This arrangement has quite a few elements, but no contribution gave me greater pleasure than Leon Ware’s background vocals.   When I gave Leon rough mixes of the record for him to experiment with, I don’t recall even highlighting this song as needing background vocals.  But what he came up with – from the very first moment I heard it – sounded like it had belonged there the whole time.   He wound up singing elsewhere on the album as well, a total blast for both of us, since we had been friends for years but had never before worked together.  

The song went through numerous re-writes throughout the recording process, with even the melody totally changed by the end.   The lyrics were inspired by traditional flamenco lyrics and Andalusian poetry.  Here is one of my favorites that I keep returning to:

In my house
I am keeping a garden,
so I can sell flowers
for you if hard times come.

I went out to the fields to cry
like a mad man screaming,
and even the wind kept telling
me that you loved someone else.

From your neck hangs a cross
Set in gold and ivory.
Let me die on it
And crucify myself there,
On that cross that hangs from your neck.

I have bought three knives
For you to end my life,
So that I will not have to
Suffer the pain
Of hating you.

–  Andalusian poem