Granada (song)


"Granada" is a song written in 1932 by Mexican composer Agustín Lara. The song is about the Spanish city of Granada and has become a standard in music repertoire.
The most popular versions are the original with Spanish lyrics by Lara ; a version with English lyrics by Australian lyricist Dorothy Dodd; and instrumental versions in jazz, pop, easy listening, flamenco or rock styles. Other versions in English also exist but these are less common. An Italian version was written in 1954 by. There are also versions in German and other languages.
The song has been covered many times. It is José Carreras's signature tune. Popular versions include those by Plácido Domingo, Frankie Laine, Jorge Negrete, Juan Arvizu, Nestor Mesta Chayres, Mario Lanza, Pasquale Esposito, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. It has been sung in Italian by Claudio Villa, and in German by Fritz Wunderlich and Spanish pop-duo Baccara.

Lyrics

Lara's lyrics are:
Granada tierra soñada por mí,
mi cantar se vuelve gitano
cuando es para ti.
Mi cantar, hecho de fantasía,
mi cantar, flor de melancolía,
que yo te vengo a dar.
Granada, tierra ensangrentada
en tardes de toros,
mujer que conserva el embrujo
de los ojos moros.
Te sueño rebelde y gitana,
cubierta de flores
y beso tu boca de grana,
jugosa manzana
que me habla de amores.
Granada, manola cantada
en coplas preciosas,
no tengo otra cosa que darte
que un ramo de rosas.
De rosas, de suave fragancia
que le dieran marco a la virgen morena.
Granada, tu tierra está llena
de lindas mujeres,
de sangre y de sol.
Dodd's version begins:
Granada, I'm falling under your spell,
And if you could speak, what a fascinating tale you would tell.

Selective list of recorded versions