Their music had a distinctive sound, a mixture of Caribbean Soca or Calypso and western Pop music.
Their most successful song was Sun of Jamaica which topped the German single charts for nine weeks in 1980. In 1982, their song Seven Tears (song) topped the UK singles chart for 3 weeks.
A "best of" album was released in 2005.
The Magician
Goombay Dance Band Lyrics
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Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
The secret sound of your silence,
The magic sway of your palm trees,
The wanted smell of your breath,
The gentle touch of the air,
So take me back in your arms again.
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
I was a child of your people,
I launch and swim in your seas,
I was a slave of your nature,
And look to love your poor tree.
Oh! I can never forget your face
Fit with contented men and full of grace.
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
(Music)
And when my life almost over,
I turn a world all about you,
And back the gods to return me,
With all my life back to you.
Oh! I will never forget your name
So take me back in your arms again.
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
(Music)
The Goombay Dance Band’s “The Magician” paints a romantic picture of Guantanamera, a beloved place remembered fondly by the singer. The song’s chorus, “Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera,” is repeated several times throughout the song, emphasizing the singer's undying love for the idyllic location. The lyrics depict the personification of the town with its secret sounds of silence, the magic sway of its palm trees, and the scent of its breath that's wanted. The island’s atmosphere is gentle and comforting, described as having a gentle touch in the air. The singer sings with great passion, reinforcing the enchantment that the town has with its personification, always yearning for a reunion, “So take me back into your arms again.”
In the second verse of the song, the singer is talking about how he was a slave of nature, and how he was raised in the city, lived and swam in the oceans, and loved even the poor and the trees. The singer's content shows that the people in the town were happy and at peace with their existence. The final stanza speaks for itself as the singer pledges his final moments to the town and to triumphantly return even as he shuffles away from this mortal coil.
Line by Line Meaning
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
We have great affection for Guantanamera and we want to express it multiple times.
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
Our love for Guantanamera is so strong that we feel the need to repeat it again and again.
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
The depth of our love for Guantanamera cannot be expressed with just one repetition.
Guantanamera, we love you Guantanamera
Our love for Guantanamera is all-encompassing and we want to make sure it is known.
The secret sound of your silence,
There is a hidden beauty in the quiet moments of Guantanamera.
The magic sway of your palm trees,
The movement of the palm trees is enchanting and captivating.
The wanted smell of your breath,
We long for the scent of Guantanamera's air because it is so pleasant.
The gentle touch of the air,
The air in Guantanamera is gentle and soothing if felt with bare skin.
Oh! I can never forget your name,
We will always remember the place named Guantanamera.
So take me back in your arms again.
We long to return to the comfort and safety of Guantanamera.
I was a child of your people,
We once belonged to the community of Guantanamera in our younger days.
I launch and swim in your seas,
We enjoyed swimming in the oceans of Guantanamera.
I was a slave of your nature,
We submitted ourselves to the beauty and power of nature that Guantanamera offers.
And look to love your poor tree.
We appreciate the details and simplicity of the tree that is not so rich in wealth, but is rich in character in Guantanamera.
Oh! I can never forget your face
The memories we have of Guantanamera remain vivid and unforgettable.
Fit with contented men and full of grace.
The people of Guantanamera are content and graceful.
And when my life almost over,
As the end of our life approaches,
I turn a world all about you,
Our focus turns completely to Guantanamera and the impact it has had on our life.
And back the gods to return me,
We request that the gods grant us the chance to return to Guantanamera after our life is over.
With all my life back to you.
We promise to devote ourselves completely to Guantanamera if given a second chance.
Contributed by Abigail D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Irina.
on A POOR BOY'S DREAM
Chorus: I have met a poor boy,
He was lonely and blue.
He had no one in this world,
Cause he was born in a barn.
I. I have met a poor boy,
He was lonely and blue.
He had no one in this world,
Cause he was born in a barn.
Interlude: Cause he was born in a barn.
II. But he smiled and he said:
"I am dreaming of this:
Why can't the people be friends?
They all live in the same world."
III. I know what to say,
I knew that it was true.
There is no peace on this Earth,
Even it's Christmas time.
IV. Please, remember this boy!
Don't forget what he said:
Try to live in harmony,
We all live in the same world".
Interlude: We all live in the same world.