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.

Gypsy Woman
Carlos Santana Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Got a black magic woman
Got a black magic woman

I got a black magic woman
Got me so blind I can't see
That she's a black magic woman
She's tryin' to make a devil out of me

Don't turn your back on me baby
Don't turn your back on me baby

Yes, don't turn your back on me baby
Stop messin' around with your tricks
Don't turn your back on me baby
You just might pick up my magic sticks

Got your spell on me baby
Got your spell on me baby

Yes you got your spell on me baby
Turning my heart into stone

I need you so bad magic woman
I can't leave you alone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Carlos Santana's "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" describes a man's dangerous infatuation for a woman who he believes has put him under her spell. He refers to her as a "black magic woman", indicating that he thinks she may have supernatural powers that allow her to control him. He is so obsessed with her that he is blind to the fact that she is manipulating and trying to "make a devil out of him". He warns her not to turn her back on him and to stop playing tricks on him or she may "just might pick up my magic sticks", implying he could take revenge. Nonetheless, he is entranced by her and is unable to leave her alone, claiming that his "heart [is] turned into stone" because of her.

The song's lyrics are heavily influenced by voodoo and African spiritual practices, which are associated with black magic in popular culture. The song uses the metaphor of black magic and love, highlighting the related themes of seduction, obsession, and danger. The lyrics are coupled with powerful guitar riffs and drum beats that create a hypnotic and mysterious atmosphere, which echoes the song's subject matter. Santana's guitar work and the song's unique fusion of Latin rhythms and blues rock established him as a leading figure in the 1970s rock scene.

Line by Line Meaning

Got a black magic woman
I have a woman who practices black magic

I got a black magic woman
I have a woman who is skilled in dark magic

Got me so blind I can't see
She has me under her control

That she's a black magic woman
She practices dark and magical arts

She's tryin' to make a devil out of me
She's attempting to turn me into an evil person

Don't turn your back on me baby
Please don't ignore me

Stop messin' around with your tricks
Quit playing mind games

You just might pick up my magic sticks
My tricks might rub off on you

Yes you got your spell on me baby
I'm completely captivated by you

Turning my heart into stone
You are making me emotionally cold and numb

I need you so bad magic woman
I am helplessly drawn to you