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.
Mirage
Carlos Santana Lyrics
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Oh - I am just a mirage
When you look at me
Thru your crystal glass you will see
That I am now your past
But you give your love to me
In your life I wasn't meant to be.
Oh I am just a mirage
Just a mirage fading away like water
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
I am just a mirage
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
I am just a mirage
I am just a mirage
But until that day has come
When you say I'll be your only one
I will live the way it's meant for me
With ups and downs and mystery.
The lyrics to Carlos Santana's song "Mirage" express the feelings of a person who knows that their relationship with their partner is just an illusion, that they are just a mirage. The singer refers to his relationship with his partner as a mirage, as an optical illusion, as something that appears to be real, but it's not. He acknowledges that when his partner looks at him through "crystal glass," they will see that he is not worth their love, that he is only a memory of the past. The singer recognizes that his partner's love was not meant for him in the first place, that their love was just a temporary and fleeting fascination.
The song's chorus repeats the line, "I am just a mirage," emphasizing the singer's feelings of impermanence, the idea that he is just a temporary projection that will soon fade away like water. However, the singer also acknowledges that until that day when his partner decides to commit to him and be his "only one," he will live his life the way it's meant to be, with all its ups and downs and mystery. The song emphasizes the acceptance of one's place in life, no matter how ephemeral it may be.
Line by Line Meaning
I am just a mirage
I am not the reality; I am just a figment of your imagination.
Oh - I am just a mirage
I am nothing but an illusion which can disappear anytime.
When you look at me
When you examine every detail of my existence.
Thru your crystal glass you will see
With your transparent perspective, you will realize the truth about me.
That I am now your past
I am no longer a part of your present or future.
But you give your love to me
You have affection for me despite the fact that I am not really there.
In your life I wasn't meant to be.
I was not intended to be present in your life.
Just a mirage fading away like water
As the water disappears, so will I.
But until that day has come
However, unless the day comes when I am truly with you.
When you say I'll be your only one
When you profess that I am the sole love of your life.
I will live the way it's meant for me
I will continue living life as I was meant to.
With ups and downs and mystery.
Full of unpredictability and challenges that keep me guessing.
Contributed by Harper J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Belhassen Lourimi
on Samba pa'ti
Thanks a lot..