Carlos Santana (born as Carlos Augusto Santana Alves on 20 July 1947 - Autl… Read Full Bio ↴Carlos Santana (born as Carlos Augusto Santana Alves on 20 July 1947 - Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, México) is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion. The band's sound featured his melodic, blues-based guitar lines set against Latin and African rhythms. Santana continued to work in these forms over the following decades. He experienced a resurgence of popularity and critical acclaim in the late 1990s. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine listed Santana at number 15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He has won 10 Grammy Awards and 3 Latin Grammy Awards.

Santana has was an avenue named after him as well as a statue of a guitar in the city where he was born (born in Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, México) to honour him. The family moved from there to Tijuana In La Calonia Libertad, the city on Mexico's border with California, and then San Francisco, USA. Carlos stayed in Tijuana but joined his family in San Francisco later and graduated from James Lick Middle School and Mission High School there.

Most of his musical career has been spent with Santana, the band he formed in San Francisco in 1967. His music underwent large changes in 1973 when he was introduced to the spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy, by fellow guitarist "Mahavishnu" John McLaughlin. After this he adopted the title "Devadip" which he still uses. In 1998 he formed the Milagro Foundation along with his wife Deborah, which supports disadvantaged children. Later Carlos and Deborah divorced, but the Milagro Foundation is still alive and well.

Other huge influences of Carlos Santana are both Miles Davis (with whom he maintained a big personal connection), and John Coltrane, who unfortunately passed away in 1967.

Give and Take
Carlos Santana Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's a game of give and take
Life's a game of give and take
Early in the morning
get your concentration on your meditation
Take the right direction
For future destination, for future destination

Talk about your woman, give her some respect

She'll give you her devotion, not just outside emotion

Talk about your country, there's really no such thing for me
The whole world, the whole world is one big family

Overall Meaning

The lyrics for Carlos Santana's song Give and Take convey a deep message about the concept of balance in life. The opening lines liken life to a game of give and take, emphasizing that we must put in effort to gain something in return. The lyrics then shift to talk about the importance of meditation, encouraging listeners to concentrate and take the right direction for a brighter future.

The next lines speak about the importance of respecting and showing devotion to the important people in our lives. The song's message stresses that genuine emotion, not just surface-level appearances, is necessary for healthy and fulfilling relationships. Finally, the lyrics conclude by expressing the idea that the whole world is united, emphasizing that there is no such thing as dividing lines between countries or people.

Throughout the song, Santana's guitar playing showcases his signature style of blending and fusing different genres, ranging from rock to Latin and jazz. Give and Take's smooth beats and easy-to-net melodies are characteristic of Santana's unique sound.

Line by Line Meaning

It's a game of give and take
Life is filled with opportunities for exchange and compromise

Early in the morning
Starting your day with focus and intention is crucial

Get your concentration on your meditation
Practice mindfulness to better approach the day's challenges

Take the right direction
Make sure your efforts are geared towards achieving long-term goals

For future destination, for future destination
Working hard today will pay off in the future

Talk about your woman, give her some respect
Treating your partner with reverence will foster a deeper, more meaningful relationship

She'll give you her devotion, not just outside emotion
Valuing your partner will result in genuine love, not just surface-level displays of affection

Talk about your country, there's really no such thing for me
National boundaries are arbitrary and we should embrace the global community

The whole world, the whole world is one big family
We should strive for unity and understanding among all people

Contributed by London H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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