Dale is revered as one of the pioneers of surf rock and one of the most influential guitarists of the early 1960s. His technique influenced future guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom-made Fender amplifiers. Among Dale's most well-known songs are "Misirlou", "Surf Beat", and "Let's Go Trippin'". He also released music under Dick Dale & His Del-Tones.
Born Richard Anthony Mansour to a Lebanese father and a Polish mother, he soon learned to play the drums, the ukulele, and finally the guitar. Among his early musical influences was his uncle, an oud player performing belly dance music. A plethora of Dale's early material contains middle eastern musical influences. Dale's professional career began in 1959, playing with his band The Del-Tones for surfers at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, California. With authorities concerned about the mix of young people and guitars, one of the requirements at the Ballroom was that every male patron wear a tie, so the audience was often made up of barefooted guys in surfer garb wearing ties that were handed out at the door.
Dale is often credited as one of the first electric guitarist to employ exotic scales in his playing. When Dale started surfing he became so fascinated that he began seeking ways of channeling the energy and power of the sport through his guitar playing. While he is primarily known for introducing the use of guitar reverberation, which has since become a staple of the surf sound, it was Dale's fast staccato picking that was his trademark. Due to his left-handedness, Dale was initially forced to play a right-handed model. However, he did so without restringing the guitar, leading him to effectively play the guitar upside-down (while Hendrix would restring his guitar). Even after he acquired a proper left-handed guitar, Dale continued to use his reverse stringing.
Discography:
Albums:
1962 - Surfer's Choice (Deltone)
1963 - King of the Surf Guitar (Capitol)
1963 - Checkered Flag (Capitol)
1964 - Mr. Eliminator (Capitol)
1964 - Summer Surf (Capitol)
1965 - Rock Out With Dick Dale & His DelTones: Live At Ciro's (Capitol)
1983 - The Tigers Loose (Balboa)
1993 - Tribal Thunder (HighTone)
1994 - Unknown Territory
1996 - Calling Up Spirits (Beggars Banquet)
2001 - Spacial Disorientation
misirlou
Dick Dale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Natives kneel in prayer by their caravans.
There, silhouetted under and eastern star,
I see my long lost blossom of shalimar
You, Misirlou, Are the moon and the sun, fairest one.
We'll find our Kismet, answering love's command.
You, Misirlou, are a dream of delight in the night.
To an oasis, sprinkled by stars above,
Heaven will guide us, Allah will bless our love.
The lyrics of Dick Dale's "Misirlou" describes a love story that takes place in the desert, under the starry sky. The first lines of the song give us a visual of the desert, where the story unfolds. We can picture the desert slowly being taken over by the darkness of the night, the purple sands becoming shadowed. The image of the natives kneeling in prayer next to their caravans also adds to the desert vibe, with this line possibly suggesting that the two lovers are not alone.
However, the song shifts to a more romantic tone with the second half of the first stanza. It becomes clear that the singer is longing for a love he has lost, and he sees her in his mind's eye under the eastern star. The imagery becomes more vivid in the following stanza with the sounds of old temple bells calling across the sand. The mention of Kismet, meaning fate or destiny, suggests that the singer believes the love he has lost will come back to him.
Line by Line Meaning
Desert shadows creep across purple sands.
The sun is setting in the desert and casting shadows on the purple sand.
Natives kneel in prayer by their caravans.
The native people are praying near their caravans as the sun sets.
There, silhouetted under an eastern star, I see my long lost blossom of shalimar.
In the distance, I see my lost love illuminated by an eastern star.
You, Misirlou, Are the moon and the sun, fairest one.
My love, Misirlou, is the light of my life, my everything.
Old temple bells are calling across the sand.
Bells from an old temple are ringing across the desert.
We'll find our Kismet, answering love's command.
We will find our destiny, guided by the power of love.
You, Misirlou, are a dream of delight in the night.
Misirlou, you are the perfect dream, a vision of delight in the dark of night.
To an oasis, sprinkled by stars above, Heaven will guide us, Allah will bless our love.
Our love will be blessed by Allah as we are guided to an oasis beneath the stars.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Fred Wise, Jose Pina, Milton Leeds, Nicholas Roubanis, Sidney Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind