They Call the Wind Maria
The Kingston Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Away out here they've got a name
For rain and wind and fire
The rain is Tess,
The fire's Joe
And they call the wind Maria

Maria blows the stars around
Sets the clouds a-flyin'

Maria makes
The mountains sound like folks was out there dyin'
Maria (Maria)
Maria (Maria)
They call
The wind
Maria

Before I knew
Maria's name
And heard her wail and whinin'
I had a gal
And she had me
And the sun
Was always shinin'

But then one day
I left my gal
I left her far behind me
And now I'm lost,
So gol' darn lost
Not even God
Can find me
Maria
Maria
They call
The wind
Maria

Out here they have a name for rain
And wind and fire only
When you're lost and all alone,
There ain't no name for lonely
I am a lost and lonely man
Without a star to guide me
Maria blow my love to me
I need my gal beside me
Maria (Maria)
Maria (Maria)
They call
The wind
Maria
Maria!
Maria (Maria)
They call

The wind
Maria

Overall Meaning

The Kingston Trio’s song “They Call the Wind Maria” is a ballad about the impact of nature, specifically wind and rain, on a man’s life and love. The lyrics indicate that in the location where the singer resides, there are names for rain, fire, and wind. Further, these names have their own anthropomorphic identity, with rain being named Tess, fire named Joe, and wind named Maria. Maria is personified as the one who sets clouds flying and blows the mountains, making it seem like the hills are alive and howling with a human voice.

The song’s lyrics have a sense of yearning and melancholy. Before he knew Maria’s name, he lived with his girlfriend, and the sun was always shining. However, after the man left his girlfriend behind, he is consumed with loneliness, feeling like he’s lost and forgotten by God. He’s hoping Maria will blow his love back and bring his girlfriend back to him. The idea of the wind, in this case, represents the desire for change, a change back to how life was before he left his girlfriend. Essentially, the wind is the symbolic hope to restore what he has lost, and though it is personified, it is powerless to bring his love back to him.

Line by Line Meaning

Away out here they've got a name
In this particular place, there exists a given designation

For rain and wind and fire
The three elements for which they have a name are precipitation, air movement, and combustion

The rain is Tess,
The name given to precipitation in these parts is Tess

The fire's Joe
The name allotted to combustion in this locale is Joe

And they call the wind Maria
The term given to air movement in this territory is Maria

Maria blows the stars around
Maria stirs up the celestial bodies

Sets the clouds a-flyin'
Maria propels the formations of condensed water vapor

Maria makes
Maria creates

The mountains sound like folks was out there dyin'
Due to Maria's intense air disturbance, the mountains appear to emit a sound as if beings are perishing in its midst

Before I knew
Prior to my awareness

Maria's name
The appellation by which air movement is called in this sector

And heard her wail and whinin'
And experienced her mournful, plaintive cries

I had a gal
I had a woman

And she had me
And we were together

And the sun
And the radiant orb in the sky

Was always shinin'
Was constantly emitting light and warmth

But then one day
However, on a particular day

I left my gal
I departed from my significant other

I left her far behind me
I abandoned her a great distance away

And now I'm lost,
Presently, I am misplaced

So gol' darn lost
So extremely lost

Not even God
Not even a higher power

Can find me
Can locate my whereabouts

Out here they have a name for rain
In this region, precipitation has a specific moniker

And wind and fire only
As for air movements and combustion, they only have names for those two elements

When you're lost and all alone,
When you are directionless and without companionship

There ain't no name for lonely
There is no label for the state of being alone

I am a lost and lonely man
I am a man who is missing and alone

Without a star to guide me
Lacking a luminescent object to direct me

Maria blow my love to me
Maria, may you transport my affection to me

I need my gal beside me
I wish to have my significant other by my side

Maria!
Maria!

Maria (Maria)
Maria (Maria)

They call
The designation for

The wind
Air movement

Maria
Is Maria

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN JAY LERNER, FREDERICK LOEWE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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