Cielito Lindo

For other uses, seeCielito Lindo (disambiguation).

"Canta y no llores" redirects here. For the films, seeCanta y no llores... (1949 film)andCanta y no llores (2024 film)."Ay ay ay ay" redirects here. For similar sounding subjects, seeAy ay ay ay (disambiguation).

"Cielito Lindo"is a Mexican folk song orcoplapopularized in 1882 by Mexican authorQuirino Mendoza y Cortés(c. 1862– 1957).It is roughly translated as "Lovely Sweet One". Although the wordcielomeans "sky" or "heaven", it is also a term of endearment comparable to "sweetheart" or "honey".Cielito,the diminutive, can be translated as "sweetie";lindomeans "cute", "lovely" or "pretty". The song is commonly known by words from the refrain, "Canta y no llores", or simply as the "Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay song".

Bust of composer Quirino Mendoza y Cortés with a plaque showing measures of the song and lyrics

Commonly played bymariachibands, it has been recorded by many artists in the original Spanish as well as in English and other languages, including byTito Guizar,Pedro Infante,Vicente Fernandez,Placido Domingo,Luciano Pavarotti,Eartha Kitt,The Wiggles,MenudoandAna Gabriel.It also featured prominently in the iconic Mexican filmLos tres Garcia.There is some debate as to whether the song's lyrics refer to theSierra Morena,a mountain range in southernSpain,or the similarly namedSierra de Morones,in the Mexican state ofZacatecas.However most Mexicans believe that this is a misrepresentation of the lyrics and is intended as "la Sierra, Morena", "Morena" is a common term of endearment, and with the comma, it now means he is directly speaking to the woman in the song instead of a specific place.It has become a famous song of Mexico, especially in Mexican expatriate communities around the world or for Mexicans attending international events such as the Olympic Games or theFIFA World Cup.

Lyrics

The song's lyrical scheme corresponds to theCastilianclassical stanza known as theseguidilla,i.e. seven lines of alternating heptasyllabic and pentasyllabic verses. Lyrics vary widely from performer to performer, and every singer is free to add and remove some verses for his or her own interpretation. Some of the most traditional lyrics are the following:

Lyrics	Literal English translation	Idiomatic translation
De laSierra Morena, Cielito lindo, vienen bajando Un par de ojitos negros, Cielito lindo, de contrabando. Estribillo: Ay, ay, ay, ay, Canta y no llores, Porque cantando se alegran, Cielito lindo, los corazones. Pájaro que abandona, Cielito lindo, su primer nido, Si lo encuentra ocupado, Cielito lindo, bien merecido. (Estribillo) Ese lunar que tienes, Cielito lindo, junto a la boca, No se lo des a nadie, Cielito lindo, que a mí me toca. (Estribillo) Una flecha en el aire, Cielito lindo, lanzó Cupido. Si la tiró jugando, Cielito lindo, a mí me ha herido. (Estribillo)	From theSierra Morena, Pretty little heaven, come down A pair of little black eyes, Pretty little heaven, sneaking by. Refrain: Woe, woe, woe, woe, Sing and don't cry, Because singing rejoices, Pretty little heaven, our hearts. A bird that abandons, Pretty little heaven, its first nest, If he finds it occupied, Pretty little heaven, (it is) well deserved. (Refrain) That beauty mark that you have, Pretty little heaven, beside your mouth, Do not give it to anyone, Pretty little heaven, for it's my turn. (Refrain) An arrow in the air Pretty little heaven,Cupidshot. If he threw it playing, Pretty little heaven, he injured me. (Refrain)	From theSierra Morena, Darling, come down A pair of lovely black eyes; Darling, they are sneaking past. Refrain: Woe, woe, woe, woe, Sing and don’t cry, Because singing, darling, Lifts our hearts. A bird that abandons, Darling, its first nest, If he finds it occupied, Darling, it is well deserved. (Refrain) That beauty mark that you have Darling, next to your mouth, Don’t share it with anyone, Darling, because it belongs to me. (Refrain) An arrow in the air, Darling, Cupid has flung. Even if he shot it in jest, Darling, he has smitten me. (Refrain)

In the article "¡Hasta que me cayó el veinte!",Ortega discusses the origins of the first verse of this song. His research discovered that in the early 17th century, armedbanditswould take refuge in the Sierra Morena mountains of Spain and that people feared for their lives when they had to travel through the region. The words of the first verse of "Cielito Lindo" were found in a song from that era, hinting at that fear. But with time the meaning of the verse changed as people began romanticizing it. "Your face is the Sierra Morena. Your eyes are thieves who live there." The verse had other melodies put to it and variations on the lyrics. Quirino Mendoza, the composer, adapted the verse to his own melody and gave us the song we know today.

Versions

The song has been subject to many versions:

• A recording dated 26 November 1926 from Mexican Tipica Orchestra, matrix 20384A, Victor
• Carl Sandburgincluded "Cielito Lindo" with Spanish lyrics and a piano arrangement (byAlfred G. Wathall) in his 1927The American Songbag(page 298) in a chapter called "Mexican Border Songs".
• Anthony Mann1945 noir thrillerThe Great FlamarionstarringErich von Stroheim,Mary Beth Hughes,andDan Duryeaopens with a Mexican vaudeville performance of "Cielito Lindo".
• In 1954Rodolfo Biagirecorded a Tango instrumental version of the song.
• "Heavenly Night" is an English version, with the melody adapted bySebastian Yradierand Neil Wilson.Bing Crosbyrecorded it for his albumEl Señor Bingand many other singers.
• Alma Cogan's 1957 hit "You, Me, and Us"used the tune from" Cielito Lindo ", with English lyrics.
• Voodoo Glow Skulls,a ska punk band from California, do a cover on their albumÉxitos al Cabrón(1999).
• Pedro Infantesang it in the 1947 Mexican filmLos tres García.He also had the lead role in the film.
• In 1942,BraziliansingerCarmen Costareleased a famousversion of the song inPortuguesecalled "Está Chegando a Hora" (The time is coming).
• In 1963,Trini Lopezreleased a very famousSpanish version of the song, on his albumTrini Lopez at PJ's.
• In the 1965 cartoonCats and Bruises,Speedy Gonzales sings the song twice for a female mouse while being pursued by Sylvester the Cat.
• In 1982, popular Puerto Rican boy bandMenudocovered this song for performances in Mexico, only. It was finally released in 1983, but only on the albumAdiós Miguel.
• In 1989,José Felicianoon his albumI'm Never Gonna Change.His version won theGrammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance.
• The Three Tenorshave done this song in many of their concerts. They sing the first and third verses and then the refrain twice.
• Other Spanish versions include those by: Irma Vila y su Mariachi, andLos Lobos,alongsideLuciano PavarottiandJosé Carreras.In 2006 it was recorded byAna Gabriel.
• There are instrumental versions as well, notably byMantovani.
• Cubanrumbaband leader and actorDesi Arnazperformed the song's refrain several times on the popular American television showI Love Lucy,in which he co-starred alongside his real-life wife,Lucille Ball.
• In the season four episode ofI Love Lucy"Ricky's Movie Offer" (1954), Mrs. Trumbull (Elizabeth Patterson) sings the song in the episode's final scene.
• The song "Richard Allen George...No, It's Just Cheez" byLess Than Jakeends with a sing-along about mustaches, to the melody of "Cielito Lindo".
• Iranian singerMohsen Namjooincluded it in his third albumOy.His version featuresGolshifteh Farahanias co-singer. Within the song, he included some poems byShamlooandRumi.
• Limerick songsare often set to the tune of "Cielito Lindo".
• Deanna Durbin,a Canadian-American singer and actress from the 1930s and 1940s, recorded a version of the song in Spanish.
• A⁴
  ₄adaptation was used in the finale of Shostakovich's 6th Symphony
• An ad forFritosfeatured theFrito Banditocharacter singing a version of the song with different lyrics. Many Mexican nationals considered this a racist insult to their culture.
• Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) sings José Moriche's 1925 version of the songin the 1969Get Smartepisode "Tequila Mockingbird".
• UK 1970's football terrace chant: "Ai ai ai ai, 《insert team name here》are rubbish".
• In an episode of the popular children's seriesShining Time Station,the song was covered by the Jukebox Band, led by Tito Swing (voiced byJonathan Freeman).
• A version by Mariachi Bandido is featured in Destin Daniel Cretton's 2013 movie "Short Term 12".
• On December 31, 2014,Jeff Rosenstock,former frontman of the New York punk bandBomb The Music Industry!,released two recordings of "Cielito Lindo", a fast version and a slow version.
• The melody of the song was used inNazi-occupiedPolandin a popular street chant "Teraz jest wojna" ( "Now there is war" ) sung by street musicians and resistance movement.
• The interpretation ofIbrahim Ferrer's composition titled "De Camino a la Vereda" found on the albumBuena Vista Social Clubincludes an allusion to the song.
• The song was played in the "Mariachi Madness" Detour from the premiere ofThe Amazing Race 28,where teams had to find which band member was faking their performance during the song.A similar task and performance also appeared on the ninth episode ofThe Amazing Race China 3.
• The song appears as a lullaby in Season 2 Episode 13 of the Netflix showOne Day at a Time,entitled "Not Yet".
• In the 2018 video gameRed Dead Redemption 2,Mexican gang member Javier Escuella (voiced by Gabriel Sloyer) sings the song with the rest of the gang joining in at the refrain in Chapter 4.
• On November 24, 2020, to celebrate mariachi, Google doodle released a video featuring the song.
• Reina Ley from Arizona sang this in the22nd seasonofThe Voiceon NBC in the blind audition and choseCamila Cabelloas her coach right after her performance.
• In the 1943Mickey RooneyfilmThe Human Comedy,Ann Ayars sings the song after Rooney's character delivers a telegram to her, but since she can't read English, he has to tell her that her son has been killed in WWII.
• The song was performed by Sylvia Lewis on "The Dick Van Dyke Show", season 3, episode 6, "Too Many Stars". It featured a swinging jazz arrangement by Earl Hagen, the show's musical director.

"Cielito lindo huasteco"

"Cielito Lindo" should not be confused with another popular and traditional song called "Cielito lindo huasteco" also known as "Cielito lindo" fromLa Huastecain Mexico. This song, distinctly different from the common version above, has been played by manyconjuntos huastecos,as it is considered one of the most popularSon HuastecoorHuapangosongs. While the music is quite different, the lyrics of both songs have a similar metric structure, and both use the phrasescielito lindoanday ay ay ayas fillers, though in different places within the stanza.

Some singers, for exampleJulio Iglesias,perform the song under the titleDe domingo a domingo,taken from the first words of the lyrics as sung in that version; as with the other song, the lyrics used vary widely among performers, and some borrow stanzas from the former. One frequently sung stanza has the wordsÁrbol de la esperanza, mantente firme( "Tree of hope, stay firm" ) which appear in an eponymous painting byFrida Kahlo.

Sometimesmariachisperform combined versions of "Cielito Lindo" and "Cielito lindo huasteco" which are completely different, thus creating some confusion about both.

See also

• "México Lindo y Querido",another traditional Mexican song

External links

• Melodic translation to English by David Bangs: text & music for sing along.
• Mariachi Vargas performs Cielito lindo and Cielito lindo huasteco
• Conjunto Huasteco Los Camperos de Valles performs Cielito lindo huasteco