Jeanette made her solo debut in 1971 with the release of the Manuel Alejandro-penned single "Soy rebelde" on label Hispavox, which marked her return to music and established her as a melodic singer, veering away from the folk-pop of Pic-Nic, her previous group of the 1960s.[2] A commercial success, the hit single topped the charts in Spain[3] and charted in the Top 10 of Latin American countries such as Argentina,[4] Colombia[5] and Peru;[6] becoming a popular "teen anthem" in the Spanish-speaking world.[7] Inspired by Jeanette's success, José Luis Perales decided to write a song for her, since he was still at the beginning of his career and "practically nobody well-known had recorded his songs".[8] Perales has stated that he wrote "Porque te vas" in three hours during a rainy afternoon in his cottage, which possessed no water or light.[8][9] That day, he also wrote the song "Escucha"; both tracks were composed with Jeanette's singular voice in mind, with Perales imitating her high-pitched vocals in the demo recording.[8]
The song was produced by Rafael Trabuchelli, considered a pioneer of music production in Spain and "one of the most influential figures in Spanish music between 1965 and 1975."[10][11] While working for Hispavox, he had developed the "characteristic lush sound" of 1970s Spanish ballads, which "[resulted] from sophisticated orchestral arrangements and studio wizardy."[12] He is now described as the "Spanish Phil Spector", and his production style was known as the "Torrelaguna Sound", named after the Torrelaguna Street in Madrid, where Hispavox Studios was based.[12] Perales had met Trabuchelli through musician friends, and showed him the demo of "Porque te vas", which he received with enthusiasm.[8] Juan Márquez was in charge of the track's conducting and arrangement.[13] According to Perales, Jeanette initially refused to record the song, as she wanted to keep working with well-known composers like Manuel Alejandro, and eventually gave in after her surroundings pushed her to do it.[8][14] The singer has denied such claims, saying that she "[loved] it" from the beginning.[15]
"Simple and effective, the song intrigues. This entanglement of horn and guitar sounds armed with a wah-wah pedal, cadenced by drums hitting the open hi-hat, offers against all odds a support adapted to the strange acidulated voice of its interpreter and later to the intervention of the brass. The basic and alert rhythm of 'Porque te vas' easily enters the ear, and later the head." – Antoine Deshusses, Le Monde, 2005.[16]
"Porque te vas" is a romantic ballad[17] that incorporates elements of funk, disco and pop music, featuring a predominant use of the saxophone.[18] Critic Julián Molero of Lafonoteca described the track's instrumentation as "full of self-confidence with almost mocking interventions of the brasses and the crash of the drums releasing unexpected blows".[19] Writing for the Spanish edition of Rolling Stone, Miguel Ángel Bargueño wrote that the song possessed "an unruly rhythm and distinctly pop sound".[20] In the book Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed, authors Kim Cooper and David Smay described the song as: "delicate breezy pop with one of those super-suave catchy tunes".[21] The organizers of Festival Europa Sur stated in 2014 that with tracks like "Porque te vas", Jeanette "demonstrated that a canción melódica song can be approached from a pop optic".[22] Her vocals have been described as "innocent",[23] "mischievous",[24] "sweet",[24] "sultry" and "angelic".[21] Julián Molero felt that Jeanette's voice, "this time moves a bit away from the usual sweetness to become a childish and playful air."[19]
A love song, "Porque te vas" deals with "the pain of parting."[25] Its lyrics "speak of a loss, of an abandonment",[26] and have been described as conveying a "sense of longing".[23] Jeanette begins singing: "Hoy en mi ventana brilla el sol y el corazón se pone triste contemplando la ciudad, porque te vas" ("Today the sun shines in my window and the heart gets sad contemplating the city, because you're leaving").[27][28] The refrain features the lyrics: "Todas las promesas de mi amor se irán contigo / Me olvidarás / Me olvidarás / Junto a la estación yo lloraré igual que un niño / Porque te vas" ("All of my love's promises will go with you / You will forget me / You will forget me / Beside the station I will cry like a child / Because you are leaving").[16] She is often, albeit mistakenly, thought to be singing "¿Por qué te vas?" or "Porqué te vas" ("Why are you leaving?").[29][30] Regarding the confusion, La Voz de Galicia stated in 2016, "[T]hat causal conjunction does not contain a question, but an assumption. Come on, she, the abandoned, has assumed it, so the small stripe of the diacritic would be a step back in history. And no! With all the work that comes from heartbreak."[29]
Hispavox released "Porque te vas" as a 7-inch single in 1974.[13] It featured B-side "Seguiré amando", a ballad written by Jeanette with a "South American air".[19] Upon release, La Vanguardia gave the single two out of five stars—rating that indicated "applause"—and called it "trivial and well-arranged".[31]
In 1976, "Porque te vas" was reissued after the commercial and critical success of the film Cría cuervos, where it was part of its soundtrack. Following the single's reissue in 1976, La Vanguardia rose its rating to three out of five stars—indicating "ovation".[32]
Cover versions
"Porque te vas" has been covered by many artists across several languages. It remains the "most covered and profitable" song in José Luis Perales' career.[33] In 1977, Finnish singer Merja Rantamäki recorded the song as "Veit sydämen", which was included in her album Mä mistä löytäisin sen laulun.[34] The same year, German singer Sabrina covered the song as "...Und du willst gehn" and released it as a single.[35] Brazilian singer Lilian recorded a Portuguese version of the song under the title "Eu sem você", released in 1978.[36]Soviet band Vesyolye Rebyata recorded a version in Russian titled "V posledniy raz", which appeared in their 1979 album Muzykal'nyy Globus.[37] Argentine punk rock band Attaque 77 included a cover of "Porque te vas" in their 1992 album Ángeles caídos.[38] The British-born Andorran singer Jack Lucien released an English language version titled "You're Leaving Me" with English language lyrics by Elizabeth Hurley and Patsy Kensit. In 1999, German band Masterboy covered the song and released it as a single.
In 2020, French-Italian singer Carla Bruni released an acoustic version of the song on her self-titled album. It is the first song she recorded in Spanish.
Spanish /Danish singer Brigitte Escobar released a jazzy version of Por Que Te Vas in 2004 on her debut album 'Brigitte', Red Kite records.
In 2022, the French group Montmartre released a version of the song in French, “Pourquoi tu pars”.
Legacy
Jeanette performing "Porque te vas" in Arequipa, Peru, 2014.
Since its inclusion in Cría cuervos, "Porque te vas" has attained cult status,[39] and is now considered a classic,[40][41] remaining one of the most famous songs of Spanish pop music.[42] In 1979, Madrilenian newspaper ABC wrote that, "never had a Spanish song, and sung in our language, achieved such popularity levels on both sides of the Atlantic."[43] Efe Eme's Luis Lapuente described the single in 2016 as "a precious cult object among European collectors, who compare the former lead singer of Pic-Nic with delicious French lolitas such as Lio or Françoise Hardy".[17] "Porque te vas", along with other Jeanette songs, has been revalued by the indie music scene—particularly indie pop—which considers the singer a "muse" and "godmother".[44][45][46]
"Porque te vas" is often analyzed in relation to the final years of Francisco Franco's regime, time in which "Spanish society began to submerge in the cultural wave that dominated Europe."[47] Authors Kim Cooper and David Smay considered the single to be "quite symbolic", since its "breakout" was around the same time as Franco's death.[21] Likewise, in his book Yé-Yé Girls of '60s French Pop, Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe felt that Jeanette was "a real ray of sunshine in a country under the strict military regime of the dictator Franco."[48] Writing for the South Korean online newspaper Voice of the People, Gwon Jongsul argued that the song's inclusion in Cría cuervos gave it a new, political meaning—becoming associated with the dictatorship and bringing a "more intense pain" to the lyrics.[25]
The Spanish edition of Rolling Stone ranked it forty third on the magazine's 2006 list of "The 200 Best Songs of Spanish Pop-Rock".[49] In the song's entry, Miguel Ángel Bargueño felt that "Porque te vas" "broke the image of folk balladist that Jeanette carried since her Pic-Nic stage and conveyed an accentuated feeling of loss that caused a greater impact by being interpreted by a helpless-looking twenty-year-old."[20] In 2014, Diariocrítico.com placed "Porque te vas" at number fifty four on its list of the 100 best songs of Spanish pop.[50] Writing for The Guardian, Andrew Khan described the song as "a masterpiece of downbeat easy listening," and praised it for "[proving] once again there's often more depth of emotion in derided MOR pop than other, more fashionable, genres."[51]
Carla Bruni has claimed that listening to the song inspired her to pursue a career in music.[2] French film director Jean-Pierre Améris has called it one of his favorite records.[52] In a 1995 interview, the then newly formed French duo Air described themselves as big admirers of the song, which they came to know during their childhood.[53] Band member Nicolas Godin stated: "We like it so much that we have composed a song in its line. We would love for her to sing it, but in France she is too well known and we are afraid that the collaboration will end up eclipsing us. So we're looking for a singer that resembles her."[53]
