By Mike Sain't Louis ·
Verde: a rumba in praise of marijuana
«Verde que te quiero verde» ("Green, how I love you green"). Anyone who went to secondary school in Spain recognises Lorca's line, and Verde (Green) borrows it to dedicate it to something very different: beloved marijuana, blooming in a corner of the garden.
The song is a rumba of celebration. There's laughter and handclaps while the plant grows, guitars and cajóns lighting up the night, a square filling with a special perfume that's the signal for the party to start. It all has the air of a summer neighbourhood fiesta, with the moon smiling knowingly from above.
I find it really funny how the lyrics treat marijuana as if it were a dance partner. In your arms I'm going to dance, says the chorus, with a soft rhythm that invites you to fly. It's a full-blown declaration of love, with that touch of exaggeration of classic rumbas, where everything is declared as if it were the great love of a lifetime.
There's also a very tender line about the colours of the homeland: of all of them, green is the one that knows how to cheer me up. And another that makes the stance clear: life is more beautiful with legal weed. It's a party song, but it also has its demand, made with a smile.
Within PLANETA GAYFOLK, Verde joins other songs of smoke and mischief, and shares with them that way of laughing at strict morality. No guilt and no sermon. Just a night where anything can happen, with the moon as witness and the rhythm setting the pace.
I'd put it on on a terrace, as the sun goes down, with friends and a guitar nearby. I dedicate it to anyone who knows how to enjoy themselves without hurting anyone, and to whoever is still scandalised, so they relax a little. Let the party go on.
The full lyrics are below. Listen on Spotify
Lyrics · Verde
En el rincón de mi jardín, florece la alegría,verde que te quiero verde, marihuana querida.Entre risas y palmas la vemos crecer,la hierba buena que nos enseña a entender.
Oh, marihuana, en tus brazos voy a bailar,con un ritmo suave que invita a volar.Rumba y risas bajo el cielo sin fin,con cada soplo nos invitas a reír.
La plaza se llena de un perfume especial,es la señal para empezar a festejar.Guitarras y cajones, la noche se enciende,un canto a la vida, con un toque verde.
Oh, marihuana, en tus brazos voy a bailar,con un ritmo suave que invita a volar.Rumba y risas bajo el cielo sin fin,con cada soplo nos invitas a reír.
De todos los colores de mi tierra natal,el verde es el que me sabe animar.Un poco de gracia y otra de sal,la vida es más bella con la hierba legal.
Al compás de la rumba, mi mente a volar,con sueños y colores que vienen y van.La luna sonríe, complice de paz,en una noche donde todo puede pasar.
Oh, marihuana, en tus brazos voy a bailar,con un ritmo suave que invita a volar.Rumba y risas bajo el cielo sin fin,con cada soplo nos invitas a reír.
Así entre compases y un dulce cantar,la verde alegría nos viene a abrazar.Que siga la fiesta
Lyrics as published with the official music video, on the MIKE SAIN'T LOUIS label.