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.

Let There Be Light
Santana Lyrics

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Let there be light, let there be joy
Let there be love and understanding
Let there be peace throughout the land

Let's work together in harmony
Let's build a better world, no suffering
And in times of darkness, just reach out
'Cause there is a promise, it won't be denied

Let there be light, let there be joy
Let there be love and understanding
Let there be peace throughout the land

Let there be light, let there be joy
Let there be love and understanding
Let there be peace throughout the land

Let there be light, let there be joy
Let there be love and understanding
Let there be peace throughout the land

Let there be light, let there be joy
Let there be love and understanding
Let there be peace throughout the land

Let there be light, let there be joy
Let there be love and understanding
Let there be peace throughout the land

Let there be light, let there be joy
Let there be love and understanding
Let there be peace throughout the land

This is truly paradise
Being here in this celestial garden
With all the ones you love
Where nothing dies or ever grows old
And to be bathed in light
That cast no shadow

Yes, this is the kingdom within
Still you know

Sometimes I miss seeing and feeling
The spirits dancing in the flesh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Santana's "Let There Be Light" are a call for unity, love, and peace in the world. The song is a plea for people to work together to create a better world, one without suffering, where everyone is treated with love and understanding. The repeated phrases "let there be light," "let there be joy," "let there be love and understanding," and "let there be peace throughout the land" emphasize the importance of these values and underline the need for them to exist together in harmony. The song acknowledges that there may be times of darkness, but there is a promise that it won't last forever and that people will always have each other to lean on.

In the second half of the song, the lyrics shift from a plea for unity in the present world to a vision of an idyllic afterlife described as a "celestial garden" where all of one's loved ones are gathered together. The Garden of Eden imagery of paradise is quite vivid in the lyrics, where nothing dies, and no one grows old, and one is bathed in light that casts no shadow. Despite this idealism, the singer acknowledges that they still miss the physical world and the feeling of human spirits dancing joyfully together.

Overall, Santana's "Let There Be Light" is an uplifting song that reminds listeners of the importance of working together to achieve a better world, while also acknowledging the difficulties that we face along the way. The song has an underlying spiritual and metaphysical message that encourages listeners to strive for a higher state of being, both in life and in the afterlife.

Line by Line Meaning

Let there be light, let there be joy
May there be enlightenment and happiness

Let there be love and understanding
May there be affection and comprehension among people

Let there be peace throughout the land
May there be tranquility all over the world

Let's work together in harmony
Let's collaborate in sync

Let's build a better world, no suffering
Let's construct an improved planet without pain

And in times of darkness, just reach out
When things get tough, seek help

'Cause there is a promise, it won't be denied
There is an assurance that won't be taken back

This is truly paradise
This is really an ideal place

Being here in this celestial garden
Existing in this heavenly park

With all the ones you love
With all the people you cherish

Where nothing dies or ever grows old
Where nothing perishes, and no one ages