The second half of my
freshman year, I fell in love with an adorable young
latina. She wasn't actually
Mexican, she was from
Colombia, but I fell in love with this
Frank Sinatra song because it made me think of her. She and I have gone our
seperate ways, but this song still pops into my head when I'm
singing in the shower, if for nothing but its
cheesy attitude toward the whole affair.
The song was written by Michael Carr and James Kennedy, and originally popularized by Gene Autrey before Old Blue Eyes picked it up. I learned it from Sinatra's recording on Frank Sinatra: The Best of Capitol Years.
South of the border - down Mexico way
That's where I fell in love, where the 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 a smile - upon her face
'Cause it was fiesta - and we were so gay
South of the border - Mexico way
Then she smiled as she whispered "mañana"
Never dreaming that we were parting
Then I lied as a whispered "mañana"
'Cause our tomorrow never came
South of the border - I jumped back one day
There in a veil of white, by the candle light - she knelt to pray
The mission bells told me that I musn't stay
South of the border - Mexico way
The mission bells told me - ding dong - that I must not stay,
Stay south of the border, down Mexico way.
Ai-ai-ai-ai (ai-ai-ai-ai)
Ai-ai-ai-ai (ai-ai-ai-ai)
Ai-ai-ai-ai
Oh, I almost forgot the other reason I like this song: Check out the unexpected poetry in the last verse. It's much more striking when it's heard aloud, but in the next-to-last line, "The mission bells told me" is also heard as "the mission bells tolled me," like he was dead if he didn't get out of there. Hence, he equated the entanglement of commitment to that of death (see also "Love and Marraige.") Pretty deep for a guy who covered "Mack the Knife," eh?