About The Song
“Don’t Wanna Lose You” is a song by Cuban-American singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan, released on June 21, 1989 as the first single by Epic Records from her debut solo album, Cuts Both Ways (1989). The song is written by Estefan and produced by her husband, Emilio Estefan, Jr. It reached #1 in the US on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100 and was also certified Gold.
Estefan also recorded “Si Voy a Perderte,” which is the Spanish version of this song, (translated as “If I Am Going to Lose You.”) “Si Voy a Perderte,” also included on Cuts Both Ways, hit number one on Billboard’s Hot Latin Tracks chart.
“Se tenho que te perder”, (also translated as “If I’ve Got to Lose You”) is the Portuguese version of this song, and was released as a single in Brazil, and as a bonus track on international editions of Estefan’s Into the Light album. The Portuguese version was less successful than the English original, which ended being the fourth more heard song in Brazilian radio in 1989.
A rerecorded version of “Don’t Wanna Lose You” was included in Estefan’s 2020 album Brazil305.
Bill Coleman from Billboard wrote that the “emotive slow number” “I Don’t Wanna Lose You” showcases the singer’s “sensitive vocal.” A reviewer from Entertainment Weekly felt that it “croon along smoothly”. Pan-European magazine Music & Media complimented the song as “a strong, melodic and well put together ballad that will undoubtedly do well.” Jerry Smith from Music Week declared it as “another epic ballad, superbly sung and sure to see the Miami sound gain prominence this side of the Atlantic.” Pat Thomas from Number One called it a “big ballad”. William Shaw from Smash Hits viewed it as a “scarf-swaying ballad of gargantuan soppiness.” He added, “It’s rather simple, not over the top, and Gloria — who wrote the song — doesn’t wreck it by going too excessively mad on the vocal front. Poignant, I think the word is.”
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Lyrics
Sometimes it’s hard
To make things clear
Or know when you face the truth
And I know that the moment is here
I’ll open my heart
And show you inside
My love has no pride
I feel with you I’ve got nothing to hide
So open your eyes
And see who I am
And not who you want for me to be
I am only myself, myself
I don’t want to lose you now
We’re gonna get through somehow
I don’t want to loose you now or ever
‘Cause baby I’ve finally found
The courage to stand my ground
But if you want, me I’ll be around
Forever
We all make mistakes
We all loose our way
But we stood the test of time and I hope
That’s the way it will stay
It’s all up to you
To tell me to go
‘Cause it won’t be me to walk away
When you’re all that I know
And I know
That I don’t want to lose you now
We’re gonna get through somehow
I don’t want to loose you now
Or ever, no never
‘Cause baby I’ve finally found
The courage to stand my ground
But if you want me, I’ll be around
Forever, forever
I don’t want to lose you, don’t wanna lose you now
We’re gonna get through somehow
I don’t want to lose you now
No, I don’t want to lose you
Don’t want to lose you