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.

Sideways
Santana Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You know it ain't easy
For these thoughts here to leave me
There are no words to describe it
In French or in English
'Cause diamonds they fade
And flowers they bloom
And I'm telling you

That these feelings won't go away
They've been knockin' me sideways
They've been knockin' me out lately
Whenever you come around me
These feelings won't go away
They've been knockin' me sideways
I keep thinking in a moment that
Time will take them away
But these feelings won't go away
These feelings won't go away

It ain't easy
For these thoughts here to leave me
There are no words to describe it
In French or in English
'Cause diamonds they fade
And flowers they bloom
And I'm telling you

That these feelings won't go away
They've been knockin' me sideways
They've been knockin' me out lately
Whenever you come around me
These feelings won't go away
They've been knockin' me sideways
I keep thinking in a moment that
Time will take them away
But these feelings won't go away

They've been knockin' me sideways
I keep thinking in a moment that
Time will take them away
These feelings won't go away
These feelings won't go away

'Cause diamonds they fade
And flowers they bloom
And I'm telling you
And diamonds they fade
Flowers they bloom
And I'm telling you

These feelings won't go away
They've been knockin' me sideways
They've been knockin' me out lately
Whenever you come around me
These feelings won't go away
They've been knockin' me sideways
I keep thinking in a moment that

Time will take them away
But these feelings won't go away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Santana's song "Sideways" express the singer's struggle to rid himself of his intense emotions surrounding a particular person. He recognizes that certain things in life, like diamonds and flowers, fade and bloom, but his feelings persist despite time passing. The mention of French and English suggests that language cannot convey the depth of these emotions.

The repetition of "knockin' me sideways" emphasizes the overwhelming and disorienting nature of these emotions, and the repeated refrain highlights the singer's desperation to let go of them. He believes that time will eventually heal his heart, but the way he says he keeps "thinking in a moment" shows that he is struggling to see a clear path forward.

Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of being in the grip of strong emotions that are difficult to shake, making it incredibly relatable to anyone who has experienced heartache or longing for someone they can't have.

Line by Line Meaning

You know it ain't easy
It's difficult for me to cope

For these thoughts here to leave me
I can't stop thinking about you

There are no words to describe it
My emotions are indescribable

In French or in English
No language can express how I feel

'Cause diamonds they fade
Material things lose their value over time

And flowers they bloom
Natural beauty fades away

And I'm telling you
I want to convey this message to you

That these feelings won't go away
My emotions are persistent

They've been knockin' me sideways
My feelings are causing me to be disoriented

They've been knockin' me out lately
My emotions are overpowering me

Whenever you come around me
Your presence intensifies my emotions