Really?! Peggy Lee did a MUCH better version. Most singers for whom English is a second language, tend to lose their accent when they sing---not this guy. All I here is his accent. Not that it's a bad thing, but it takes away from the song for me.
Actually, right after this song, Lucy comes in the room in a fancy dress but there's a performer dressed in full African garb who chases her and scares the crap out of her!
My favorite version of this mysterious classic, and my favorite song performed by Desi on the show! I love his voice and the dark tone he lends to this masterwork! Even the obnoxiously loud belching bullfrog sound can't ruin this exotica classic! BUT, I'd love to hear Desi sing this song with the Martin Denny or Esquivel bands, for all their exotic flavor!
I completely agree with Pegasus Puckett. Peggy's version is haunting and the frenzied aspect of it, with the drums going crazy, stays true to the original spirit of the lyrics. Desi's version is pleasant and simple, but, if you have grown with traditional Spanish music, what you hear here is very run of the mill in its approach. Also, the "explanation" that he gives at the beginning is a made-up story, probably scripted by the TV show's writers, who might have been worried about how the TV audience would have reacted if they knew that this is essentially a spell (not of "Christian" origin).
Haunting beautiful!! Grew up with I love Lucy and always admired this song when it came on.. now as a guitar player I can appreciate it even more!! That boom noise desi did was like what? How’s he doing that? Talent and practice is what it is. Beautiful song
ifyjoanna; I hear you. I'm 27, and my mom had me watching Lucy in the womb. I can still make comments related back to the show, and everyone in my family knows exactly what episode. And I still watch it.
I'm 33 now, feels so weird saying that, but I grew up watching Nick at Night watching all of these classic shows. I never appreciated these scenes at the time, but now I can appreciate the beauty
I similau, I similau I similau, I similau Spirit in the wood beat the hollow cane Spirit in the wood take away the pain Make the body ripe and alive again I similau (I similau, I similau) Spirit in the heart make the blood flow fast Spirit in the heart make the beauty last Keep the hope alive when the youth go past I similau (I similau, I similau) When my lover comes upon the scene Drop a petal from the tree Fling the mountain up into the sky Fill the river with the sea Spirit in the wood let the hollow cane Echo in the afterglow Waiting for the flame to burn again I similau (I similau, I similau)
That ad prompted my memory of Desi's version. Peggy Lee is an amazing talent , but her version sounds like a Disney version of a song that has so much wonderful darkness to explore. Desi did the ultimate version, IMO.
the story of Desi Arnaz is the quintessential American success story.....that is, only in America.... what talent, what a genius for the business he chose...
Best version of this song followed by Peggy Lee. Desi was my first singer to sing this song when I watched him on a rerun of I love Lucy. Watch his face as he nervously approaches the high part (crescendo, Ahh-aaahh -aah) toward the end. Wonderfully done. The emotion in his face toward the end. He put so much of his soul into this!
The Galaxy 8 commercial awoke the memory of hearing this song SOMEPLACE and it took some digging, but now I've placed the memory and enjoyed this haunting song once more -- good job, Desi! :)
My mom and I are I ❤️ Lucy fans and when I saw the episode where Ricky performers this song I heard it and liked it right away, even though it is an old song the melody is romantic & spiritual
I searched and apparently the song is cursed, the name in the song is apparently a name that was believed to hold demonic significance and used to be a summoning song used by people who practiced witchcraft back in the day and apparently the more you sing it the closer you summon whatever it is that it summons to you.
(I Similau, I Similau, I Similau, I Similau) Spirit in the wood beat the hollow cane Spirit in the wood take away the pain Make the body ripe and alive again I Similau (I Similau, I Similau) Spirit in the heart make the blood flow fast Spirit in the heart make the beauty last Keep the hope alive when the youth go past I Similau (I Similau, I Similau) When my lover comes upon the scene Drop a petal from the tree Fling the mountain up into the sky Fill the river with the sea Spirit in the wood let the hollow cane Echo in the afterglow Waiting for the flame to burn again I Similau (I Similau I Similau)
I hate to admit it but I came here because of the commercial. I never had heard this song before. I think it is sounds kind of haunting. I just love it though. I was glad to hear Dezi Arnez explain the origin of this song. In my mind I always imagined a jungle scene of some kind.
deana diedrich He shows up at the hospital later, either in a mask, or in makeup!!!!! Yipe! W-Who's that, for cornsake!?!?! (Fred Mertz would sometimes say, Oh, for cornsake!!)
Yes, lol! I love Lucy is number one for me! 2 would be the Honeymooners and 3 The Munsters! I would buy The Flintstones complete collection, Shirley Temple collection and leave it to bever next. All great for me not trashy never boring !!!
deana diedrich There are so many quality old shows! The Wild Wild West! The Addams Family! All of the ones you picked are fabulous! Love Shirley Temple movies, including The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer, with Myrna Loy, Ray Collins, Rudy Vallee, & the incomparable Cary Grant! Very funny movie from the mid 40s!!!!!
no this episide Ricky friends from cuba and one is sexy and lucy wants to do lady in red but ends up doing african wedding dance with painted native......henna rinse,scrub women,fred taxi driver...one of best gepisodes ever
This episode is not when Lucy was having the baby. This is the episode with Ricky's sexy friend from Cuba. Lucy ends up doing the dance and keeps trying to hide from the guy dressed as the native. She faints at the end and Ricky carries her off stage.
I did not know he could play spanish guitar (where have I been?). I only knew of his music from the old "I Love Lucy" shows and never thought he sang well at all, in fact, he was flat and sometimes off key. He does this beautifully with feeling. Best I've ever seen of him. He still can't hit high notes. I think on the old show, he was portraying a remnant of what his musical days were before the show. He would play bongos and try to hit high, long notes but they were awful. I enjoy their old movie "The Long, Long Trailer" partly because I grew up in almost the exact same "New Moon" yellow and silver trailer. The one in movie was 40' long but ours was 46' long with extra bedroom in middle. The back br in our trailer did not have the curve to it like does there's. Of course, it had a full and their's has twin beds because of times. He sings a bit and sounds terrible when he tries to go loud and high. I'm embarrassed for him. It's a great movie full of laughs if anyone loves old movies. Of course, it's in color (only way to see Lucy). I have heard it said that Lucy was Technicolor's dream because of her hair, gorgeous blue eyes and makeup coloring. Tis true. I urge young and old, for a good laugh to rent or find this to watch. Hilarious and not campy like their tv show.
Agree that he didn’t have a great voice. I never understand so many people saying otherwise, such as those in the comments here. He was handsome and had charisma and that’s what carried his average voice.
The new galaxy note 8 commercial brought me here. I KNEW this song sounded familiar but I wasn't sure why. I'm 20 and I grew up watching this show. Still one of my favorites
Its a corruption of the name simbi loa or lwa. Simbi is a spirit of Haitian vodou/voodoo that lives in woods and rivers. Is somewhat of fertility also.
The writer told his daughter that it is about the spirit Similau which is the spelling used when referring to the side of the god that is dealing with fertility, which is what this song is about.
Pegasus Puckett yes actually did more research now. I herd this song in comercial and looked it up cause it sounded familiar like simbi loa. It is actually similó. This again is another Haitian Vodou spirit that belongs to the petro/petwo rites. Similó is still of the simbi and boumba family of spirits of the Kongo. So yes this song is referring to Haitian loa similó.
Desi Arnaz is rumored to be look exactly like the historic Don Felix Molise of Mexico 1299.(except Don Felix Molise of Mexico was known for his mustache)
can anyone enlighten me as to what instrument is playing the "pedal note"? it's low... it repeats on beat 4 of every bar whether it is consonant with the bass or not.... it sounds like a Bass Cuica... what is it????
For one I do not have cable or satellite service for TV. I just do not watch TV at all except if I go to a restaurant & bar to watch soccer. I have Ad Blocker for RU-vid and I subscribe to Hulu Plus/Hulu Showtime with no commercials. You can download Ad Blocker for RU-vid on Google.
I've always wondered what is the instrument making the eerie sound that's heard throughout the song starting at 1:00? It doesn't sound like the guitar.
one of funniest episodes.....henna rinse in spanish.....fred as a taxi driver thru philadelphia....ricky queing the orchestra la de da da la da and they copy him and then lucy and Ethel doing scrub women with mops and pails abd climax Lucy dance wit painted man
Good Lord, this is a beautiful song and his performance is nightmarishly unforgettable. We shouldn't always fall into the trap of comparing talent for talent, but let's be real, not many singers could put the song over. I "think" maybe Frank Sinatra? Maybe?
I like his take on it----it sounds more sad and haunting, and unique with what sounds like a bass being played with a bow or just plucked off-beat in the background.
It's a great song and wonderful performance by Arnaz; but there's nothing authentically Cuban about it. It was written by two American Tin Pan Alley composers, Arden Clar and Harry Coleman, in the late '40s/early /50s.
He names this instrument in one of the episodes and Lucy plays it. It kind of looks like a squeeze box. You pull out on one end. I don't know the name of the episode that that's in either.
I found the episode he names that instrument. The episode is "Ragtime band" and the name of the instrument is Cuica. www.dailymotion.com/video/x6gi1vq and you can look it up on Wikipedia.
