Someone once described today’s featured song as “one of those tracks Hispanic mothers play while cleaning the house on a Sunday.” Which gave me my first proper belly chuckle of the day – and, to be fair, there’s probably a lot of truth in it.
A friend showed me the live version of Si No Te Hubieras Ido (“If You Hadn’t Left”) by Mexican singer-songwriter Marco Antonio Solís a few weeks ago. I didn’t connect with it right away. The slightly dated, late-80s sounding intro doesn’t do the song many favours. But once Solís settles into that warm, aching power-ballad voice of his, and the strings start lifting the melody, the whole thing clicks into place. After a few listens, I found myself just as absorbed as any Solís fan. It’s clear why this became one of his signature songs.
Si No Te Hubieras Ido also reminds me a little of Leonard Cohen’s 1980s ballad Ain’t No Cure For Love. Both circle around longing and unresolved heartbreak, slowly building toward an emotional peak. They also share a similar ballad-style production typical of that era, which adds to the connection. Cohen’s writing, as usual, is in its own league, but Solís’ song stands strong on the power of its melody and its straightforward, lovesick lyrics.
This isn’t the first time Solís has shown up here, either. Back in January 2023, I wrote about “La Venia Bendita” (“The Reverential Blessing”), a track that captivated me from the first listen, and even after countless repeats, that fascination hasn’t faded.
The song was initially written by Solís in 1983, but was first recorded by another artist – Marisela. Her version was released as a single and became very successful in Mexico and she later included it on her live album. Marco Antonio Solís re-recorded the track to include it on his album Trozos de Mi Alma and it became another top-ten smash for Solís, peaking at No. 4 in the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart. This version was featured in the movie Y Tu Mamá También.
[Verso]
Te extraño más que nunca y no sé qué hacer / I miss you more than ever and I don’t know what to do
Despierto y te recuerdo al amanecer / I woke up and I remember you at dawn
Espera otro día por vivir sin ti / Wait another day to live without you
El espejo no miente, me veo tan diferente / The mirror doesn’t lie, I look so different
Me haces falta tú / I need you
[Pre-Coro]
La gente pasa y pasa siempre tan igual / People come and go, always the same
El ritmo de la vida me parece mal / The rhythm of life seems wrong to me
Era tan diferente cuando estabas tú / It was so different when you were here
Sí que era diferente cuando estabas tú / Yes, it was different when you were here
[Coro]
No hay nada más difícil que vivir sin ti / There’s nothing harder than living without you
Sufriendo en la espera de verte llegar / Suffering while waiting for you to arrive
El frío de mi cuerpo pregunta por ti / The coldness in my body asks for you
Y no sé dónde estás / And I don’t know where you are
Si no te hubieras ido sería tan feliz / If you hadn’t left, I would be so happy
No hay nada más difícil que vivir sin ti / There’s nothing harder than living without you
Sufriendo en la espera de verte llegar / Suffering while waiting for you to arrive
El frío de mi cuerpo pregunta por ti / The coldness in my body asks for you
Y no sé dónde estás / And I don’t know where you are
Si no te hubieras ido sería tan feliz / If you hadn’t left, I would be so happy
References:
1. Si No Te Hubieras Ido – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Not the kind of music I usually listen to. That said, it’s a nice and melodic ballad.
Marco’s voice is so good. Check out his ‘Venia Bendita’ if you get a moment. It’s top-notch and goes all mariachi too.