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Hijo de la Luna

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"Hijo de la Luna" (English: "Son of the Moon") is a song written by José María Cano performed originally by the Spanish band Mecano with lead singer Ana Torroja. It appeared on their 1986 album, Entre el cielo y el suelo, and had great success all over the Spanish-speaking world, as did the album. From 28 December 1998 to 16 January 1999, a cover version by Loona topped the German charts,[1] and reached number two on the Swiss singles' chart.[2]

"Hijo de la Luna"
One of the sleeves of the European market releases in 1990
Single by Mecano
from the album Entre el cielo y el suelo
LanguageSpanish
B-side"Mujer contra mujer"
Released1986
GenrePiano rock, new wave, synth-pop
Length4:21
LabelAriola
Songwriter(s)José Maria Cano
Producer(s)José Maria Cano, Nacho Cano, Ana Torroja
Mecano singles chronology
"Une femme avec une femme" "Hijo de la Luna" "Nature morte"
Audio sample
"Hijo de la Luna"

Original version

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Lyrics

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The lyrics depict a tragic Romani legend of a Roma woman who awakes at sunrise, begging to the moon to marry a Roma man (calé) the same day. In exchange the moon asks for the woman's first-born as payment.

After the child is born, the woman and man are dismayed to see that his skin is the whitest white and his eyes are grey, even though they both have dark skin and dark eyes. The lyrics explain that the child is an albino, due to being a son of the moon. But the man presumes that the father is a payo (a non-Roma person) and furiously stabs his wife to death. He takes the child and abandons him on a mountain, leaving the child to die of exposure.

Later the baby is said to live happily ever after with the Moon as his mother. When the child cries, the Moon wanes to cradle and comfort him.

The chorus says that the moon wants to be a mother, yet cannot find a lover who will make her his wife, and questions her as to what she would do with a human child. The French translation of the song asks a more precise question (Tell me, silvery moon, You who has no arms, How will you rock the child?), which is answered in the last stanza (And whenever the child cries, She [The Moon] crescents, Turning herself into a light-cradle).

In turn, the Moon doubts the mother's commitment to the little boy, wondering how much she can love her child if she is eager to trade him for a partner.

Inspirations

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The video clip for the Italian version Figlio della luna has a esthetic related to the 1981 film Blood Wedding by Carlos Saura.[3]

Track listings

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7" single
  1. "Hijo de la luna" – 4:21
  2. "Mujer contra mujer" – 4:06
CD maxi
  1. "Hijo de la luna" – 4:18
  2. "Por la cara" – 3:06
  3. "El cine" – 4:01

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[14] Silver 125,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Loona version

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"Hijo de la Luna"
 
Single by Loona
from the album Lunita
B-side"Another Christmas Without You"
Released23 November 1998 (1998-11-23)[15]
Length4:08
LabelUrban
Songwriter(s)José Maria Cano
Producer(s)DJ Sammy
Loona singles chronology
"Bailando"
(1998) 		"Hijo de la Luna"
(1998) 		"Dónde Vas"
(1999)

Dutch recording artist Loona covered the song and released it as the second single from her debut studio album, Lunita (1999).[16] Issued through Urban Records on 23 November 1998, the song topped the German Singles Chart in 1998 and 1999. Loona's version is certified triple gold in Germany and gold in Switzerland.

Track listings

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CD single[17]

  1. "Hijo de la luna" (Sentimiento version) – 4:08
  2. "Another Christmas Without You" – 4:11

Maxi-CD single[18]

  1. "Hijo de la luna" (Sentimiento version) – 4:08
  2. "Hijo de la luna" (radio remix version) – 3:52
  3. "Another Christmas Without You" – 4:11
  4. "Hijo de la luna" (instrumental version) – 4:15
  5. "Hijo de la luna" (Flip Mjc acappella version) – 3:20

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI)[28] 3× Gold 750,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[29] Gold 25,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

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This song was covered by the Spanish operatic soprano Montserrat Caballé, by Sarah Brightman, by German metal band Haggard and by Spanish gothic metal band Stravaganzza.

References

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  1. ^ SWR3.de - Loona Archived 29 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Loona - Hijo de la luna - hitparade.ch
  3. ^ Peral Vega, Emilio (2024). "De mil y una historias". Mecano: Inspiración poética y genio musical (in European Spanish) (1ª ed.). Madrid: Guillermo Escolar Editor. p. 14. ISBN 978-84-19782-51-9. [...] acompañada también de un vídeo, excelente de factura y medios, dirigido por el propio José María Cano, en el que las reminiscencias lorquianas de la canción quedaban aun más en evidencia a partir de una estética claramente emparentada con las Bodas de Sangre adaptadas en 1981 por Carlos Saura
  4. ^ "Entre el cielo y el suelo (Reedición) : Mecano : Buy in Zona de Compras". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
  5. ^ "Mecano – Hijo de la Luna" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  6. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 28 July 1990. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Mecano" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  8. ^ "Mecano – Hijo de la Luna" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  9. ^ "Mecano – Hijo de la Luna" (in French). Les classement single.
  10. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Mecano – Hijo de la Luna" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  11. ^ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1989" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  12. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  14. ^ "French single certifications – Mecano – Hijo de la Luna" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 12 July 2022. Select MECANO and click OK. 
  15. ^ a b "Loona – Hijo de la Luna" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  16. ^ official LOONA fanclub – LOONA Discografie
  17. ^ Hijo de la luna (CD single liner notes). Loona. Urban Records. 1998. 563 272-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ Hijo de la luna (Maxi-CD single liner notes). Loona. Urban Records. 1998. 563 176-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ "Loona – Hijo de la Luna" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  20. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 1–3. 16 January 1999. p. 7.
  21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Loona" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  22. ^ "Loona – Hijo de la Luna" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  23. ^ "Loona – Hijo de la Luna". Swiss Singles Chart.
  24. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1999". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  25. ^ "Year in Focus: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1999". Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 1. 1 January 2000. p. 11.
  26. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1999" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  27. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1999". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  28. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Loona; 'Hijo de la luna')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  29. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Hijo de la luna')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
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