"Misirlou" gained worldwide popularity through Dick Dale & His Del-Toness 1962 American surf rock version, originally titled "Miserlou", which popularized the song in Western popular culture. During a performance, Dale was bet by a young fan that he could not play a song on only one string of his guitar. Dale's father and uncles were Lebanese-American musicians, and Dale remembered seeing his uncle play "Misirlou" on one string of the oud. He vastly increased the song's tempo to make it into rock and roll.
"Misirlou" gained renewed popularity through its use in the 1994 Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction and again through its sampling in The Black Eyed Peas song "Pump It" (2006) and Mad Men: "The Jet Set" (2008).The beginning of the song also made an appearance in the 1996 film Space Jam, during a short scene parodying Pulp Fiction, with Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam portraying Vincent Vega and Jules Winfield.
Misirlou
Dick Dale and His Del-Tones Lyrics
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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 the song Misirlou by Dick Dale and His Del-Tones are quite romantic in nature. The song talks about a man who sees his long lost love, Misirlou, in the desert sands. The desert shadows are creeping across the purple sands, and the natives are kneading in prayer by their caravans. The man sees his love under the Eastern star, silhouetted against the sky.
In the next stanza, we find that the old temple bells are calling across the sand. The couple is looking to find their fate, which is love. They are searching for Kismet, which means destiny. Misirlou is a dream of delight of the man in the night. The couple is guided by heaven and blessed by Allah as they make their way towards an oasis sprinkled by the stars above.
The lyrics of this song are quite poetic and convey a sense of romance in the middle of a harsh desert. The use of Eastern imagery and belief in fate adds to the romanticism of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Desert shadows creep across purple sands.
The shadows in the desert are slowly spreading across the unique and beautiful purple colored sand.
Natives kneel in prayer by their caravans.
The natives who have settled in the harsh desert are taking time out to pray by their temporary shelters, called caravans.
There, silhouetted under and eastern star,
Under the light of a bright eastern star, there is a clear silhouette of something or someone in the distance.
I see my long lost blossom of shalimar
I am filled with joy and relief as I spot something or someone I thought I had lost a long time ago in Shalimar, a beautiful garden in India.
You, Misirlou, Are the moon and the sun, fairest one.
You, Misirlou, are the light that illuminates my world and everything in it. You are the fairest person I have ever known.
Old temple bells are calling across the sand.
The sound of ancient temple bells is echoing through the desert, carried by the wind and vibrating through the sand.
We'll find our Kismet, answering love's command.
We will follow the path that fate has set for us and respond to love's call for us to be together.
You, Misirlou, are a dream of delight in the night.
During the night, you, Misirlou, are the dream that brings me happiness and joy, a delight that is unimaginable.
To an oasis, sprinkled by stars above,
We will travel to an oasis surrounded by a beautiful starry night sky, shining down on us and creating a romantic atmosphere.
Heaven will guide us, Allah will bless our love.
Our love will be blessed by Allah, and we will follow the path that heaven has set for us, guided by the love we share.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MILTON LEEDS, N ROUBANIS, BOB RUSSELL, FRED WISE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@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
@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.