When the group was first formed in 1971, they were called Shacklock after their guitarist Alan Shacklock. Members included Janita Haan and Dave Hewitt, with Dave Punshon and Dick Powell later joining. The first release was their single "Elusive"; their first album, First Base, went gold in Canada. In 1973, Ed Spevock replaced Powell and Chris Holmes replaced Punshon on the second album. In 1975, Steve Gurl, keyboardist from Glenn Cornick's Wild Turkey replaced Holmes for the third album. The same year, Shacklock exited and Bernie Marsden (Wild Turkey) joined the team for the fourth album. After this, Haan and Hewitt left.
Though no original member remained, the group incorporated Ellie Hope and Ray Knott for the fifth album in 1976. Shortly before Babe Ruth disbanded, they were joined by the 17 year-old Birmingham born Simon Lambeth who made a few appearances on their last tour. Lambeth's hauntingly naïve sound on rhythm guitar, behind the lead of Marsden, promised much but sadly it was too late; Marsden moved on to bigger things and joined Whitesnake. Simon changed careers and sadly was lost to the music scene - Hope did an outstanding job on the LP, later releasing her own solo effort in the booming disco era. Unfortunately, these later efforts are harder to pin down.
A disco cover of Babe Ruth's classic "The Mexican" appeared in the late 70s, performed by the Bombers. This version inspired an electro/freestyle cover produced by John Jellybean Benitez in 1984, for which he managed to recruit Haan on vocals - the cover subsequently becoming noted for its popularity as an underground dance hit.
Between late 2005 and early 2006, Haan, Shacklock, Punshon, and Hewitt recorded new material together in Nashville, with Spevock recording his drums in London. The album was completed September 2006, and after being made available in digital form via the band's official web site, it was released on CD through Revolver Records in the first quarter of 2009.
The Mexican
Babe Ruth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Livin' on a gun
Dreams of Santa Anna
Fighting in the sun
Drums so loud from outside
Makes it hard to dream
A rain is fallin' hard and fast
Mornin', come mornin'
A Chico's gotta have his share
Mornin', sad mornin'
Said he must be there
Mornin', sad mornin'
What a laugh, and I cried
And I cry, cry, cry, cry, cried
Mornin', sad mornin'
Mexican
Senorita panning
Chico come on home
Santa Anna's losing
You'll be first to go
Sam Houston's laughing
Davy Crockett too
When Anna takes the Alamo
The first to go is you
Mornin', come mornin'
A Chico's gotta have his share
Mornin', sad mornin'
Heaven will be there
Mornin', sad mornin'
What a laugh and a laugh
Ha ha ha ha ha
The Mexican by Babe Ruth is a song that tells a story of a Mexican revolutionary named Fernandez, who is living on the edge, dreaming of fighting for his cause against Santa Anna. He is constantly surrounded by the sound of drums from outside, which makes it hard for him to dream. The rain falling fast and hard makes it all seem real, adding to the tension and uncertain future of Fernandez's life.
The song hints at the struggles and the consequences that the revolutionaries faced during their fight for independence. Fernandez is aware of the risks involved in his fight and accepts that he may not see another morning. "Mornin', come mornin', A Chico's gotta have his share, Mornin', sad mornin', Said he must be there." He is willing to lay down his life for the cause he believes in, even though it may lead to an end in his life. The song encapsulates the conflict and the dangers that come with fighting for a cause you believe in, with a sad and haunting tone.
The chorus of the song repeats "Mornin', sad mornin', What a laugh, and I cried, And I cry, cry, cry, cry, cried, Mornin', sad mornin', Mexican." The phrase "Mornin', sad mornin'" is repeated thrice, with the following line switching from sad to mocking tones. The mock laughter creates a juxtaposition with the seriousness of the challenges the singer is facing, highlighting the irony and tragedy of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
He's called Fernandez
Livin' on a gun
Dreams of Santa Anna
Fighting in the sun
Fernandez is a man who lives by the gun and has dreams of fighting for Santa Anna in the hot sun.
Drums so loud from outside
Makes it hard to dream
A rain is fallin' hard and fast
Makes it all seem real
The loud drums and hard rain make it too difficult to sleep or dream, making the reality of the situation all too real.
Mornin', come mornin'
A Chico's gotta have his share
Mornin', sad mornin'
Said he must be there
Chico needs to have his share in the morning, and despite feeling sad, he knows he must be there for something.
Mornin', sad mornin'
What a laugh, and I cried
And I cry, cry, cry, cry, cried
Mornin', sad mornin'
Mexican
It's a sad morning, and while it seems like a joke, it really makes me cry. It's a sad morning for a Mexican.
Senorita panning
Chico come on home
Santa Anna's losing
You'll be first to go
The woman is anticipating Chico's return, but warns him that with Santa Anna losing, he'll be the first to go.
Sam Houston's laughing
Davy Crockett too
When Anna takes the Alamo
The first to go is you
Sam Houston and Davy Crockett laugh because when Santa Anna takes over the Alamo, Chico will be one of the first to go.
Mornin', come mornin'
A Chico's gotta have his share
Mornin', sad mornin'
Heaven will be there
Mornin', sad mornin'
What a laugh and a laugh
Ha ha ha ha ha
Chico still needs his share in the morning despite feeling sad, but he finds solace in the fact that heaven will be there. Though it's a sad morning, he laughs cynically.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN ALBERT SHACKLOCK, ENNIO MORRICONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind