song: Sombra del Añil

+ a note on scratching behind the ears of your black sheep

when I started writing for this album, one of my hopes was to write five songs in Spanish… I finished two (which is more than zero). “Sombra del Añil” was one (the other was a tribute to Yucatán)

I’m hesitant to write in Spanish, because my fluency isn’t what I wish it was. when I read Spanish poetry I can feel lost at times. but maybe because I wrote this one as I was falling asleep, I could follow the thread less self-consciously… semi-consciously…

LYRICS

muestrame la flor de la luna
algo pa recordarme
del camino salado
aire mojado,
como si pudiera sentirte sin tocar

una revelacion por tus ojos
ojos negros y sinceros
bajo la sombra del añil
añil y amor
y nada mas que los dos

translation:
show me the flower of the moon
something to remind me
of the salted road
wet air,
like i could feel you without touching

a revelation through your eyes
eyes dark and sincere
under the shadow of indigo
indigo and love
and nothing more than the two

a friend of a friend recently covered this song. he’s from Costa Rica, so maybe I did alright with my Spanish. you can listen to his version here if you’d like.

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I’m not keen to pick apart the ingredients of this song… I’d rather place the dish before you and hope you find it nourishing and delicious.

but I will add that “Sombra del Añil” has a sister song¹—Hope Sandoval’s “Lose Me On the Way”:

I’ve listened to this song—who knows how many times—when I’m up late. hardly ever listened to it otherwise. something in its ponderous course that I find copacetic with my nightmind. I’ve looked up the lyrics a few times, but I couldn’t quote them to you (and I fancy myself as something of a lyrics guy). maybe it’s just the right mood. after all, what is the meaning of a waking up in the middle of the night and being struck by the beautiful soft blue of moonlight pouring in through your window, and lying there in the cool of the room, the fan spinning quietly, and for a moment feeling somehow upheld as you slip back into sleep…

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Sheep - Watzek (Austria, 1901)

one last note—on the black sheep. in my last post I mentioned comparison, and how our endless exposure to data points can pummel us with things we never needed to know to live a good life…

well, one of my secret pleasures is seeing over time which songs people tend to avoid. which song is the black sheep of the record? it’s inevitable—not every single person will listen to my entire album all the way through.

but on the off-chance I glance at those disorienting stats, I’ve tried to make a point of winking at the least-played song. sometimes I try and guess why that song might not get the same love the others have. but really, all of that is out of my control. all that is in my control is to write songs that I mean, so that even the lowliest song that no one remembers is still something that resonates for/with me.

a month and a half in to Shade of Indigo, “Sombra del Añil” is the lowliest song. I’m not bothered by it. the song is dear to me and I’m glad it’s on the album.

here are the least listened to songs on each album—which one is your favorite? [insert cheeky grin]

• from Shade of Indigo, Sombra del Añil

• from Other Side, To Keep All Your Secrets

• from Love Is a Garden, White Lie

• from To Have You Around, Night Coloring

• from Any Other Night, Tixko / No Shoes on the Rug

• from Monarch, No Answers

• from They Were Longing for a Better Country, And the Little Child

• from My Thoughts are Ours from Here, Call Song

I’m sharing this perhaps just to encourage someone to scratch behind the ears of your least lovable creative darlings. they’re yours too, even if they look a bit different.

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thanks for being here. I write weekly sharing poetry, songs, musings, thoughts on creative life, and hopefully some encouragement… my first collection of poetry, Snowmelt to Roots, is available here at my shop, (or on Amazon—leave a review!). and my music is available here.

peace,

Z

1. Hope Sandoval does not acknowledge this.