El Progresso

(album: Streets... - 1975)

Down at the cantina
I was dancing cheek to cheek
With a dark eyed senorita
With a rose between her teeth
She had a rose between her teeth

I said, "is that the rose I smell
Well, upon your breath so sweet"
And she gave me a look that made me tremble
From my head down to my feet
From my head down to my feet

And it's fire on the island
Flame round my heart
Burn on the mountain
My fire of the is
Land of the flame
Fire round my heart
Burn upon the mountain
Burn on the mountain

Rose fell to the floor
As she whispered in my ear
And crushed it under foot and said
"I've crushed your rose I fear
I've crushed your rose I fear"

And it's fire on the island
Flame round my heart
Burn on the mountain
My fire of the is
Land of the flame
Fire round my heart
Burn upon the mountain
Burn on the mountain

El progresso, el progresso
That is my secret
Like the wind from the sea, she whispered to me
"It's a great little cigarette
She's a great little cigarette"

Well, it's rolled from the flower
That grows in the dust
On the montagne del fuego
And the drag was the proof as I hit the roof
Like smoking a volcano
Like smoking a volcano

Fire on the island
Flame round my heart
Burn on the mountain
My fire of the is
Land of the flame
Fire round my heart
Burn upon the mountain
Burn on the mountain

I was down at the cantina
When I suffered a hammer blow
From a dark eyed senorita
And el progresso
El progresso

And it's fire on the island
Flame round my heart
Burn on the mountain
My fire of the is
Land of the flame
Fire round my heart
Burn upon the mountain
Burn on the mountain