Dia de los Muertos was just last week. I live in New Mexico, so this is an important part of the local scene. A few months ago, I saw the Disney/Pixar movie, Coco, which is about a Day of the Dead celebration. Sugar skulls and that type of decoration are becoming popular, but not everyone knows what they are really for. To many, this is a high holy day. The song Remember Mefrom Cocoreally shows the true intent of the day. Although, saying ‘day’ is a bit of a misnomer, as the celebration takes up several days.
Dia de los Muertos
First off, let’s talk about the Dias de los Muertos. November 1 is called Día de los Inocentes ("Day of the Innocents") and Día de los Angelitos ("Day of the Little Angels"). This is dedicated to the souls of children who have died. November 2 is the Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead and is dedicated to the adults who have died. Families make and decorate altars to the souls of their loved ones that include flowers and candles as well as the favorite foods and drinks of the dead. They gather together and tell stories about their loved ones and say prayers for their souls. I know to many this may sound morbid, but the celebration is a happy one. Often the graves are visited and decorated.
Remember Me
If you haven’t seen the movie Coco, you really should. It is such a beautiful movie. The explanation of Dias de los Muertos is touching and happy at the same time. I do warn you, there will be tears. Lots of them. There will be spoilers in this blog. Also, if you follow the links to the different versions of the song, there will be tears. At least three hankies are needed, so read at your own risk!
The song, Remember Me, comes into the story in three ways. It is a lullaby that a father sings to his young daughter when he has to go away for work. It is a grand Hollywood spectacular, and it is a song that a boy sings to reconnect with his great-grandmother who suffers from dementia. (And an argument could be made for a fourth version, the duet over the closing credits, which has more of a pop feel.)
The song writers, the husband-wife team of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, were very aware of the requirements of the song. They studied Mexican music to learn how Mariachi/Rancherasongs were composed. And they also looked at some of the greatest ballads out there, keeping Yesterday by Paul McCartney in mind. The song’s Wikipedia page says that: “The song seems to be inspired from Chopin's "Raindrop" Prelude, Op 28, No. 15.” (I’m already not thrilled with this statement. It should read “inspired BY” not “inspired FROM.”) But, just to check, I listened to both and looked at the sheet music for both. I can sort of see where the author of the article was coming from… if I squint just right. The opening phrase “Remember me” is very close to a recurring phrase in the Prelude, but that was about all I could find. I will admit, I did not examine the chord structure of the Chopin very closely. It’s a dense piece, and my mind quickly boggled.
Let’s look at the four versions of the song, starting with the lullaby:
Remember me, though I have to say goodbye.
Remember me, don't let it make you cry.
For even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart.
I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart.
Remember me, though I have to travel far.
Remember me, each time you hear a sad guitar,
Know that I’m with you the only way that I can be,
Until you’re in my arms again, remember me
The character Hector sings this song to his little girl, Coco, when he has to leave her to go on the road. Such is the life of a professional musician. Kristen Anderson-Lopez said in an interview that the line about singing a secret songhas a particular meaning to her. She and her daughters have all sorts of secret songs that they sing, that only they know about. She sings them when she misses her girls while she is across the country working. This version made me cry thinking about my own deceased father and the bond that we shared as well as the secret songs that my now-grown kids and I shared. (First hankie moment.)
Then we have the grand Hollywood musical moment. This is sung by Ernesto do la Cruz, a larger-than-life (or larger-than-death!) Mexican movie star. He takes the same lyrics and turns them on their respective heads. I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart. In this version those words become filled with double entendre. And instead of a soft, tender ending, we are treated to bombastic high notes.
The Importance of Softness
One of the hardest things for young singers to realize is the importance of softness. And I say this as someone who always wanted higher and louder when I was younger. But, eventually, I learned that higher is not necessarily better. And if everything is loud, it begins to be like hitting the audience over the head with a sledgehammer. With this version of the song, the poignancy of the lyrics is lost. I’m not saying that it’s bad, I’m just saying that it is very different, which was the whole point.
The last version in the movie proper comes at the end when Miguel sings it to his great-grandmother who has dementia. As he sings softly to her, strumming his guitar, (and let me say, I was impressed with the guitar-playing animation! He changed chords! They may even have been right) she begins to tap along with the rhythm. And by the end, she is singing along with Miguel.
Music has been shown to aid Alzheimer and dementia patients. It can help with memory and mood. Many studies have suggested learning a musical instrument as a way to boost brain power in the elderly. So, for Coco to respond to the song that her Papa used to sing to her is completely believable. (It was also the second hankie moment.)
Then we have the pop version that comes over the closing credits. This is a lovely duet that gives us the lyrics in English and Spanish. It is very up-beat and danceable. We also get more lyrics than the earlier versions of the song:
Remember me, though I have to say goodbye
Remember me, don't let it make you cry
For even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart
I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart
Remember me, though I have to travel far
Remember me, each time you hear a sad guitar
Know that I’m with you the only way that I can be
Until you’re in my arms again, remember me
Que nuestra canción no deje de latir
Sólo con tu amor yo puedo existir
Recuérdame
Que nuestra canción no deje de latir
Sólo con tu amor yo puedo existir
Recuérdame, si en tu mente vivo estoy
Recuérdame, mis sueños yo te doy
Te llevo en mi corazón y te acompañaré
Unidos en nuestra canción, contigo ahí estaré
Recuérdame, si sola crees estar
Recuérdame, y mi cantar te irá a abrazar
Aún en la distancia nunca vayas a olvidar
Que yo contigo siempre voy, recuérdame
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
Remember me, for I will soon be gone
Remember me, and let the love we have live on
And know that I'm with you the only way that I can be
So, until you're in my arms again, remember me
Que nuestra canción no deje de latir
Sólo con tu amor yo puedo existir
Remember me
Que nuestra canción no deje de latir
Sólo con tu amor yo puedo existir
Remember me
The movie Coco has been praised for its depiction of Mexican culture. (Although Disney tried to trademarkthe words Dia de los Muertos, they withdrew the request after the huge public backlash.) And the movie has been used to help young children understand the death of loved ones. In one instance, a little boy was serenading the altar to his deceased baby sister. (Third hankie moment.)
This is a lovely song that has won many awards, including the Oscar for best original song. It has depth and yet is very simple: Remember me.
I’ll be posting some versions of this song every day on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so visit there to hear them! If you have any stories about Remember Me, or favorite versions, let me know in the comments section—I’d love to hear from you!
I’ll be posting roughly once a week with a new song. I’m trying to make the songs seasonal, but I can make exceptions. So, if there’s a song that you’d like some background on, or questions about what it means, let me know.
Thanks for reading! Hasta luego!
Dia de los Muertos
First off, let’s talk about the Dias de los Muertos. November 1 is called Día de los Inocentes ("Day of the Innocents") and Día de los Angelitos ("Day of the Little Angels"). This is dedicated to the souls of children who have died. November 2 is the Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead and is dedicated to the adults who have died. Families make and decorate altars to the souls of their loved ones that include flowers and candles as well as the favorite foods and drinks of the dead. They gather together and tell stories about their loved ones and say prayers for their souls. I know to many this may sound morbid, but the celebration is a happy one. Often the graves are visited and decorated.
Remember Me
If you haven’t seen the movie Coco, you really should. It is such a beautiful movie. The explanation of Dias de los Muertos is touching and happy at the same time. I do warn you, there will be tears. Lots of them. There will be spoilers in this blog. Also, if you follow the links to the different versions of the song, there will be tears. At least three hankies are needed, so read at your own risk!
The song, Remember Me, comes into the story in three ways. It is a lullaby that a father sings to his young daughter when he has to go away for work. It is a grand Hollywood spectacular, and it is a song that a boy sings to reconnect with his great-grandmother who suffers from dementia. (And an argument could be made for a fourth version, the duet over the closing credits, which has more of a pop feel.)
The song writers, the husband-wife team of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, were very aware of the requirements of the song. They studied Mexican music to learn how Mariachi/Rancherasongs were composed. And they also looked at some of the greatest ballads out there, keeping Yesterday by Paul McCartney in mind. The song’s Wikipedia page says that: “The song seems to be inspired from Chopin's "Raindrop" Prelude, Op 28, No. 15.” (I’m already not thrilled with this statement. It should read “inspired BY” not “inspired FROM.”) But, just to check, I listened to both and looked at the sheet music for both. I can sort of see where the author of the article was coming from… if I squint just right. The opening phrase “Remember me” is very close to a recurring phrase in the Prelude, but that was about all I could find. I will admit, I did not examine the chord structure of the Chopin very closely. It’s a dense piece, and my mind quickly boggled.
Let’s look at the four versions of the song, starting with the lullaby:
Remember me, though I have to say goodbye.
Remember me, don't let it make you cry.
For even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart.
I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart.
Remember me, though I have to travel far.
Remember me, each time you hear a sad guitar,
Know that I’m with you the only way that I can be,
Until you’re in my arms again, remember me
The character Hector sings this song to his little girl, Coco, when he has to leave her to go on the road. Such is the life of a professional musician. Kristen Anderson-Lopez said in an interview that the line about singing a secret songhas a particular meaning to her. She and her daughters have all sorts of secret songs that they sing, that only they know about. She sings them when she misses her girls while she is across the country working. This version made me cry thinking about my own deceased father and the bond that we shared as well as the secret songs that my now-grown kids and I shared. (First hankie moment.)
Then we have the grand Hollywood musical moment. This is sung by Ernesto do la Cruz, a larger-than-life (or larger-than-death!) Mexican movie star. He takes the same lyrics and turns them on their respective heads. I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart. In this version those words become filled with double entendre. And instead of a soft, tender ending, we are treated to bombastic high notes.
The Importance of Softness
One of the hardest things for young singers to realize is the importance of softness. And I say this as someone who always wanted higher and louder when I was younger. But, eventually, I learned that higher is not necessarily better. And if everything is loud, it begins to be like hitting the audience over the head with a sledgehammer. With this version of the song, the poignancy of the lyrics is lost. I’m not saying that it’s bad, I’m just saying that it is very different, which was the whole point.
The last version in the movie proper comes at the end when Miguel sings it to his great-grandmother who has dementia. As he sings softly to her, strumming his guitar, (and let me say, I was impressed with the guitar-playing animation! He changed chords! They may even have been right) she begins to tap along with the rhythm. And by the end, she is singing along with Miguel.
Music has been shown to aid Alzheimer and dementia patients. It can help with memory and mood. Many studies have suggested learning a musical instrument as a way to boost brain power in the elderly. So, for Coco to respond to the song that her Papa used to sing to her is completely believable. (It was also the second hankie moment.)
Then we have the pop version that comes over the closing credits. This is a lovely duet that gives us the lyrics in English and Spanish. It is very up-beat and danceable. We also get more lyrics than the earlier versions of the song:
Remember me, though I have to say goodbye
Remember me, don't let it make you cry
For even if I'm far away, I hold you in my heart
I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart
Remember me, though I have to travel far
Remember me, each time you hear a sad guitar
Know that I’m with you the only way that I can be
Until you’re in my arms again, remember me
Que nuestra canción no deje de latir
Sólo con tu amor yo puedo existir
Recuérdame
Que nuestra canción no deje de latir
Sólo con tu amor yo puedo existir
Recuérdame, si en tu mente vivo estoy
Recuérdame, mis sueños yo te doy
Te llevo en mi corazón y te acompañaré
Unidos en nuestra canción, contigo ahí estaré
Recuérdame, si sola crees estar
Recuérdame, y mi cantar te irá a abrazar
Aún en la distancia nunca vayas a olvidar
Que yo contigo siempre voy, recuérdame
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I'll never fade away
Remember me, for I will soon be gone
Remember me, and let the love we have live on
And know that I'm with you the only way that I can be
So, until you're in my arms again, remember me
Que nuestra canción no deje de latir
Sólo con tu amor yo puedo existir
Remember me
Que nuestra canción no deje de latir
Sólo con tu amor yo puedo existir
Remember me
The movie Coco has been praised for its depiction of Mexican culture. (Although Disney tried to trademarkthe words Dia de los Muertos, they withdrew the request after the huge public backlash.) And the movie has been used to help young children understand the death of loved ones. In one instance, a little boy was serenading the altar to his deceased baby sister. (Third hankie moment.)
This is a lovely song that has won many awards, including the Oscar for best original song. It has depth and yet is very simple: Remember me.
I’ll be posting some versions of this song every day on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so visit there to hear them! If you have any stories about Remember Me, or favorite versions, let me know in the comments section—I’d love to hear from you!
I’ll be posting roughly once a week with a new song. I’m trying to make the songs seasonal, but I can make exceptions. So, if there’s a song that you’d like some background on, or questions about what it means, let me know.
Thanks for reading! Hasta luego!
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