La Tortura
"La Tortura" (Spanish for Torture) is the first single from Shakira's sixth studio album, [Fijación Oral 1] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help). The single is a duet between Shakira and Spanish balladeer Alejandro Sanz. It tells the story of a woman who has been emotionally "tortured" because her boyfriend left; however, when he returns begging her forgiveness, she humiliates him and says that she is not going to shed tears over him. The single is Shakira's sixth in the United States, following the commercial success of her 2001 album Laundry Service.
Lyrics Translation
The following translation is phrase for phrase not word for word.
[Sanz]
Oh baby, keep your poetry
keep your happiness
[Shakira]
I didn't ask for every day to be sunny.
I didn't ask for a party every friday.
Nor did I ask you to return requesting forgiveness.
If you cry with dry eyes
and talk of her
Oh love, it hurts me so
[Sanz]
It hurts me so
[Shakira]
That you left without saying where you were going
Ay love, it was a torture...
To lose you
[Sanz]
I know that I haven't been a saint
But I can fix this, love
[Shakira]
Man does not live on bread alone
And I don't live on excuses
[Sanz]
Only by making mistakes do we learn
And I know today my heart is yours
[Shakira]
It is better that you keep all of that
To another dog with that bone
And we tell each other goodbye
I can't ask that the winter pardon to a rose bush
I can't ask that the elm trees bear pears.
I can't ask for eternity from a simple mortal
And walk around throwing thousands of pearls to swine
[Sanz]
Oh love, it hurts me so, it hurts me so
That you don't believe in my promises
[Shakira]
Oh love
[Sanz]
It is a torture
[Shakira]
To lose you
[Sanz]
I know that I haven't been a saint
But I can fix this, love
[Shakira]
Man does not live on bread alone
And I don't live on excuses
[Sanz]
It is only by our mistakes that we learn
And I know today my heart is yours
[Shakira]
It is better that you keep all of that
To a different dog with your bone
And we tell each other goodbye
[Sanz]
Don't get off, don't get off
Hey baby, look, don't give in
From Monday to Friday you have my love
Leave me Saturday, to me that is best
Hey baby don't punish me any more
Because outside without you I have no peace
I am only a very repentent man.
I am like the bird that returns to his nest
I know that I haven't been a saint
But I can fix this my love
[Shakira]
Man does not live on bread alone
And I don't live on excuses
[Sanz]
Only by our mistakes do we learn
And today I know that my heart is yours
[Shakira]
AAaaay… AAaaay… AAaaay… Ay Ay
Ay all that I have done for you
It was a torture to lose you
It hurts me so that I am thus
He continues to cry for pardon
Now, I am not going to cry... for you
Chart Performance
Since its release as a single, the song has become one of the most important Latin songs to move into mainstream English-speaking culture in the United States . The video clip of the song was nominated for the Viewer's Choice Award on the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, during which Shakira performed with Sanz (notably, it was the first time a guest performed a song entirely in a language other than English). [La Tortura] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) was on the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 in less than ten weeks (#23).
It was also a huge hit all over Europe, but was never released in the United Kingdom, therfore could not chart on the UK Singles Chart. "La Tortura" broke the record on the Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart, appearing at #1 for 25 non-consecutive weeks. The song was chosen as the World's #5 Favorite Song of All Time in a global survey by Sony Ericsson of 700,000 music fans in 66 countries.
Billboard has an end-of-year chart that shows the hottest songs of the year; "La Tortura" was announced as the number 1 on the Hot Latin Tracks chart, as it also was in Latin America's Top Latino chart.
Music Video
The music video, directed by Michael Haussman, is quite simple. From his apartment, Sanz spies on Shakira as she goes to her apartment and changes clothes. He remembers things they'd done in the past as a couple, while Shakira dances erotically, covered in black paint. The music video is in itself somewhat notable, as it was the first time MTV showed a whole episode of the Making the Video series in another language (with English subtitles). It was also the second Spanish-language video ever to enter in Total Request Live's countdown. It can also be noted that the video for "La Tortura" was one of the first in Spanish language to run a lot of times on "mainstream" American music channels such as MTV and VH1. This video has its remix version, too (the "La Tortura [Shaketon Remix]"), which features new scenes.
Remixes
The single and the album also included a remix of the song entitled "The Shaketon Mix", merging a reggaeton style with the original rhythm of the song. A separate music video (also directed by Haussman) was also made for the remix. This music video also entered on TRL's countdown. There is another official reggaeton remix called "E. Arroyo Reggaeton Remix". Another official mix has surfaced, the "Tracy Young Special According Mix" and other remixes have also been made by independent DJs. An alternative version of this song, which had been previously leaked on the internet, is featured in the re-release of Oral Fixation Vol. 2, with the chorus being sung in English.
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 | 23 |
| Latin America Top Latino Hot 40 Tracks | 1 (20 weeks) |
| U.S. Billboard's Pop 100 | 27 |
| U.S. Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks | 1 (25 weeks) |
| U.S. Billboard's Hot Digital Songs | 22 |
| U.S. Billboard's Dance Radio Airplay | 21 |
| U.S. Billboard's Hot Ringtones | 9 |
| European MTV Top 20 | 1 |
| France Singles Chart | 7 |
| Hungary Radio Airplay Chart | 1 (8 weeks) |
| Dutch Top 40 | 3 |
| Portugal Top 20 (MTV) | 1 |
| Germany Top 20 (MTV) | 4 |
| Spain Top 20 (MTV) | 1 |
| Italy Top 20 (MTV) | 3 |
| Greece Top 20 (MTV) | 1 |
| Belgium Top 20 (MTV) | 8 |
| Switzerland Top 20 (MTV) | 4 |
| Latin America Top 10 (MTV Latin America) | 1 |
| Brazil Top 20 (MTV Brasil) | 1 |
| Sweden Top 20 (MTV) | 6 |
| Norway Top 20 (MTV) | 4 |
| Argentina Top 20 (MTV) | 1 |
| Colombian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Denmark Top 20 (MTV) | 6 |
| Iceland Top 20 (Pop TV) | 1 |