From the artists he paired Carlos Santana with on the highly successful album Supernatural, it’s obvious that record label legend Clive Davis understood not only the legendary guitarist, but the current pop market as well. Davis also did a brilliant job at picking collaborators with whom Santana would blend. Check out the new video for this guitar and percussion-driven song by the leading Santana Tribute and Latin-rock band.
Latin-Rock Video
Everlast has had an uneven career, starting with his singulary unsuccessful solo debut, Forever Everlasting, released in 1990. It was followed up in contrast by 1992’s House of Pain, which went multi-platinum, driven by the hit single “Jump Around.” After a heart attack and a subsequent conversion to Islam, Everlast issued his second solo album, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues; it was lauded as a critical and commercial success, with two top 10 singles: “What’s It Like,” and “Ends.”
Put Your Lights On could be interpreted at least two different ways. On one hand, it is a warning to “sinners” to “watch out.” Additionally, it possibly reflects the view from Everlast’s mountain retreat, where he would watch the lights below come on gradually after sunset.
True to Everlast’s musical form, Put Your Lights On revolves around a couple of simple chord progressions, topped by lyrics that are alternately rapped and sung. Even when sung, however, the melody is limited, which puts the focus on the words, and adds to its emotional power.
Santana mirrors the melodic structure by keeping his riffing in a narrow melodic range, and relies instead on intensity and rhythmic density to delineate the “A” section from the “B” section.
Though the song never achieved radio play on the scale of the Rob Thomas opus “Smooth” or “Maria Maria,” it was well-respected in the industry, as evidenced by the Grammy received in 2000 for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
Almost a decade later, Everlast returned the favor by featuring Santana on “Babylon Feeling,” a song on his most recent album, Eat at Whitey’s. Its similarity in tone and style to Put Your Lights On is underscored by the two videos, which look like they were shot at the same time (although given the 9-year time difference, it’s highly unlikely they were).
Put Your Lights On Lyrics
Hey now, all you sinners
Put your lights on, put your lights on
Hey now all you lovers
Put your lights on, put your lights on
Hey now, all you killers
Put your lights on, put your lights on
Hey now, all you children
Leave your lights on, you better leave you lights on
‘Cause there’s a monster,
Living under my bed, whispering in my ear
And there’s an angel, with a hand on my head
She say I got nothing to fear
There’s a darkness, living deep in my soul
Its still got a purpose to serve
So let your lights shine, deep into my home
God don’t let me lose my nerve, don’t let me lose my nerve
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
Wo-oh hey now
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
Hey now, all you sinners
Put your lights on, put your lights on
Hey now, all you children
Leave your lights on, you better leave your lights on
‘Cause there’s a monster,
living under my bed, whispering in my ear
And there’s an angel, with a hand on my head
She say I got nothing to fear
She says, la elaha ela allah, you don’t shine like a star
La elaha ela allah, you don’t shine like a star
Never fade away
Put Your Lights On Chords
“A” Section
Am – C – G – F – E
(repeat)
“B” Section
Am – E
(repeat)
Bridge
C – C# – G – F – E
C – C# – G – F – E
C – C# – G – F – E
F – E
