Lani Hall's "Para Vivir Asi"

[Trevor]

I was listening to "Para Vivir Asi", and it's one of my favorite songs that Lani did.

So... I have written and translated the lyrics for the non-spanish speaking people in the Forum...

Para Vivir Asi

Siempre tienes alguna excusa
cuando llega la hora de amar,
dices que estas cansado
o que tienes que madrugar.
Siempre llegas tarde a casa
por razones que yo no se,
y a mis preguntas respondes:
ponme una copa, tengo sed.

Para vivir asi,
mejor vivir en soledad que mal acompañada.
para vivir asi,
mejor sufrir ansiedad que compartir la almohada
para vivir asi,
mejor vivir en libertad que sentirse atada.

Siempre tus amigos
saben mas de ti que yo
mi orgullo se siente herido
y tambien mi corazon.
Siempre en la pareja
hay problemas que afrontar
pero si les damos la espalda
siempre acaba todo mal.

Para vivir asi...

To live like this

You always have some excuse
when the time comes to make love,
you say that you are tired
that you have to get up early.
You always arrive home late
for reasons that I don’t know,
and to my questions you answer:
give me a glass I am thirsty.

To live like this,
it is better to live in loneliness than in bad company
To live like this,
better to suffer anxiety than to share the pillow
To live like this,
better to live in freedom than to be tied down

Always your friends
know more about you than me
my pride feels hurt
and also my heart.
Always as a couple
there are problems to face
but if we give the shoulder
it always ends badly.

To live like this…

 

[Brasil6699]

Thank you Trevor for translating that...

I still wonder about how much Lani new the lyrics, or if she was faking the emotions whether it be spanish or portuguese (french and...) I am sure this has been discussed at some point in the forum before. (just don't remember the overall opinion of the forum)

Now, I am going to have to find my copy of Lo mejor de lani, and listen to it again with the lyrics.

 

[aymnostalgico]

Trevor, I read somewhere I can't remember where, that Lani actually sung portuguese phonetically. That was in the beginning and I don't know whether she is fluent in portuguese or spanish for that matter.

 

[Brasil_Nut]

Trevor, I read somewhere I can't remember where, that Lani actually sung portuguese phonetically. That was in the beginning and I don't know whether she is fluent in portuguese or spanish for that matter.

This is true. Lani and Janis learned the words individually, then worked with the guys (Suarez, Sergio and Palma) on phrasing. The girls also rehearsed with the band on a daily basis -- a matter of repetition -- to get it just right. With Karen Philipp, it was a matter of learning the language from records. She also worked with Lani, Sergio and the guys. She eventually became fluent in the language as well.

Jon

 

[Trevor]

Seeing how I grew up in California, and being half Spanish, I know spanish, true spanish. But I still like to watch the occasional Mexican Show here and there. I vaguely remember Lani promoting an album on a talk show. I was about 10, and my mom was watching the show. My mom loved her Spanish television, although it was in Mexican Spanish. I was fascinated by this woman who was trying her best to speak Spanish, but was totally American. I told my mom that I wanted this album, and she grinned and said (in Spanish) “this is okay. this woman sings with no accent, but sings the songs well. And the songs are pretty. If we find this album, then okay, you can have it” ONE YEAR to find the album. Then I slowly discovered a few years later she’d been in Brasil ’66… By the way, the other half of me is Russian, but never quite understood it. Maybe Karen could teach it to me.

 

[Brasil_Nut]

I had to laugh at your story about trying to find Lani's Latin albums. Because of problems with the original distributor, the first Lp was made available only in Latin-oriented markets. After searching the usual haunts, such as Tower in Mountain View (which has literally everything you could possibly desire), I had success with a Discoteca in East-Side San Jose. Of course, six months later, the album was available at Tower, but it did not matter to me...I'd had the album for months and knew the pleasure that is Lani Hall singing Espanol! Hey, with tunes such as "Se," how could you go wrong? This has to be one of the most beautiful ballads she has ever recorded.

Jon