"Bésame Mucho" is a Spanish-language song written in 1940 by Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velázquez.

According to Velázquez herself, she wrote this song even though she had never been kissed yet at the time, and kissing as she heard was considered a sin.

She was inspired by the piano piece "Quejas, o la Maja y el Ruiseñor" from the 1911 suite Goyescas by Spanish composer Enrique Granados, which he later also included as Aria of the Nightingale in his 1916 opera of the same name.

There are slight differences in the wording at the end of the chorus, regarding the words perderte después meaning "to lose you afterwards". Considering that Velázquez may have been fifteen years old when she wrote the song, this sentence reflects inexperience and innocence. Indeed, a video from "TV Mexicana" shows Consuelo Velázquez playing the piano while the singer sings perderte después. However, many interpretations use perderte otra vez ("lose you once again") instead of the original perderte despues ("lose you afterwards"). This may have been modified to touch a more grown-up, experienced audience.