Te Empecé a Echar de Menos

Manolo Otero's song "Te Empecé a Echar de Menos" is a poignant exploration of loss and longing. The lyrics capture the raw emotions of a person who wakes up to the stark reality of their loved one's absence. The song begins with the protagonist reaching out in the morning, only to find an empty space where their partner once lay. This initial moment of realization sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the protagonist navigates through a day filled with reminders of their solitude.

The imagery in the song is vivid and evocative. The disarray of the room and the silence that fills the house serve as metaphors for the chaos and emptiness the protagonist feels inside. The absence of the partner's voice, even in the form of a reproach, underscores the depth of the void left behind. The protagonist's sensory experiences—hearing imagined footsteps, smelling a lingering perfume, and visualizing a fading figure in the darkness—highlight the haunting presence of memories that refuse to fade away.

As the day turns into night, the protagonist's sense of loss intensifies. The act of smoking cigarette after cigarette becomes a futile attempt to grasp something intangible, much like trying to hold onto smoke. The lyrics convey a deep sense of regret and self-reproach, as the protagonist reflects on their past mistakes and the foolishness of letting their loved one go. The song culminates in a heartfelt confession of enduring love and the painful realization that the protagonist has missed their partner all day, and still loves them deeply.