Last year, my 40th birthday fell on a Random Weekend and I took advantage of the occasion to spin the wheel and dial up a song that would have special meaning for the day.
I wound up with Johnny Cash’s cover of Nine Inch Nail’s ‘Hurt,’ a powerful and moving song sung by an old man near the end of his life.
It felt like an appropriately weighty selection, if a little morose.
Today I turn 41 and again my birthday falls on a Random Weekend. So I’ll repeat the exercise and pretend that the next song up has a deep and significant meaning as it relates to the next year of my life.
Here goes…
OK. ‘La Isla Bonita’ — the cheesiest of cheesy Madonna songs.
I will take this as an omen that I am destined to travel someplace beautiful and exotic in my 41st year. That works for me.
Last night I dreamt of San Pedro
Just like I’d never gone, I knew the song
A young girl with eyes like the desert
It all seems like yesterday, not far away
Tropical the island breeze
All of nature, wild and free
This is where I long to be
La isla bonita
And when the samba played
The sun would set so high
Ring trough my ears and sting my eyes
Your Spanish lullaby
I fell in love with San Pedro
Warm wind carried on the sea, he called to me
Te diso te amo
I prayed that the days would last, they went so fast
Tropical the island breeze
All of nature, wild and free
This is where I long to be
La isla bonita
And when the samba played
The sun would set so high
Ring trough my ears and sting my eyes
Your Spanish lullaby
I want to be where the sun warms the sky
When it’s time for siesta you can watch them go by
Beautiful faces, no cares in this world
Where a girl loves a boy and a boy loves a girl
Last night I dreamt of San Pedro
It all seems like yesterday, not far away
Tropical the island breeze
All of nature, wild and free
This is where I long to be
La isla bonita
And when the samba played
The sun would set so high
Ring trough my ears and sting my eyes
Your Spanish lullaby
Tropical the island breeze
All of nature, wild and free
This is where I long to be
La isla bonita
And when the samba played
The sun would set so high
Ring trough my ears and sting my eyes
Your Spanish lullaby
Tropical the island breeze
All of nature, wild and free
This is where I long to be
La isla bonita
And when the samba played
The sun would set so high
Ring trough my ears and sting my eyes
Your Spanish lullaby
La la la la la la la
Te dijo te amo
La la la la la la la
El dijo que te ama
La isla bonita…
Meet Me In Montauk 
Definitely a cheesy song, but I like the omen.
Happy 41st! Looking forward to celebrating it with you, family and, hopefully, a Fins victory!
I couldn’t think of a better song to pop up as an omen 🙂 Although, now that I look at the lyrics (the first time I think I’ve ever done so), I realize that she longs for the island… does that mean she has been denied it? 😦 In defense of the song, cheesy or not, I’ve always found myself swaying and singing along throughout the years.
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday!!!