The great gypsy singer Camarón de la Isla (José Monje Cruz) made this flamenco love song, “Like the Water “, famous with the help of the great guitarists Paco de Lucia and Tomatito.

It’s unusual for a flamenco song to have a repeated refrain like this one, which makes it sound more pop. In many cases, flamenco songs do not tell stories or have repeated choruses but are collections of stanzas that may or may not be related. Flamenco singers are respected for knowing a lot of poetry. They improvise by singing a given stanza to set a mood. Other people present, including the dancer and guitarist, react to this, and thus the song is the center of flamenco.

Camarón was a master of this art form and brought a unique, genuine and ferocious quality to his singing.

 

Letras (lyrics):

Limpia va el agua del rio / The river water flows clean
Como la estrella de la mañana / Like the morning star
Limpiaba el cariño mio / My affection used to cleanse
El manantial de tu fuente clara / The spring of your clear fountain

Como el agua / Like the water

Como el agua clara / Like the clear water
Que baja del monte / That descends from the hill
Asi quiero verte / That’s how I want to see you
De dia y de noche / In the day and in the night

Yo te heché mi brazo al hombro / I threw my arm around your shoulder
Y un brillo de luz de luna / And a gleam of moonlight
Iluminaba tus ojos / Lit up your eyes

De ti deseo yo toito el calor / From you I desire all of the heat
Pa ti mi cuerpo si lo quieres tú / For you my body if you want it
Fuego en la sangre / Fire in the blood
Nos corre a los dos / Runs through us both

Si tus ojillos fueran / If your eyes were
Aceitunitas verdes / Little green olives
Toda la noche estaría / All the night would be
Muele que muele, muele que muele / Grinding and grinding

Luz del alma mía divina / Light from my divine soul
Que a mi me alumbra mi corazón / That illuminates my heart
Mi cuerpo alegre camina / My body is happy walking
Porque de ti lleva la ilusión / Because you bring it a yearning