Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam saw Spain’s Blas Cantó represent the country once more after he did not participate in the contest the day prior for obvious reasons. He did not use his 2020 entry, “Universo” for that year’s contest. Instead, a new song was introduced, “Voy a Quedarme“ (I Will Stay), which is undoubtedly a more powerful ballad, but more underrated (as it did not fare well in the finals).
An English version of the song was performed by Leroy Sanchez, who also co-authored the piece Cantó brought in Rotterdam. Sanchez’s rendition is widely accepted as a love song, a promise between two lovers that they would never leave each other’s side. However, the original Spanish version paints a different version, and that is what we will get to know below!
To stay
The song frequently used the verb quedarse, which means “to stay,” not to go away, to keep accompanying. But who should stay, then? Whom was the Spanish song trying to ask not to leave?
The answer to that would be a loved one, particularly, in Cantó’s context, his grandmother, who was even seen in the music video to slowly reappear. According to the singer, he wrote the song when his father died, which already made it a song asking a loved one not to leave, not just him, but life. That alone made the song different from the English version, as Voy a Quedarme is not a love song. Moreover, he recorded the song while his grandmother was dying due to COVID, and the pain could be felt in the scream before the final chorus.
The lyrics
The song begins with the singer pleading with his loved one to stay, even just for a night, which implies that he already accepted that he would be gone soon. However, despite the acceptance, he just wanted one final moment to fully enjoy her presence. He wanted to feel her touch again, to hear her voice, or just see her for the final glance (quédate esta noche para ver amanecer para sentir tu voz acariciándome).
He promised that he would not let go, that he would stay by her side, and that the farthest he would go would be just a few centimeters away (solo a unos centímetros de mí). The chorus then underlined the feeling of regret of not having cherished the presence of the person when she was well alive. He hated not appreciating her much, stating that now, he would love her more than ever (prometo quererte más que ayer). He then promised that he would kiss her, like the first time (voy a besarte muy lento como la primera vez), implying that it had been a long time since he had done that.
After the first chorus, the singer promised her that he would not leave no matter what happened. This reflects in life, and we want to cherish the time we would have before a person departs. He said he would not leave even if the sky fell (se caiga el cielo), because he had so much more to offer (sé que hay muchos como yo con tanto que ofrecer), but unfortunately, he would not be able to prove it.
This song captures what it feels like to be with someone before they are gone forever. The song took its listeners on a roller coaster ride of emotions, starting from trying to promise some reasonable things just to make a person stay, up to promising unrealistic promises, even though deep inside, we know that that person would not be able to count on those promises.
The background music
If you listen closely, you’ll notice that the song started with slow piano, maybe around one note at a time. Eventually, it became faster and louder as more instruments started to play. This build-up represents the build-up of emotions, anxiety, and fear while witnessing a loved one parting from life. It represented how tense it could be to feel desperate to save a loved one, like in a make-or-break scenario.
The background music is like the heartbeat that grows louder and faster every time we get nervous, particularly about something we wouldn’t get to fix again.
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