¡Que Vida!

About ¡Que Vida!

"¡Que Vida!" is a song written by Arthur Lee and first released in 1967 by the band Love. It was released both on Love's album Da Capo and as a single, backed with "Hey Joe". It has also been included on several Love compilation albums. The song's title is Spanish for "What a Life", though the working title for the song was "With Pictures and Words". The lyrics, involving topics such as death and reincarnation, suggest to Hoskyns "bad-trip paranoia" and to Greenwald "a psychedelic state of mind". Music critic Richie Unterberger claims that in the song "Lee's Johnny Mathis inclinations start to flower in a series of question and answer lyrics." The melody is based on the 1965 song "Lifetime of Loneliness" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It employs a bossa nova rhythm, described by author Bob Cianci as a "lilting Latin rhythm." It also incorporates sound effects such as sleigh bells, merry-go-round music and a popping champagne cork. Arthur Lee biographer John Einerson describes Lee's vocal tone on the song as "mellow". As described by author Barney Hoskyns, the song uses "Latin rhythms and cool jazz shadings to fashion a kind of spaced-out MOR." Music critic Fredrik Eriksen feels the song sounds like a mixture of The Rolling Stones and Jefferson Airplane. Allmusic critic Matthew Greenwald regard "¡Que Vida!" as a "true groundbreaking composition for Arthur Lee" in the way the allows the song to flow freely in the direction it wants to go. Greenwald also notes that although the chords always resolve, they go in surprising directions. Edna Gundersen and Ken Burns of USA Today described the song as "summery jazz-pop". Sean Elder of Salon calls the song "whimsical" and notes that it "almost seems like a parody of a hippie song, punctuated with what sounds like a pop gun." more »

Year:

1986

3:41

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With pictures and words
Is this communicating?
The sounds that I've heard
The growling voice then fading
And yes my heart was beating
Or was it just repeating

With nickels and dimes
You soon will have a dollar
Am I in your time
I see no need to swallow
Or catch a plane to travel
My mind's not made of gravel

Can you find your way
Or do you want my vision
It's dark there, they say
But that's just superstition
And in my last inspection
Is this the right direction

I once had a girl
She told me I was funny
She said in your world
You needed lots of money
And things to kill your brother
But death just starts another

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Love

Love is an emotion of a strong affection and personal attachment. Love is also said to be a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection —"the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another". Love may describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one's self or animals. more »

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