Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: salsa
Song Meaning of “Franqueza Cruel” by Rubén Blades
The haunting and romantic track “Franqueza Cruel” from Rubén Blades’ legendary 1982 album Siembra tells an incredibly powerful story. Written from a broken heart and infused with the sadness of longing for a lost love, this beautiful song expresses the intense emotions that come with that kind of love.
Lyrically, the song exudes a desperate yet dignified plea for mercy. Blades sings of his heart’s bitter pain, and calls for a kind of sweet and tender brutality from his former love – the cruelty of frankness that will not let him stay in the dark, and the kindness of truth that will help him face the reality of his loss. He also speaks of his hope that the beloved will overcome the silence between them and eventually reach out, allowing their paths to connect once again.
The sorrow expressed throughout this song comes through powerfully, leaving it to the listener to determine what kind of future lies ahead for the singer and his love. Perhaps it is the promise of hope in the chorus when he pleads for her “Franqueza cruel” – a ray of light on the tumultuous darkness of love lost and the painful desolation that comes along with it.