Gomez completed an inaugural U.S. tour opening for Eagle-Eye Cherry in October 1998, while the press still offered praise (Spin magazine called Bring It On "a damn beautiful album," giving it an eight out of ten rating). Liquid Skin followed one year later and went platinum in England, and the rarities/B-sides compilation Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline appeared in 2000. A third studio album, In Our Gun, was released in spring 2002. Another hiatus saw Ian Ball relocating to Los Angeles while still working with the band at its new studio in Portslade, England. The dozens of tracks recorded during this time were whittled down and fashioned into Split the Difference, released in May of 2004. By that time, Hut, the group's original label, had gone under, leaving Gomez signed to Virgin (Hut's distributor). Despite all the critical acclaim, the band's album sales never seemed to match Virgin's expectations, and the two sides parted ways later that year.
In 2005, Gomez signed with ATO Records and released Out West, the group's first live album. How We Operate arrived in May 2006, and the band rounded out the year by assembling a retrospective collection of singles, rarities, and unreleased tracks entitled Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004. Gomez's members were spread across two continents by this point, leading to a three-year gap between How We Operate and the band's sixth studio release, A New Tide, parts of which were recorded individually by the various bandmates and then merged online. Ben Ottewell took some time after its release to launch a solo career, with 2011's Shapes & Shadows marking his first major release outside of the band. Months later, the band released another studio album, Whatever's on Your Mind, with Phantom Planet's Sam Farrar sharing production duties with the bandmates themselves.
Biography by Greg Prato
Tijuana Lady
Gomez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lay me down, lay me down inside
What use now, hold back this pacific tide
Tijuana lady where did you go?
I been chasin' you around old mehico
Gonna find my way back to San Diego
Take me down to where you hide
Play me around, leave me all your sadness
Make no sound, 'cause I know you'll lie
Tijuana lady, let's take it slow
I know that I'm no head honcho
I'll keep you warm in my silky poncho
Tijuana lady where did you go
I heard you lost a last sombrero
Tijuana lady which way d'you flow
I'm a el mariachi desperado
Where'd you hide
Tell me where'd you hide
Enchilada desperado days
Senorita come back and meet me again
Buena vista, senorita, yeah
I love you so come back, be with me again
The lyrics in Gomez's song Tijuana Lady depict the singer's desperate search for a woman he has been chasing around Mexico. He pleads with her to take him to where she is hiding and lay him down inside. As the pacific tide rushes in, he questions what use it is to hold back its power. He calls out to the woman, asking where she has gone and vows to find his way back to San Diego. The singer is aware of the woman's tendency of deception and tells her to play him around and leave him with her sadness making no sound.
The singer refers to the woman as Tijuana Lady, portraying her as a mystery that he is trying to unravel. He confesses that he is not a head honcho but promises to keep her warm in his silky poncho. He heard a rumor that she lost her last sombrero and wonders which way she flows as an El Mariachi desperado.
In summary, Gomez's Tijuana Lady is a song about a desperate search for a seemingly elusive woman. The lyrics are shrouded in mystery, and the singer is trying to connect with the woman despite her tendency towards deception.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me down to where you hide
Lead me to the secret place where you keep yourself hidden
Lay me down, lay me down inside
Let me rest in the comfort of your embrace
What use now, hold back this pacific tide
There's no point resisting the unstoppable force of the waves
Tijuana lady where did you go?
Where have you disappeared to, Tijuana lady?
I been chasin' you around old mehico
I've been pursuing you around the towns of old Mexico
Gonna find my way back to San Diego
I'm determined to make my way back to San Diego
Baby where'd you hide?
My dear, where have you concealed yourself?
Play me around, leave me all your sadness
Entertain me with your sorrow and allow me to bear your pain
Make no sound, 'cause I know you'll lie
Don't say anything, because I know you're not telling the truth
Tijuana lady, let's take it slow
Tijuana lady, let's not rush things
I know that I'm no head honcho
I'm not a boss or leader
I'll keep you warm in my silky poncho
I'll protect you and make you feel comfortable in my poncho made of fine fabric
I heard you lost a last sombrero
I heard that you lost your last sombrero
Tijuana lady which way d'you flow
Tijuana lady, which direction are you heading in?
I'm a el mariachi desperado
I'm a desperado mariachi
Tell me where'd you hide
Let me know where you have secreted yourself
Enchilada desperado days
Days of desperation and hot peppers
Senorita come back and meet me again
Lady, come back and see me again
Buena vista, senorita, yeah
Goodbye, my lady, yeah
I love you so come back, be with me again
I love you so much, please come back to me again
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BEN OTTEWELL, BENJAMIN JOSEPH OTTEWELL, IAN THOMAS BALL, OLIVER JAMES PEACOCK, PAUL BLACKBURN, THOMAS WILLIAM GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Ganzie2000
Take me down to where you hide
Lay me down, lay me down inside
What use now, hold back this pacific tide
Tijuana lady where did you go?
I been chasin' you around old mehico
Gonna find my way back to San Diego
Baby where'd you hide?
Take me down to where you hide
Play me around, leave me all your sadness
Make no sound, 'cause I know you'll lie
Tijuana lady, let's take it slow
I know that I'm no head honcho
I'll keep you warm in my silky poncho
Tijuana lady where did you go
I heard you lost a last sombrero
Tijuana lady which way d'you flow
I'm a el mariachi desperado
Where'd you hide
Tell me where'd you hide
Enchilada desperado days
Senorita come back and meet me again
Buena vista, senorita, yeah
I love you so come back, be with me again
@gustavolarios8657
Take me down to where you hide
Lay me down, lay me down inside
What use now, hold back this pacific tide
Tijuana lady where did you go?
I been chasin' you around old mehico
Gonna find my way back to San Diego
Baby where'd you hide?
Take me down to where you hide
Play me around, leave me all your sadness
Make no sound, 'cause I know you'll lie
Tijuana lady, let's take it slow
I know that I'm no head honcho
I'll keep you warm in my silky poncho
Tijuana lady where did you go
I heard you lost a last sombrero
Tijuana lady which way d'you flow
I'm a el mariachi desperado
Where'd you hide
Tell me where'd you hide
Enchilada desperado days
Senorita come back and meet me again
Buena vista, senorita, yeah
I love you so come back, be with me again
@erinjean4486
I'm a small town girl from South Dakota. I saw a Gomez video playing on TV at a big university. It was my first time living away from home. I was hooked. I have every single album. No one else I have ever met has even heard of them. Its tragic, they should have been HUGE. It is like these songs were created just for me and I am oddly okay with that.
@rogermharris4268
I've seen them live 3 or 4 times in the UK, brought their Albums, one of life's mysteries .....
@7jonny77
It not like they were a one hit wonder, they have so many good tunes. You are right, its strange.
@Pobrais
Shhhhh....it’s our secret.
@wm5000
One of life's mystery's. Out of so much music, with all kinds of genres, a few of Gomez's tracks will always be at the very top.
@aquaponicchronicuk9392
I've been listening to Gomez since they began in the nineties and I still listen to them now amazing band
@ambode69
Man now I feel old.
I remember listening to gomez when they 1st come out.
This was by far and away my favourite song at the time.
Should have been a more famous band
@mcjeebus
If you feel old, I feel older
@soultribesoundbaths
I used to work in a hairdressers when I was 17, we played Gomez all the time. I'm 42 now.
@DuncanHewitt70
@@soultribesoundbaths Heh - 53 now, these guys, Ocean Colour Scene (our local band), Radiohead and so many more made the mid to late 90s epic for music. These guys sound wonderful live - can't say that for many bands!