Duncan Dhu were a Spanish pop-rock group of the 1980s. The group was found… Read Full Bio ↴Duncan Dhu were a Spanish pop-rock group of the 1980s. The group was founded in San Sebastian, Spain in 1984 by singer Mikel Erentxun (Aristogatos), and Diego Vasallo, and Juan Ramón Viles (Los Dalton). The name Duncan Dhu comes from the book "Kidnapped: The adventures of David Balfour" by Robert Louis Stevenson where there is a character named Duncan Dhu, who is a lover of music.

Their style was based on an acoustic and simple pop-rock with a touch of rockabilly in great contrast with the more radical rock played in the area at the time. After being hired by 'Grabaciones Accidentales, S.A.' they contributed with two songs (Mi Amor and Bésame Mucho) to the new bands compilation La única alternativa (The Only Alternative).

In 1985 they recorded their first album, Por Tierras Escocesas (Around Scottish Lands), and Canciones (Songs) a year later, both produced by Paco Trinidad. The songs were immediately successful and gave them big popularity. After even more successful El Grito del Tiempo (The Cry of Time, 1984) and Grabaciones Olvidadas (Forgotten Recordings, a compilation of B-Sides, 1989) they became a duo and recorded the double album Autobiografía (Autobiography), with collaborations by Black and Sam Brown among others. They later also had several hits such as "Esos Ojos Negros" ("Those Black Eyes"). They finally came to a close as a band with their final cd, "Crepúsculo y Crudités" (Sunset and Crudités [1]) which was more orchestrated and softer than their older music.

Their most known hit is "En Algún Lugar" ("In Some Place"). The song was initially featured in Canciones, but it was the remix included in El Grito del Tiempo that became widely popular.

Cerca del paraíso
Duncan Dhu Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

En el bar del no va mas
Una copa cura tu obsesión
Al cerrar tu no te vas
Por si alguien calma tu ambición

Pero no ocurrió
Él nunca llegó
La noche arrastra su traición

Hoy te has vuelto a preparar
Y te sientas cerca de la luz
Esta noche no se irá
Sin hacer notar que allí estás tú

Nadie se fijó
Nadie te invitó
Tus ojos muestran tu intención

El paraíso ya no está
Tras ese vaso de cristal
Tu cara lleva la señal
De quienes han querido entrar

Nada más un escalón
Y verás que el mundo está a tus pies
Aprobecha la ocasión
Mientras tanto envidia lo que ves

Hoy te ofrecerás

A quien quiera más
Con toda tu buena intención

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Cerca del paraíso by Duncan Dhu tell the story of a person who is seeking out the paradise - be it a state of mind, an elusive place or a person. The song captures the essence of a moment when they are at a bar where anything goes, trying to heal their obsessions with a drink. The person is hesitant to leave, holding on to the hope that someone might fulfill their ambition, but it never happens. The disappointment is palpable, and the person succumbs to the night's betrayal.

However, the song shifts gears as the person prepares for another night out and steps out of hiding, positioning themselves closer to the light. This time, the person is determined not to go unnoticed and wants to make their presence felt. The twist in the situation is that nobody notices them or acknowledges their presence, making them feel lonely and dejected. The chorus aptly describes the situation where the person has seen the paradise, but it is out of reach and seems to have vanished.

Line by Line Meaning

En el bar del no va mas
You're at a bar that feels like rock bottom

Una copa cura tu obsesión
A drink can help ease your obsession

Al cerrar tu no te vas
Even though the bar is closing, you don't want to leave

Por si alguien calma tu ambición
In case someone can fulfill your desires

Pero no ocurrió
But it didn't happen

Él nunca llegó
He never arrived

La noche arrastra su traición
The night drags on and betrays you

Hoy te has vuelto a preparar
Today you've gotten ready again

Y te sientas cerca de la luz
And you sit close to the light

Esta noche no se irá
This night won't go away

Sin hacer notar que allí estás tú
Without even noticing that you're there