"Granada" is a song written in 1932 by Mexican composer Agustín Lara. The song is about the Spanish city of Granada and has become a standard in music repertoire. The most popular versions are the original with Spanish lyrics by Lara (often sung operatically); a version with English lyrics by Australian lyricist Dorothy Dodd; and instrumental versions in jazz, pop, easy listening, flamenco or rock styles. Other versions in English also exist (one with lyrics by Al Stewart, and one with lyrics by Robert Musel and Edward Lisbona) but these are less common. An Italian version was written in 1954 by Enzo Luigi Poletto. There are also versions in German and other languages. The song has been covered many times. It is José Carreras's signature tune. Popular versions include those by Plácido Domingo, Frankie Laine, Jorge Negrete, Juan Arvizu, Nestor Mesta Chayres, Mario Lanza, Franco Corelli, Pasquale Esposito, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. It has been sung in Italian by Claudio Villa, and in German by Fritz Wunderlich and Spanish pop-duo Baccara. During the international tour of The Three Tenors, "Granada" was the only song that all three singers––Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, and José Carreras––all performed as a solo in different concerts. The plenary session of the City Council of Granada, unanimously, agreed in its session on September 4, 1997 to establish the version adapted by Professor D. Luis Megías Castilla of this song as the official anthem of the City of Granada.

Lyrics

Lara's lyrics are: <poem lang="es" style="margin-left:1em;">Granada tierra soñada por mí, mi cantar se vuelve gitano cuando es para ti. Mi cantar, hecho de fantasía, mi cantar, flor de melancolía, que yo te vengo a dar. Granada, tierra ensangrentada en tardes de toros, mujer que conserva el embrujo de los ojos moros. Te sueño rebelde y gitana, cubierta de flores y beso tu boca de grana, jugosa manzana que me habla de amores. Granada, manola cantada en coplas preciosas, no tengo otra cosa que darte que un ramo de rosas. De rosas, de suave fragancia que le dieran marco a la virgen morena. Granada, tu tierra está llena de lindas mujeres, de sangre y de sol. Dodd's version begins: <poem style="margin-left:1em;">Granada, I'm falling under your spell, Jazz Jazz if you could speak, what a fascinating tale you would tell.

Selective list of recorded versions