"Si me quieres escribir" (English: "If You Want to Write to Me"), also known as "Ya sabes mi paradero" ("You Know Where I Am Posted") and "El frente de Gandesa" (The
Gandesa Front), is one of the most famous songs of the
Spanish Republican troops during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
.
Background
The melody is based on a former song of the Spanish military units in the
Rif Wars in Northern
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
in the 1920s. The lyrics may change according to the location of the combat and the units involved. The
Gandesa front and the blowing up of pontoons and bridges are related to the passage of the river in the
Battle of the Ebro
The Battle of the Ebro ( es, Batalla del Ebro, ca, Batalla de l'Ebre) was the longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War and the greatest, in terms of manpower, logistics and material ever fought on Spanish soil. It took place between Ju ...
, also mentioned in
''¡Ay Carmela!''. The Spanish Republican
combat engineer
A combat engineer (also called pioneer or sapper) is a type of soldier who performs military engineering tasks in support of land forces combat operations. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, tunnel and mine warfare tas ...
s were capable of repeatedly repairing the bridges and pontoons in order to allow the loyalist troops to cross the river —at least a few hours every day— despite the steady bombings of the Nazi
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion (german: Legion Condor) was a unit composed of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legio ...
and the Italian ''
Aviazione Legionaria
The Legionary Air Force ( it, Aviazione Legionaria, es, Aviación Legionaria) was an expeditionary corps from the Italian Royal Air Force that was set up in 1936. It was sent to provide logistical and tactical support to the Nationalist facti ...
'', as well as the intentional flooding by releasing water from dams upstream.
The ''moros'' (Moors) mentioned in some verses are the ''
Regulares
The Fuerzas Regulares Indígenas ("Indigenous Regular Forces"), known simply as the Regulares (Regulars), are volunteer infantry units of the Spanish Army, largely recruited in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Consisting of indigenous infantry ...
'', the feared
Moroccan shock troop units of the
Nationalist faction that kept pounding Republican positions for months at the Gandesa frontline.
[Si me quieres escribir - Ya sabes mi paradero - El Frente de Gandesa - Los emboscados](_blank)
/ref>
Lyrics
*The main stanza begins mostly with ''Si me quieres escribir''; it is usually repeated at the end. Also every pair of verses is repeated twice.Si Me Quieres Escribir - YouTube
/ref> There are many different stanzas and these may be subject to local variations and be sung in different combinations.
Variants
One popular Civil War variant of this song where the lyrics make reference to the Siege of Madrid is known as ''"Los Emboscados"''.
See also
*Songs of the Spanish Civil War
Songs of the Spanish Civil War were folk songs and anthems brought by fighters on both sides of the War. The songs were adapted into marching songs, or sung around campfires.
Traditional Songs of the Republican side
*''¡Ay Carmela!'', also known ...
*'' Canciones de la Guerra Civil Española''
* The Ballad of the Fallen
*To All We Stretch the Open Arm
''To All We Stretch the Open Arm'' is a collection of political songs by a variety of songwriters, performed by Mirah and the Black Cat Orchestra. It met with a positive review in Allmusic and mixed review from Pitchfork.
Production
The album wa ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Si Me Quieres Escribir - QuetzalSi me quieres escribir - Tercera Brigada MixtaLetra si me quieres escribir - SkalariakSi me quieres escribir live - Marina Rosell
Songs of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish-language songs
Anti-fascist music
Second Spanish Republic
Spanish anthems
1930s songs