Carlos Nuñez was born in Vigo (Galicia, Spain), and is considered as one of… Read Full Bio ↴Carlos Nuñez was born in Vigo (Galicia, Spain), and is considered as one of the best bagpipe players in the world.
He started playing the bagpipe at the age of eight, and now his virtuosity with the 'gaita' (bagpipe) has led him to be called 'the Jimi Hendrix of the pipes'. He had been playing and touring with The Chieftains for many years and because of that he became the honorary '7th Chieftain'.

Black Shadow
Carlos Núñez Lyrics

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Cando penso que te fuches,
negra sombra que me asombras,
ó pé dos meus cabezales
tornas facéndome mofa.

Cando maxino que es ida,
no mesmo sol te me amostras,
i eres a estrela que brila,

i eres o vento que zoa.

Si cantan, es ti que cantas;
si choran, es ti que choras,
i es o marmurio do río,
i es a noite i es a aurora.

En todo estás e ti es todo,
pra min i en min mesma moras,
min me deixarás ti nunca,
sombra que sempre me asombras.
...
Min me deixarás ti nunca,
sombra que sempre me asombras.

Si cantan, es ti que cantas;
si choran, es ti que choras,
i es o marmurio do río,
i es a noite i es a aurora.

En todo estás e ti es todo,
pra min i en min mesma moras,
min me deixarás ti nunca,
sombra que sempre me asombras.

Min me deixarás ti nunca,
sombra que sempre me asombras.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Carlos Núñez's song 'Black Shadow' speak about a shadow that seems to follow the singer wherever they go. The shadow is likened to a person, referred to as 'negra sombra' or black shadow, and is personified throughout the song. The singer speaks about how they think the shadow has gone away, but it always returns and mocks them. The shadow is also described as being present in everything - from the river's murmur to the night and the dawn. The shadow is both a source of comfort and distress for the singer, as they feel it is both always with them and never truly there.

The song's lyrics have been interpreted as being about the feeling of loss and the inability to escape past traumas or experiences. It can be seen as a metaphor for the shadow that certain memories or emotions can cast over a person's life, always present and never truly gone. The use of the shadow as a manifestation of these feelings adds a layer of complexity to the song and allows for a deeper exploration of the theme.

Line by Line Meaning

Cando penso que te fuches,
When I think that you have left me behind,

negra sombra que me asombras,
black shadow that haunts me,

ó pé dos meus cabezales
at the foot of my bed,

tornas facéndome mofa.
you return to mock me.

Cando maxino que es ida,
When I imagine that you are gone,

no mesmo sol te me amostras,
you appear to me in the very sun,

i eres a estrela que brila,
and you are the star that shines,

i eres o vento que zoa.
and you are the wind that howls.

Si cantan, es ti que cantas;
If they sing, it is you who sings;

si choran, es ti que choras,
If they cry, it is you who cries,

i es o marmurio do río,
and you are the rustling of the river,