Para

Album: Algiers (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Calexico co-founder, drummer John Convertino, co-writes most of the band's tunes but is rarely a lyric contributor. However he provided the words for this intimate track. "'Para' means 'for' in Spanish, but it also means 'stop,' which I thought was really interesting," he explained to the Independent newspaper. "(Singer/guitarist) Joey (Burns) used it as a working title, but the music made me think of Terrence Malick's movie Tree of Life. That really resonated with me, because of the relationship with the father and how incredibly complicated it is to have children and raise a family."
  • The band recorded most of the album in the Algiers section of New Orleans, hence the title of the LP. This was the last song they recorded there, and it went through several incarnations along the way. According to Joey Burns, he started writing it as an homage to their friend Lhasa de Sela, a singer who died of cancer in 2010 at age 37. At first, the song was called "Con Todo Palabra," which is Spanish for "with all these words."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Richard Marx

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.

Commercials

CommercialsFact or Fiction

Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream?

John Doe of X

John Doe of XSongwriter Interviews

With his X-wife Exene, John fronts the band X and writes their songs.

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Loreena McKennitt

Loreena McKennittSongwriter Interviews

The Celtic music maker Loreena McKennitt on finding musical inspiration, the "New Age" label, and working on the movie Tinker Bell.