For reasons either personal or commercial, Shakira remains committed to serving both her English- and Spanish-speaking audiences. Following Laundry Service, her next project was a two-volume release: the all-Spanish Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 was released in June of 2005 (a long four-year wait since her last CD) and its partner, the all-English Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, came out in November.
This was an ambitious and successful project, even though neither album performed as well as her previous global smash. Laundry Service was a more pop-focused record, while Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 showcased a return to more traditional Latin music, along with a healthy dose of rock and roll.
I rank this album as Shakira’s second-best, following Donde Estan Los Ladrones?. It features some of her finest songwriting, including a real favorite of mine, ‘Dia de Enero’ (which I’ve featured on the blog).
A few of these songs show up on Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, and in each case I prefer the version in her native tongue. It’s a pattern that has understandably held true throughout Shakira’s career, though when I get to her most recent album I’ll discuss why that might be changing. Dana and I will have several long arguments about it along the way.
The artwork of these companion albums is worth noting, as it combines two of Shakira’s passions: the analysis of classical art and literature, and undressing. Both covers are based on typical Renaissance poses, with the first depicting the “Freudian… psychoanalytical perspective” (these are her words) and the second representing “more of a Jungian sort of thing.”
You’ll have to wait ’til tomorrow for the Jung.
Ay payita mia, guardate la poesia
Guardate la alegria pa’ti
[Shakira:]
No pido que todos los días sean de sol
No pido que todos los viernes sean de fiesta
Tampoco te pido que vuelvas rogando perdón
Si lloras con los ojos secos
Y hablando de ella
Ay amor me duele tanto
[Sanz:]
Me duele tanto
[Shakira:]
Que te fueras sin decir a dónde
Ay amor fue una tortura…
Perderte
[Sanz:]
Yo sé que no he sido un santo
Pero lo puedo arreglar, amor
[Shakira:]
No sólo de pan vive el hombre
Y no de excusas vivo yo
[Sanz:]
Sólo de errores se aprende
Y hoy sé que es tuyo mi corazón
[Shakira:]
Mejor te guardas todo eso
A otro perro con ese hueso
Y nos decimos adios
No puedo pedir que el invierno perdone a un rosal
No puedo pedir a los olmos que entreguen peras
No puedo pedirle lo eterno a un simple mortal
Y andar arrojando a los cerdos miles de perlas
[Sanz:]
Ay amor me duele tanto, me duele tanto
Que no creas más en mis promesas
[Shakira:]
Ay amor
[Sanz:]
Es una tortura
[Shakira:]
Perderte
[Sanz:]
Yo sé que no he sido un santo
Pero lo puedo arreglar, amor
[Shakira:]
No sólo de pan vive el hombre
Y no de excusas vivo yo
[Sanz:]
Sólo de errores se aprende
Y hoy sé que es tuyo mi corazón
[Shakira:]
Mejor te guardas todo eso
A otro perro con ese hueso
Y nos decimos adios
[Sanz:]
No te vayas, no te vayas
Oye negrita mira, no te rajes
De lunes a viernes tienes mi amor
Déjame el sábado a mi que es mejor
Oye mi negra no me castigues más
Porque allá afuera sin ti no tengo paz
Yo solo soy un hombre muy arrepentido
Soy como el ave que vuelve a su nido
Yo se que no he sido un santo
Es que no estoy echo de carton
[Shakira:]
No solo de pan vive el hombre
Y no de excusas vivo yo.
[Sanz:]
Solo de errores se aprende
Y hoy se que es tuyo mi corazón
[Shakira:]
AAaaay… AAaaay… AAaaay… Ay Ay
Ay todo lo que he hecho por tí
Fue una tortura perderte
Me duele tanto que sea así
Sigue llorando perdón
Yo ya no voy a llorar [hoy] por tí
Meet Me In Montauk 
As there doesn’t seem to be an English version of this song, it’s hard to really argue about whether this song is/would have been better in English vs. Spanish. Still, following up on Amy’s point from yesterday, to the extent that singing in Spanish is more harmonious with Latin rhythms, it would make sense why her Spanish songs are “demonstrably better.”:)