Song Lyric Sunday – Maria, Maria

This week’s Song Lyric Sunday, hosted by Jim Adams, prompted us to find songs with Mary, Marie or Maria in the title or lyrics. I found this collaboration by the great Carlos Santana and The Product G&B. I love the combination of the two styles. I hope you enjoy it too.

The vocals were performed by an R&B duo called Product G&B. Santana returned the favor in 2001 when he played on the track “Dirty Dancin'” from their first album, Ghetto And Blues. Unfortunately for Product G&B, the album was never released. They were signed to J Records (Santana’s label), who decided not to release the album after putting out two singles from it that promptly tanked. Because it costs so much to promote and distribute an album, record companies can cut their losses by refusing to release records that don’t show promise, and the artists are then forced to distribute it through bootlegs or find another record company to pick it up. The unreleased album contained this song.

This won the 2000 Grammy for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. Santana won eight Grammys that year, including Album of the Year.

The song was produced by Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis, who also helped write it. The vocalists, Product G&B, are Wyclef’s protégés.

“Maria” is the main character in the play West Side Story. The play is mentioned in the lyrics.

Some of the words are in Spanish, including the chorus.

There is a remix of this song by Wyclef Jean on the Santana album Ceremony: Remixes & Rarities. 

In 2007, Carlos Santana opened a chain of music-themed Mexican restaurants in Northern California called “Maria Maria.” They are named after this song.
Information and lyrics courtesy of Songfacts

Song Lyrics

Ladies and gents
Turn up this sound system
To the sound of Carlos Santana
And the G-M-B's
Ghetto blues from the refugee camp

Oh Maria Maria
She reminds me of a westside story
Growing up in Spanish Harlem
She's livin' her life just like a movie star
Oh, Maria Maria
She fell in love in East L.A.
To the sounds of the guitar
Played by Carlos Santan

Stop the looting, stop the shooting
Pick pocking on the corner
See as the rich is getting richer
The poor is getting poorer
Se mira Maria on the corner
Thinkin' of ways to make it better
In my mailbox there's an eviction letter
Somebody just said see you later

Ahora vengo mama chola mama chola
Ahora vengo mama chola (East coast)
Ahora vengo mama chola mama chola
Ahora vengo mama chola (West coast)

Oh Maria Maria
She reminds me of a westside story
Growing up in Spanish Harlem
She's livin' her life just like a movie star
Oh, Maria Maria
She fell in love in East L.A.
To the sounds of the guitar
Played by Carlos Santan

I said a la favella los colores
The streets are getting hotter
There is no water
To put out the fire
Mi canto la esperanza
Se mira Maria on the corner
Thinkin' of ways to make it better
Then I looked up in the sky
Hoping of days of paradise

Ahora vengo mama chola mama chola
Ahora vengo mama chola (North side)
Ahora vengo mama chola mama chola
Ahora vengo mama chola (South side)
Ahora vengo mama chola mama chola
Ahora vengo mama chola (World wide)
Ahora vengo mama chola mama chola
Ahora vengo mama chola (Open up your eyes)

Maria you know your my lover
When the wind blows I can feel you through the weather
And even when we are apart
It feels like we are together
Maria, yeah

She reminds me of a westside story
Growing up in Spanish Harlem
She's livin' her life just like a movie star
Oh Maria Maria
She fell in love in East L.A.
To the sounds of the guitar
Played by Carlos Santana

Put 'em up y'all
Carlos Santana with the refugee camp
Wyclef
Jerry Wonder
Mr. Santana
GMB
Yo, Carlos, man you makin' the guitar cry