Santana is a Latin music and rock band formed in San Francisco, California … Read Full Bio ↴Santana is a Latin music and rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1966 by Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana. The band came to public attention with their performance of "Soul Sacrifice" at Woodstock in 1969. This exposure helped propel their first album, also named Santana, into a hit, followed in the next two years by Abraxas and Santana III. Lineup changes were common. Carlos Santana's increasing involvement with guru Sri Chinmoy took the band into more esoteric music, though it never lost its Latin influence.

In 1998, the band Santana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Carlos Santana, José "Chepito" Areas, David Brown, Gregg Rolie, Mike Carabello, and Michael Shrieve The band has earned nine Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards, the latter all in 2000. Carlos Santana won a Grammy Award as a solo artist in 1988. The band has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling groups of all time. In 2013, Santana announced a reunion of the classic line-up for a new album, Santana IV, which was released in April 2016. They are tied for having the most won Grammy Awards in one night.

Body Surfing
Santana Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Took a walk, down by the ocean
I was alone, nothing on my mind
As I stood there, I saw the devotion
That the surf had with the shore
Suddenly
I felt this emotion, of the sea
Pulling me

[Chorus]
Big Kahuna, tide was high
I began body surfing for my life

Ecstasy, sky and the sea
Embracing me
Golden sun on my face
Giving life to me

Unafraid I let go
Trusting in the deep blue sea
We became one with each other
Watching the tide as it drifts away

[Chorus]

I spoke to me daddy
Said to me, son
You got to go find a job
And bring some money into the family
For your mommy and me

I say, Daddy, me want to go to the seashore
And body surf all day long
Me no want to work
Me want to play
Me want to body surf all day
Me told him
Me want to go body surfing
Me tell him

Me tell him
No, me want to go

Overall Meaning

The song Body Surfing by Santana is a celebration of the ocean and the joy of surfing. The lyrics describe the experience of standing alone by the ocean and feeling the power of the waves. The chorus speaks of the sensation of body surfing, where the surfer uses their own body to ride the waves, feeling the ecstasy of the sea as it embraces them. The song is a tribute to the connection between humans and the natural world, and the way that the ocean can bring us closer to ourselves and to each other.

The first verse sets the stage for the experience of the song. The singer is alone by the ocean, with nothing on their mind. But as they stand there, they begin to feel the devotion that the waves have for the shore. Suddenly, they feel the emotion of the sea pulling them towards it. This sets the stage for the chorus, where the singer describes the experience of body surfing for their life. The sensation of the waves is described as ecstasy, and the sky and the sea are said to be embracing the surfer. The golden sun on their face is giving life to them.

The second verse tells a different story. The singer's father tells them that they need to find a job and bring some money into the family. But the singer wants nothing more than to go to the seashore and body surf all day. They tell their father that they want to play and be free, and that body surfing is their passion. The message here is one of following your dreams and doing what you love, even if it goes against what others expect of you.

Line by Line Meaning

Took a walk, down by the ocean
I went for a leisurely stroll along the beach.

I was alone, nothing on my mind
I was by myself, without any worries or thoughts to occupy my mind.

As I stood there, I saw the devotion
While standing there, I witnessed the deep love and commitment between the waves and the shoreline.

That the surf had with the shore
I noticed the powerful, yet tender relationship between the crashing waves and the beach.

Suddenly I felt this emotion, of the sea Pulling me
All of a sudden, I experienced a strong emotional pull toward the sea and its powerful energy.

Big Kahuna, tide was high I began body surfing for my life
The waves were huge and the tide was high, so I hung onto my body board for dear life and rode the waves as they crashed toward shore.

Ecstasy, sky and the sea Embracing me Golden sun on my face Giving life to me
I experienced pure bliss as I was embraced by the sea and the sky, with the warm sun shining down on my face, giving me new life.

Unafraid I let go Trusting in the deep blue sea We became one with each other Watching the tide as it drifts away
Without any fear, I surrendered to the deep blue sea, as we joined together in perfect harmony, watching the tide slowly recede into the distance.

I spoke to me daddy Said to me, son You got to go find a job And bring some money into the family For your mommy and me
I talked to my father, who urged me to find a job and support the family financially, for the sake of my mother and him.

I say, Daddy, me want to go to the seashore And body surf all day long Me no want to work Me want to play Me want to body surf all day Me told him Me want to go body surfing Me tell him No, me want to go
I responded to my father's request, saying that what I truly desired was to spend all day at the beach body surfing, rather than working. I made it clear that I wanted to go body surfing and nothing else.

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: Alexander John Ligertwood, Carlos Santana

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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