The "Habanera" is an aria from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet, adapted from the habanera "El Arreglito" originally composed by Sebastián Yradier. The song is also sometimes known by its first two lines, "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle que nul ne peut apprivoiser". Its melody, among the most famous in the Western musical tradition, is based on a descending chromatic scale followed by variants of the same phrase in first the minor and then the major key, corresponding with the vicissitudes of love expressed in the lyrics. In live performances, after singing the concluding words of the song (prends garde à toi!), Carmen tosses a flower to Don José. Later on, in the celebrated Flower Song, Don José tells how he treasured the flower while in prison.
