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	1991
Format	CD single, CD maxi 7" single
Genre	Classic
Length	4:21
Label	Ariola
Writer(s)	José Maria Cano
Producer	José Maria Cano, Nacho Cano Ana Torroja
Mecano singles chronology
"Une femme avec une femme" "Hijo de la Luna" "Nature morte"

"Hijo de la Luna" (Spanish: "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]

Contents 1 Original version 1.1 Lyrics 1.2 Track listings 1.3 Charts and certifications 1.3.1 Peak positions 1.3.2 Year-end charts 1.3.3 Certifications 2 Loona version 2.1 Track listings 2.2 Charts 3 Other cover versions 4 References 5 External links

Original version

Lyrics

The lyrics depict a gypsy woman, who prays to the Moon for a husband. 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 assumes that the baby is not his and 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. And 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.

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

The song can be construed as a myth that explains the phases of the Moon as a function of the Moon's interaction with her adopted human son.

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 German Singles Chart[3] 45 Chart (1990) Peak position Dutch Top 40[4] 3 Chart (1991) Peak position French SNEP Singles Chart[5] 6

Year-end charts Chart (1989) Position German Singles Chart[3] 45 Chart (1990) Position Dutch Top 40[4] 39 Certifications Country Date Certification Sales certified Physical sales France[6] 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	1998
Format	CD single, CD maxi
Genre	Classic
Length	4:08
Label	Urban Records
Writer(s)	José Maria Cano
Producer	José Maria Cano, Nacho Cano Ana Torroja
Loona singles chronology
"Bailando" "'Hijo de la Luna'" "Donde Vas"

"Hijo De La Luna" is a song initially by the Spanish band Mecano but a cover version by Loona topped the German charts in 1999.

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 acapella version) – 3:20

Charts

Chart (1998/99)	Peak position
German Singles Chart	1
Austrian Singles Chart	3
Swiss Singles Chart	2

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 Mia zoi then ftanei (One lifetime is not enough), as "Peftei to Feggari" ("The Moon is Falling")
• Montserrat Caballé (1994)^[7]
• Loona (1998)^[8]
• Sarah Brightman (2000)^[9]
• Ivana Jordan, a Serbian singer (2001)
• Valensia (2001)^[10]
• Belle Pérez and Voice Male (2002)^[11]
• Monserrat Bustamante (2003)^[12]
• Mors Principium Est (in the Japanese version of Inhumanity [2003])
• Psy 4 de la Rime (2005)
• The Spanish Classical Heavy Metal Group Stravaganzza (2006)^[13]
• 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 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)

References

External links

• Spanish lyrics
• English lyrics