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Have you ever pondered, “Did the Beatles have any Spanish songs?” Well, today, we’re gonna unravel this musical mystery.
You’re not alone in wondering whether the Beatles could speak Spanish. After all, they were such huge hits in the Spanish-speaking world that there must, surely, be a reason behind it, right?
Join me on this magical mystery tour as we dig into why the Beatles are superstars in Spanish-speaking countries, unveil their español skills (or lack thereof), and hunt for those elusive Spanish Beatles tracks.
Table of Contents
Were There Any Beatles Songs in Spanish?
Besame Mucho
The most famous Beatles song in Spanish wasn’t actually a Beatles song at all!
You see, Besame Mucho was actually a song written in 1940 by Consuelo Velázquez, a Mexican songwriter, and it was first recorded by Emilio Tuero.
Then, a band called The Coasters released the song in 1960, and it was this version that caught The Beatles’ attention.
So, you see, The Beatles’ Besame Mucho is actually a cover song. It was a song they knew well since it was a staple of their set during their months spent performing in Hamburg, Germany.
Paul McCartney seemed to be the Beatle most impressed by the song, and it was he who sang it for the Beatles.
“With ‘Besame Mucho’ by the Coasters, it’s a minor song and it changes to a major, and where it changes to a major is such a big moment musically. That major change attracted me so much.”
– Paul McCartney, Many Years From Now by Barry Miles
The Beatles recorded “Besame Mucho” a few times in 1962. Once, for their audition for Decca Records on 1 January 1962, and then a few different takes of it were recorded at their first EMI session (with Pete Best still on drums) on 6 June 1962.
Then, a live recording of the band playing the song was recorded during The Beatles’ New Year’s Eve performance at the Star Club in Hamburg later that year.
The recording you’ve probably heard – the one that was released on the Anthology 1 album in 1995, was a recording from the EMI sessions.
Sun King
The Beatles’ song “Sun King” from their 1969 Abbey Road album features a curious mix of languages in its second verse, that could technically be described as Spanish or Italian… If you’re feeling generous.
This isn’t so much a foray into Spanish or Italian as it is a testament to John Lennon’s love of playful wordplay, or “Lennonisms”.
The verse in question blends Spanish, Italian, and a dose of gibberish.
It roughly translates (in a very loose sense) to: “When for much my love of happy heart, world paparazzi my love green for warm sun, hill as much much that small carousel.”
See what I mean about the gibberish?
This multilingual mishmash wasn’t the result of meticulous planning, but rather spontaneous creativity.
As Lennon explained, they made up words as they went along during the recording, using some Spanish phrases that Paul McCartney remembered from school and sprinkling in some Liverpudlian expressions like “chicka ferdi” to pay homage to their hometown.
So, you see, to people who only speak English, it’s understandable that they think “Sun King” has some of the Beatles’ only Spanish lyrics. But it doesn’t, really.
Did The Beatles Visit Spain?
Ever wondered if the Beatles ever visited Spain? Well, yes, they did!
The Beatles landed in Spain just once as a band, during their European Tour in 1965. This whirlwind adventure whisked them through Paris, Lyon, Milan, Genoa, Rome, and Nice, wrapping up with unforgettable concerts in Madrid and Barcelona.
The Beatles rocked Madrid’s Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, a traditional bullring, on 2 July 1965, taking to the stage at 8:30pm.
Sadly, this visit took place during the height of the Franco dictatorship, and the band were shocked by the disturbing police brutality against fans.
Ringo Starr later said “The thing I remember about Madrid, where we played another bullring, was that the police were so violent. It was the first time I’d really seen police beating kids up”.
The next day, The Beatles performed in Barcelona at the Plaza de Toros Monumental. They were fashionably late that night, hitting the stage at around 11.20pm instead of the planned 10.45pm.
But hey, who wouldn’t wait an extra few minutes for the Beatles?
Outside their band duties, Spain did see more of at least one Beatle.
John Lennon was a familiar face in the country. He went on a two-week holiday to Torremolinos in 1963 with manager Brian Epstein, leaving such an impression that the town dedicated a square, the Plaza de John Lennon, in his honour.
A few years later, in 1967, John returned to Almeria for the filming of his dark comedy film, “How I Won the War”.
Did The Beatles Visit Mexico?
Unfortunately, The Beatles never visited Mexico during their years together as a band, even though they spent plenty of time in America. Back in the 1960s, Mexico wasn’t as welcoming to foreign acts as it is now.
Apparently, the Mexican authorities thought the Beatles’ laid-back vibe would be a bad influence.
Despite The Beatles never visiting Mexico, Mexico’s love affair with the Fab Four was always strong and has never dwindled.
Tune into Radio Universal in Mexico City, and you can enjoy two hours of Beatles hits every weekday. Tribute bands? Mexico’s got them by the dozen, performing in the capital every week.
In 2015, Mexico even set a world record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Beatles members. The Beatles’ music continues to resonate, ranking among the most streamed on Spotify in Mexico.
But the cherry on top? None other than Sir Paul McCartney himself graced the Foro Sol auditorium with his presence for several concerts in 2010.
And in 2012, 42 years post-Beatles, he delivered a free concert in Mexico City’s Zocalo, charming tens of thousands of fans with contemporary renditions of the Beatles classics for almost three non-stop hours.
Were The Beatles Bilingual?
The Beatles weren’t necessarily bilingual, or fluent in any other languages, during their time together as a band. They also weren’t taught languages intensively growing up in Liverpool.
However, the Fab Four did have some limited foreign language skills.
Did The Beatles Speak German?
All four Beatles spoke functional German (enough to get by), thanks to the 2 years they spent between Liverpool and Hamburg when they were teenagers, performing for 4.5 hours most weeknights to their German audience.
At the time, it was Pete Best, not Ringo Starr, who was the original Beatles member on drums.
Thankfully, Ringo was also performing in Hamburg at the same time as the Beatles as part of another band, Rory Storm and The Hurricanes.
Could The Beatles Speak Spanish?
The Beatles did not speak Spanish.
Paul McCartney was arguably the most bilingual Beatle – but that’s being generous. He was the only Beatle who could speak any Spanish, and his limited vocabulary was all simply what he could remember from his classes at school.
Final Thoughts: Beatles Spanish Songs
Well, there you have it, fellow Beatlemaniacs!
Even though our Fab Four didn’t exactly master Spanish, their music resonated far beyond language barriers.
From sprinkling a bit of Spanish in “Sun King” to leaving an indelible mark in Spain and Mexico, the Beatles sure knew how to make a global impact.
‘Til next time, keep twisting and shouting to those Beatles’ classics, amigos!
Featured photo credit: Iberia Airlines, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons