Thursday, May 01, 2008

The obligatory Madonna post

I was talking to a reporter yesterday on what it means to blog on Latino LGBT issues - as opposed to gay issues in general - and I told him that, for one, I didn't feel the pressure to make the obligatory Madonna post every time she released an album.

But I did get "
Hard Candy" this week and am still trying to wrap my head around it. It's got some good stuff - I can't get "Candy Shop" out of my head - but what brings me to write about it is "La Isla Bonita, Pt. II" which surfaces here with the name of "Spanish Lesson."

Now let it be known: "
La Isla Bonita" is up there with last year's "Hey You" as one of my least favorite Madonna tracks. I cringe every time I hear it playing and, yet, "Spanish Lesson" is a treat.

As in "La Isla..." Madonna sings a few lines in Spanish in an atrocious accent but this time she has fun with the concept. Supposedly she is translating certain Spanish language phrases but the translations are actually a bit off-kilter yet close enough.

So, if you really wanna know what she's singing, here are some of he lyrics with the real translation in parenthesis:

  • "Yo te quiero means I love you" (sorta, it means I care for you)
  • "Mucho gusto means I'm welcome to you" (hm, no, it means 'pleased to meet you')
  • "Callate means close your mouth" (more precisely, it means 'shut up')
  • "Besame means give me love" (if a kiss means more than a kiss)
  • "Digame Miss, tell me baby" (no, it means 'Call me Miss')
  • "Yo soy loco means you drive me crazy" (nope, it means 'I am a crazy man')
  • "Entiendo means I get it" (Yup! Or 'I understand')
  • "Siempre means that I won't forget it" (nope, it means 'always')
It's obvious that the slight variations are pretty knowing which makes the song that much more fun. So, what the heck, I guess there was an obligatory Madonna post in me after all.

5 comments:

Some Other Guy said...

Not a Madonna fan, but a very good entry! Thanks for your kind comment. Good luck with your 900th! Salud amigo!

Lola Gets said...

Ive never been a die-hard Madonna fan either. However, I do like the one song from this album thats been getting airplay - the one with Justin Timberlake.

Thanks for the Spanish lesson!

L

Ron Buckmire said...

I actually like "La Isla Bonita"---it's one of the better tracks from the "True Blue" album--better than "Papa Don't Preach" or the title track. Of course the stand out is "Open Your Heart"

I have had no interest in Madonna's music since "Music" however.

Lake said...

Hmmm I guess that's why her relationship with her latin boyfriend -the father of Lourdes- lasted so little...

Seriously: half of the album is good. The other is crap. "Spanish lesson" is part of the crap.

Hugs!

Blabbeando said...

OMG. I must have a weird taste in music but I LOVE "Spanish Lesson!" (then again everyone hated "I Love New York" from the last album and I loved it too). Nevertheless, I agree on the rest. Half is great, half is crap.