do you know what the lyrics mean? here's a translation:

Las siete ya van a dar - y tu no llegas
It's almost 7 o'clock and you're not here yet

la historia siempre es igual - me desesperas
the story is always the same - you drive me crazy

otra pelicula mas - en cartelera
a new movie is out - up on the billboard

que por tu culpa sera - de nuevo a medias
which thanks to you we'll see halfway, as always

Si yo te invito a comer - nadie se espera
if i invite you to lunch nobody waits for me

dicen que vas a llegar - hasta la cena
they all say you'll arrive for dinner

llegamos siempre al cafe - cuando ya cierran
we always get to the coffee shop when they are closing

si es al boliche a jugar - ya no hay mesa
if we go bowling the place is full

Siempre siempre siempre hay un pretexto
always, always, always, you have an excuse

siempre siempre siempre impuntual
always (3) you are late

nunca cambiaras, mujer tenias que ser
you'll never change, woman it had to be you

repeat chorus

Las ocho ya van a dar - ni me lamento
its almost 8 o'clock - i wont even bother

ya se que vas a llegar - con algun cuento
I know youll come up with a new story

otra pelicula mas - que nos perdemos
another movie we miss

solo he podido aguantar - porque te quiero
I can only bear it because I love you

repeat chorus (change the line "woman it had to be you" for "man it had to be you")
posted by yugolplex at 11:44 AM on February 19, 2006


Response by poster: Hee!

Those translated lyrics amuse me so much when I consider a group of 12 year old girls singing them while dancing around my dorm room.

Thanks so much for everyone's help. I can't tell you how cool it is to have this song again.
posted by Sheppagus at 9:55 AM on February 20, 2006


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