Solamente Una Vez (You Belong to My Heart)

Solamente una vez , which means "only once" is the bolero song by Agustín Lara.

Agustín Lara's career spanned nearly 70 years. In that time, he penned over 600 compositions and gained himself an international reputation as one of Mexico's most prolific and dearly loved musicians.

Agustin Lara

The skinny, unattractive scar-faced man, affectionately known to his fans as "Flaco de Oro", had women swooning at his feet and national leaders offering him accolades only reserved for " living national treasures". Such was the power of this musician-poet who wrote such timeless, moving compositions as "Granada" and "Veracruz", the second national anthem of that lovely port city.

Solamente Una Vez (You Belong to My Heart)

Agustin Lara was born in Mexico City on October 30, 1897 though he claimed Veracruz as his birthplace. His father was very strict with him, a fact that took its emotional toll. Around the age of 7 his father abandoned the family and his mother was left to fend for herself and her children.

Agustin Lara

At the young age of 12 Agustin began to play the piano clandestinely in night clubs to help support his mother and siblings. He reported that he was working in a telegraph office.

By the time Agustin was 30 he was playing full time in cabarets and composing romantic songs, songs that often got him into trouble with his many “amores” but which were well received by the public. Around this same time he made friends with popular singers like Maruca Perez, Juan Arvizu and the Garnica Ascencio trio who began to interpret and sing his compositions.

Agustin Lara

In 1929 he began performing on "La Hora Intima" (An Intime Hour), a radio show out of Mexico City, which earned him a dedicated national following. Between 1930 and 1939, while doing his radio show, he wrote most of his legendary songs.

He became famous for his "boleros" (romantic ballads), which had their roots in Cuba in the 1800s, and the Cubans adopted him as one of their own. In 1932, while performing in Cuba, he became ill. In need of rest, he returned to Veracruz to a cheering crowd.

Veracruz

In the 1940s, Mexican night life was thriving in the night clubs and dance halls, and everywhere, the sensuous and romantic music of Agustín Lara could be heard. 1943 saw the debut of his own orchestra, "Orquestra de Soloistas de Agustín Lara".

He also began to travel widely performing in concerts and writing song lyrics about the places he was in. Solamente Una Vez was written in Buenos Aires.

Solamente Una vez

The original version sang by Lara was very popular in Mexico and Cuba, and was recorded by many of the greatest Bolero musicians, including Benny Moré and Ignacio Piñeiro. Later on its popularity reached other countries.

English version of the lyrics written by Ray Gilbert was recorded by Bing Crosby and the Xavier Cugat orchestra. The recording was released by Decca Records.

It first reached the Billboard Magazine Best Seller chart on May 24, 1945, and lasted 9 weeks on the chart, peaking at #4.

Agustin Lara had a profound effect on Mexico: no one was as able as he was to impart such a romantic spirit into popular Mexican songs and his name remains the pinnacle of romanticism in Mexico. His life was a veritable orgy of sensuality, unabashed pleasure, and gypsy spirit which he transmitted to his music. But the irony is that, although married many times, he was ultimately a man alone.

Lara’s songs reached their heyday in the 40’s and 50’s and were sung by Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby in a more romantic era. Nevertheless, for those of us who still have a romantic streak, they are timeless.

Agustin Lara

Solamente Una Vez lyrics by Dora Luz (1941)

Solamente una vez 
Amé en la vida 
Solamente una vez 
Y nada más 

Solamente una vez en mi huerto 
Brilló la esperanza, 
La esperanza que alumbra el camino 
De mi soledad 

Una vez nada más 
Se entrega el alma 
Con la dulce 
y total renunciación 

Y cuando ese milagro realiza 
El prodigio de amarse 
Hay campanas de fiesta 
que cantan en mi corazón 

Una vez nada más 
Se entrega el alma 
Con la dulce y total 
Renunciación 

Y cuando ese milagro realiza 
El prodigio de amarse 
Hay campanas de fiesta 
que cantan en mi corazón

Solamente Una Vez

You Belong To My Heart (Solamente Una Vez) lyrics by Ray Gilbert

You belong to my heart
Now and forever
And our love had its start
Not long ago

We were gathering stars while a million guitars played our love song
When I said "I love you", every beat of my heart said it, too

'twas a moment like this
Do you remember?
And your eyes threw a kiss
When they met mine

Now we own all the stars and a million guitars are still playing
Darling, you are the song and you'll always belong to my heart

'twas a moment like this
Do you remember?
And your eyes threw a kiss
When they met mine

Now we own all the stars and a million guitars are still playing
Darling, you are the song and you'll always belong to my hart