Five in the afternoon
Hot, black summer night
Naked in the moonlight
Taste of dust, taste of wine
Feeling like the whole world is mine
I've danced to the beating of my heart in the ring
I've danced to the song the spectators sing
I've danced when the bull has looked me in the eye
And I'll keep on dancing until I die
And I'm watching the shadows creep away
Taking a look back at the past
How I lived each passing day
As though it would be the last
I hear a voice inside me say
Oh Boy, you lived your life too fast
Then I hear the trumpets play
Five in the afternoon
Such a sad and lonely tune
Five in the afternoon
In a hotel room, on a single bed
The seven words that the gipsy said
Haunting me as I dress for the fight
Wonder if I'm coming back tonight
And I'm dancing to the beating of my heart in the ring
I'm dancing to the song the spectators sing
I'm dancing when the bull looks me in the eye
And I'm still dancing when I die
And I'm watching the shadows creep away
Taking a look back at the past
How I lived each passing day
As though it would be the last
I hear a voice inside me say
Oh Boy, you lived your life too fast
Then I hear the trumpets play
Five in the afternoon
Such a sad and lonely tune
Five in the afternoon
Such a sad and lonely tune
I never thought I would hear it so soon
Five in the Afternoon
five in the afternoon
words by Robert Campbell
music by Theo Jaskolkowski
This was the first Lorca song we wrote. The title comes from the first line of the Lament for Ignacio Sánchez Mejías, one of Lorca's most famous poems that tells of the death of the bullfighter.