Hijo de la Luna

"Hijo de la Luna"
Single by Mecano
from the album Entre el cielo y el suelo
B-side	"Mujer contra mujer"
Released	1986
Format	CD single, CD maxi 7" single
Genre	Baroque pop New wave Synthpop
Length	4:21
Label	Ariola
Writer(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"
Music sample "Hijo de la Luna"

"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 December 28, 1998 to January 11, 1999, a cover version by Loona topped the German charts,^[1] around the same time, it reached number two in the Swiss singles' chart.^[2]

Original version

Lyrics

The lyrics depict a gypsy woman in love with a man of Calé tribe, who prays to the Moon to marry him because a marriage between tribes was forbidden according to gypsies' laws. The Moon asks for the woman's first-born as payment.

After the child is born, his parents 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 a "lunar Albino." But the man presumes that the baby is not his and furiously stabs his wife to death. He takes the child and runs into the wild, where he abandons it 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.

Track listings

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 and certifications

Peak positions Chart (1989) Peak position Germany (Official German Charts)[3] 45 Chart (1990) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 18 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[5] 3 Chart (1991) Peak position France (SNEP)[6] 6

Year-end charts Chart (1989) Position German Singles Chart[7] 45 Chart (1990) Position Dutch Top 40[8] 39 Certifications Country Date Certification Sales certified Physical sales France[9] 1991 Silver 125,000 195,000

Loona version

"Hijo de la Luna"
Single by Loona
from the album Lunita
B-side	Another Christmas Without You
Released	November 23, 1998
Format	CD single, CD maxi
Genre	Classic
Length	4:08
Label	Urban Records
Writer(s)	José Maria Cano
Producer(s)	José Maria Cano, Nacho Cano Ana Torroja
Loona singles chronology
"Bailando" (1998) "'Hijo de la Luna'" (1998) "Dónde Vas" (1999)

The song was covered by Dutch recording artist Loona.^[10] It has been released in 1998 through Urban as the second single of the debut studio album Lunita. It topped the German single charts in 1999, where it was certified 3x Gold.

Track listings

CD single

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

CD maxi

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 A Cappella Version) – 3:20

Chart performance

Chart (1998-1999)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11]	3
Germany (Official German Charts)[12]	1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13]	9
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[14]	2

Certifications

Country	Certification	Date
Germany[15]	3x Gold	1999
Switzerland[16]	Gold	1999

Other cover versions

The song was written by José María Cano for Mecano. A number of cover versions exist:

• Eleni Dimou (1991), Greek singer, in her album Μια ζωή δεν φτάνει (One lifetime is not enough), as "Πέφτει το φεγγάρι" ("The Moon is Falling")
• Montserrat Caballé (1994)^[17]
• María Dolores Pradera (1999)^[18]
• Sarah Brightman (2000)^[19]
• Ivana Jordan, a Serbian singer (2001)
• Valensia (2001)^[20]
• María Inés Guerra (2002)
• Belle Pérez and Voice Male (2002)^[21]
• Monserrat Bustamante (2003)^[22]
• Mors Principium Est (in the Japanese version of Inhumanity [2003])
• Psy 4 de la Rime (2005)
• Ana Torroja (Album: Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte 2006)
• Lyriel, a German Celtic Rock group, on the album Autumntales (2006)
• Stravaganzza, a Spanish Symphonic/Gothic metal band, on the album Hijo Del Miedo (2006)
• Vicky Leandros, a German version on her album Zeitlos (2010)
• Mario Frangoulis, on his Sometimes I Dream album.
• Haggard, a German symphonic metal band, on the album Tales of Ithiria (2008)
• Katra Solopuro, a Finnish gothic metal singer, on the album Beast Within (2008)
• Highland, a German dance/hip hop project, on the album Dimmi Perché (2008)
• Tuula Amberla, a Finnish singer, on the album Kuun poika (1992)
• Anneli Saaristo, a Finnish singer, on the album Appelsiinipuita aavikkoon (1992)
• Theatres des Vampires, an Italian gothic metal group, on the album Moonlight Waltz (2011)
• Samuel Julião, a Portuguese baritone voice (2012)
• The Gents, a Dutch all-male vocal group, on the album Follow that Star (2003)
• Sumi Jo, single and on album Libera for Deutsche Gramophon Korea.

References

1. SWR3.de - Loona
2. Loona - Hijo de la luna - hitparade.ch
3. "Musicline.de – Mecano Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
4. "Ultratop.be – Mecano – Hijo de la Luna" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
5. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Mecano search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
6. "Lescharts.com – Mecano – Hijo de la Luna" (in French). Les classement single.
7. German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 10, 2009)
8. "Single top 100 over 1990" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
9. French certifications See: "Les Ventes" => "Toutes les certifications depuis 1973" => "MECANO" Infodisc.fr (Retrieved April 10, 2009)
10. official LOONA fanclub - LOONA Discografie
11. "Austriancharts.at – Loona – Hijo de la Luna" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
12. "Musicline.de – Loona Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
13. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Loona search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
14. "Swisscharts.com – Loona – Hijo de la Luna". Swiss Singles Chart.
15. German certifications MusikIndustrie.de (Retrieved July 28, 2008)
16. Swiss certifications SwissCharts.com (Retrieved July 28, 2008)
17. Montserrat Caballé - Official Website
18. Video on YouTube
19. Hijo de la Luna on YouTube
20. "Bol.com muziek cd-winkels.nl". Clips.fm. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
21. "Belle Perez & Voice Male - Hijo de la luna". YouTube. 2007-07-20. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
22. es:Monserrat Bustamante

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics