South Of The Border
Werner Müller and His Orchestra Lyrics

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South of the border
Down Mexico way
That's where I fell in love when stars above came out to play
And now as I wander
My thoughts ever stray
South of the border
Down Mexico way

She was a picture
In old Spanish lace
Just for a tender while I kissed the smile upon her face
For it was fiesta
And we were so gay
South of the border
Down Mexico way

Then she sighed and she whispered "Mañana"
Never dreaming that we were parting
And I lied as I whispered "Mañana"
For our tomorrow never came

South of the border
I rode back one day
There in a veil of white by candlelight she knelt to pray
The mission bells told me
That I mustn't stay
South of the border
Down Mexico way

Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay!
Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay!
Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay!
Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay!

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Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Werner Müller and His Orchestra's song "South Of The Border" tell a nostalgic story of a past love affair that took place in Mexico. The singer reminiscences about falling in love with a woman in old Spanish lace during a fiesta, under the stars. He remembers kissing the smile on her face and being so gay at the time, but unfortunately, they parted ways, never to see each other again. The lyrics reveal that the singer promised to meet her again ("mañana") but it never happened. As he rode back one day to Mexico, he discovered that she had become a nun, kneeling to pray in a veil of white by candlelight. The mission bells reminded him that he couldn't stay - he needed to leave and move on from his love affair and the memories of Mexico.

The emotional and evocative lyrics of "South Of The Border" transport the listener to Mexico, with its references to Mexican culture, including the use of the word "fiesta," the mention of mission bells and the use of the popular Mexican exclamation, "Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay!" The lyrics capture the essence of a love affair that was fleeting and didn't last, leaving the singer with a sense of longing and nostalgia. The melody of the song matches the mood of the lyrics, with its smooth and romantic tone, and it has since become a classic song that has been covered by many artists over the years.

Line by Line Meaning

South of the border
Referring to an area in Mexico that is below the United States' southern border

Down Mexico way
In the direction towards Mexico

That's where I fell in love when stars above came out to play
I fell in love under the romantic night sky in Mexico

And now as I wander
As I travel and move about

My thoughts ever stray
My mind constantly thinks back to my time in Mexico

She was a picture
She was beautiful and picturesque

In old Spanish lace
Wearing traditional Spanish lace clothing

Just for a tender while I kissed the smile upon her face
I shared a tender moment with her and kissed her smiling face

For it was fiesta
It was a celebration or festival

And we were so gay
We were happy and carefree

Then she sighed and she whispered "Mañana"
She sighed and whispered "tomorrow"

Never dreaming that we were parting
Unaware that our time together was coming to an end

And I lied as I whispered "Mañana"
I lied when I whispered "tomorrow" to her

For our tomorrow never came
Our planned future together never happened

I rode back one day
I returned to Mexico one day

There in a veil of white by candlelight she knelt to pray
I found her praying in white clothing by candlelight

The mission bells told me
The bells of the nearby mission conveyed a message to me

That I mustn't stay
I understood that I couldn't stay in Mexico

Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay!
Expressing excitement or emotion in Spanish

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CRAIG HONEYCUTT, MARK REINHARDT, RICHARD K BRADLEY, STEVE VAN DAM

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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