Se_Quiere,_Se_Mata
Se Quiere, Se Mata
1997 single by Shakira
"Se Quiere, Se Mata" (English: What Is Wanted, Is Killed or It is loved, it is killed) is the sixth single released from Shakira's third studio album, Pies Descalzos (1995). Written and composed by herself, "Se Quiere, Se Mata" was a Top Ten Hit in Mexico and on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks in the United States. The song laments the story of a young couple, Braulio and Dana, and their choice to have an abortion. Introduced as an innocent young couple well liked by their families, the two succumb to their sexual desires, and Dana becomes pregnant. However, rather than admit this to their families and neighbors, they choose to get an abortion. The abortion ultimately goes badly, resulting in Dana's death.
The song title comes from the line "...esta podrida ciudad donde lo que no se quiere se mata." (... this rotten city where what is not wanted is killed,) where Shakira laments the moralistic societal pressure that drives people to take drastic measures to keep the appearances. Note that the Spanish word "quiere" may mean either "want" or "love" and the song seems to use both meanings.