How he has ended up singing and playing professionally is a story of romance and conflict.
Paolo in fact has been into music since his preteen years, longer than he has been into anything else. For much of his life, however, he kept at it guardedly, even secretly, lest he upset elders who did not think music the proper career for him and who fed him tales of disappointments, of penury, of tragedy of one sort or another suffered by sons who did not listen.
He still asked to go to music school. Once decidedly unable to have his way, he contented himself with learning and practicing music on his own - reading, listening, watching, and, then, doing. He sang and accompanied himself on his father’s old hobby guitar, hoping yet to be able one day to muster the courage to follow his heart.
‘The tug of music was just so strong it was tearing me apart inside,’ he says.
The courage came in calculated amounts before breaking into one explosion of happy abandon. First, he sang and played to himself. Next, he tried his music on audiences of partying, non-paying friends. Then, finally, he just quit corporate existence and plunged himself headlong into a life and career of acoustic music.
To his own surprise, Paolo took the contemporary scene by storm. It has been only his fourth professional year, and already his face and sound have become familiar nationwide.
He has brought out several albums, each landing at the top of the charts. He has shared the stage with international artists like Duncan Sheik, Jason Mraz, and Keith Martin.
He was a guest performer at two concerts on the American West Coast - one in San Francisco, the other in Los Angeles – with Jasmine Trias, the Filipino-Hawaiian discovery on American Idol, the popular talent-hunt television show in the United States. Further American performances are being arranged for him.
Wandering
Paolo Santos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
My daddy was an engineer, my brother drives a hack,
My sister takes in laundry while the baby balls the jack,
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
I've been in the army, I've worked on a farm
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
My ma, she died when I was young, my daddy took to stealing and he got hung,
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
Snakes in the ocean, eels in the sea, I let a redheaded woman make a fool out of me,
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
I've been wandering early and late from the New York City to the Golden Gate,
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
No, it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
The lyrics of Paolo Santos's song Wandering speak of the singer's restless search for something that seems elusive. He describes how he has been travelling from east to west, with no apparent end in sight. The lines "I've been wandering early and late from New York City to the Golden Gate" suggest that he has been travelling for a long time, and that he has covered a great distance.
The singer's family background is given in the lines "My daddy was an engineer, my brother drives a hack, my sister takes in laundry while the baby balls the jack." Here, he speaks of his family members and their occupations, which suggest that he comes from a working-class background. He then further elaborates on his own life experiences, stating that he has been in the army, worked on a farm, and all he has to show for it is "the muscle in my arm." Here, he speaks of his lack of tangible achievements, despite his many experiences.
The song's final stanza speaks of his failed relationships, perhaps suggesting that his restlessness and wandering nature are partly caused by his inability to find love and stability. He mentions being "made a fool out of" by a redheaded woman, suggesting that he has experienced heartbreak and disillusionment. The final lines repeat the opening stanza, affirming the singer's seemingly unending state of wandering.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been wandering early and late from New York City to the Golden Gate,
I have been traveling extensively from the east coast to the west coast of America.
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
I don't plan on stopping my travels anytime soon.
My daddy was an engineer, my brother drives a hack,
My father was an engineer and my brother is a taxi driver.
My sister takes in laundry while the baby balls the jack,
My sister washes clothes while her child plays with toys.
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
I am still traveling and not settled yet.
I've been in the army, I've worked on a farm
I have served in the military and worked on a farm.
And all I've got to show is the muscle in my arm,
I don't have much to show for my labor besides physical strength.
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
I am still restless and moving around.
My ma, she died when I was young, my daddy took to stealing and he got hung,
My mother passed away when I was young and my father turned to theft and was executed.
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
I am still searching and discovering new places.
Snakes in the ocean, eels in the sea, I let a redheaded woman make a fool out of me,
I have encountered various things during my travels, including being foolishly charmed by a redhead.
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
I still have a desire to keep moving and exploring.
I've been wandering early and late from the New York City to the Golden Gate,
I have traveled extensively from the east coast to the west coast, back and forth.
And it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
I am not content with staying in one place and will continue to travel.
No, it don't look like I'll ever stop my wandering.
I am certain that my desire to travel will not stop anytime soon.
Writer(s): James Taylor
Contributed by Brody W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.