Fallaste Corazón

By Nathan Payne | pablosmoglives | 13 Jun 2024

"And you who thought you were the king of the whole world
And you were never able to forgive
And cruel and merciless you laughed at everything
Today you beg for love, even if it is out of pity"
Fallaste Corazón

"Fallaste Corazón" is a song written in 1953 by Cuco Sánchez. He sent the lyrics to his wife, from whom he was separated for health reasons, and asked her to title it. He told her that, "this is not a letter but bits of my heart speaking to you in secret." She chose the title "Fallaste Corazón," which translates to "You Failed Heart." It is one of the best songs ever written.

We're supposed to look the other way and pretend that the 20-year career of a talentless one-hit wonder like Kanye West is an organic event, something that exists as a force of nature, undeniable and true. We're expected to believe that the existence in a vacuum of the artless functionaries behind Taylor Swift, the wannabe bots who write lyrics about "weed and little babies" (unless... she wrote that herself? It's an epic cultural fail either way), exist as the natural end result of talented people working hard to achieve their goals. She wasn't chosen and promoted like a cultural politician whose allegiance can be bought and sold to the highest bidder, since her allegiance isn't to the people, or, hahahahahahahahaha, THE ART. No way. Throw some money at her, make her famous, she'll do anything we want?

Can't be. The highest bidder isn't SATAN. Is it? Can't be. Taylor Swift's fame is the end result of an organic following of artistically- and intellectually-curious individuals who are genuinely moved by her work. They relate to what she says, even if it's nothing. Especially if it's nothing, most likely. Who needs art, when we have "followers." Not fans, mind you. Followers. Artists don't have followers. Followers are for cult leaders and messiahs. Nobody ever said they were a follower of The Ramones, or Shane MacGowan. And nobody ever said they were a fan of Jim Jones, or Jesus Christ. Fans are for artists and porn stars. Athletes and writers. Does Taylor Swift have actual fans? Probably. Kanye West? I doubt it.

But you get the point.

"Where is pride? Where is courage?
Why do you beg for charity today when you are defeated?
You see that loving is not the same as being loved
Today that you are finished, I feel sorry for you"
Fallaste Corazón

But that's not what this article is about, and I don't want to repeat myself any more than absolutely necessary. I'm only bringing it up to illustrate the depressingly-obvious contrast between fake art like Taylor Swift and Kanye West, and real art, a prime example of which is forthcoming. I'm not bringing it up to whine about it. There's no point in repeating a lengthy diatribe about art and music that won't resonate with the sloppy cultural drunk, the willfully-blind and deaf follower of the void stumbling through the cathedrals and museums of life as though they were taverns, for its own sake. Whether I want to shake the unwitting, default member of The Cult of Loathsome Nil and scream in his face, "Where is pride, thou clown? Where is courage? Do you not see that loving is not the same as being loved? Today you are finished, and I feel sorry for you," or not.

"Life is worthless" used to be the name of the film; now, it's the rallying cry of the situation being played out by all the sloppy cultural drunks who are finished without even knowing it. The sad, unfortunate subjects are drunk on the wine of gender dysphoria and racism served to them by the bartenders who have replaced the teachers in the front of the room. It used to be a chalkboard, covered with grammar and math lessons. Now it's a mirror of whiskey and spirits. Math is racist, so let's make 1+1 = Kanye West is a genius, therefore we should mutilate our bodies. Those are the lessons of today.

"You failed heart," indeed.

In 1955, the movie was called La Vida No Vale Nada. "Life is Worthless." But the music was good. So what do we do if the music is bad? Does that mean life is valuable? Has the time come to flip the script? Shall we convert "La Vida No Vale Nada" into La Vida Vale? Life is valuable? To spite the horrible condition of our culture, if nothing else?

Why not.

"La vida es la ruleta en la que todos apostamos
Y tú solo habías sido elegido para ganar"
Fallaste Corazón

"Life is the roulette in which we all bet. And you were the only one chosen to win." I love how it sounds in Spanish. And in case it isn't clear in the videos above that "Fallaste Corazón" is one of the best songs ever written, watch this version by Lila Downs. Watch it, and weep. Not only is the musicianship real, not only do the musicians perform with a grace and class that hints at another, more beautiful, world,

But Lila Downs' performance has got to be among the best ever delivered by a singer on a stage anywhere in the world. Ever. Not only is her singing otherworldly in its beauty and power, but her performance is actually theatrical. While songwriting students ought to absorb the subconscious information contained in the song, all of the true, visceral gut stuff that rips your heart out and actually makes you want to cry, singers should take note as well. The melodramatic Mexican flourishes in her performance are exquisite, and point at everything I love about Latin America and Mexico. Imagine Taylor Swift contorting her face around the lyrics as though they were true, as though she actually meant them. This is not a soundfile, but rather, "bits of my heart speaking to you in secret."

Isn't that what a song is supposed to be?

I had a Russian vocal coach in the 90s who told me that in order to come off normal, you have to over-emote. Lila Downs elevates that rule to another level. She commands the band like a boss, and rearranges the rafters in the sky while Taylor Swift is fawning over her reflection in the mirror behind the bar that used to be a music school. It's artless amateur night in the football stadium again, en Inglés.

A tragic, self-obliviating joke.

This is how it's done.