Misirlou
Dick Dale & his Del Tones Lyrics


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Desert shadows creep across purple sands.
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.
Old temple bells are calling across the sand.
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.

Overall Meaning

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 Ā© Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MILTON LEEDS, N ROUBANIS, BOB RUSSELL, FRED WISE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@somecallitlife

RIP Dale. Thank you for all your contributions to the history of guitar!

@danfan56

Agreed! E

@JakeTheBear1

Rest in Peace Dick Dale.
I will forever love your Misirlou.

@pringelsthegamefreak

RIP

@jessicabear

Rock on

@g-man1440

ROCK
&
ROLL

11 More Replies...

@ChristianVBlue3

RIP Dick Dale. Pioneer of surf rock and one of the first Fender Strat guitarists. What a legend

@kingplank

NO- Buddy Holly was first Stratocaster superstar

@johnthurman1225

@@kingplank he said "one of"

@MuszZico

@@johnthurman1225 u kill him buddy.

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