C G G C
Fifteen Cuban minutes, fairly safe to say,
C G G C
can feel more like an hour or the entire day.
[Bridge]
E7 Am
In the land where time means nothing, not hard to slip away,
D7 G
El Diablo baila sábado, y los curas on Sunday.
[Chorus]
C G G C
Fifteen Cuban minutes, the end is out of sight;
C G G C
so I'll meet you by the cannon on the the Malecón tonight.
[Verse 1]
G C G C
It started in Havana in nineteen-twenty-one,
G C G C
on the schooner Chiquimula where a party had begun.
G C G C
Primer cumpleaños, for a tiny lad at sea,
G C G C
and in my heart is still that faded photo of JD.
[Verse 2]
G C G C
Signal flags were flying atop the entire fleet,
G C G C
while the rhumba band from Santiago played the birthday boy to sleep.
G C G C
That's the tale was told to me, a seadog nursery rhyme,
G C G C
and the music that was handed down from a long forgotten time.
[Chorus]
C G G C
Fifteen Cuban minutes get lost in the fog,
C G G C
life's a test, just do your best, like a three-legged dog.
[Bridge]
E7 Am
In the land where time means nothing, you can often lose your mind;
D7 G
now place your bets, or better yet, just join a conga line.
[Chorus]
C G G C
Fifteen Cuban minutes can turn night into day;
C G G C
they're dancing on the tables down at El Frente.
[Verse 3]
G C G C
Another entry in the log, my mind put to a test,
G C G C
when we sailed with the Hemmingways on a schooner from Key West.
G C G C
They'd come to make a movie about long forgotten times;
G C G C
see old friends, drink some rum and visit family shrines.
[Verse 4]
G C G C
So, how the hell did we wind up, just tagging right along?
G C G C
They were looking for a soundtrack and heard one of my songs.
G C G C
So, I sang Havana Daydreamin', just me and my guitar,
G C G C
to some very stern KGB-guys, trying to blend in at the bar.
[Chorus]
C G G C
So for fifteen Cuban minutes, la bodega did ignite;
C G G C
bongos y tumbadoras kept us up all night.
[Bridge]
E7 Am
Mojitos by the minute, the crowd stacked at the door;
D7 G
niños, dogs, and roosters frolicked on the floor.
[Chorus]
C G G C
Fifteen Cuban minutes, lots of give and take;
C G G C
birthdays always come and go but not a birthday cake.
[Interlude 1]
Am E Am E
Am E Am E
Am E Am E
Am E Dm7/9 G
[Interlude 2] (Steel Drums)
Am E Am E
Am E Am E
Am E Am E
Am E Dm7/9 G
[Chorus]
C G G C
Fifteen Cuban minutes are easy to embrace,
C G G C
no calendars or watch to wind, no schedules to chase.
[Bridge]
E7 Am
In the land where time means nothing this phrase it cries, "Delay!"
D7 G
Put it on a tee shirt and everyone will pay.
[Chorus]
C G G C
Quince minutos Cubanos, dejace la drama;
C G G C
aqui no hay AC solo la ventana.
[Verse 5]
N.C.
Music makes use happy, it's in our chromosomes;
N.C.
no matter where we wander, music takes us home.
N.C.
It started on the island, disbursed by sweet songbirds
N.C.
who flew north 'cross the Gulf Stream and everybody heard.
[Verse 6]
N.C.
Now the clock just keeps on ticking, I hear it everywhere I go,
N.C.
and I sing along in cars and bars along Calle Ocho.
N.C.
God bless Ricky Ricardo and Little Ricky, too,
N.C.
they set my mind on island time. How about you?
[Verse 7]
G C G C
The Greeks and Egyptians had sundials in the sand,
G C G C
now we have atomic clocks that measure the Big Bang.
G C G C
Still I prefer the simple way, let's take it to the street;
G C G C
more walking and less talking, tap time with your feet.
[Chorus]
C G G C
Fifteen Cuban minutes still stands the test of time,
C G G C
like a Salas photograph or Kenneth Patchen rhyme.
[Bridge]
E7 Am
If you're looking for a launchpad, no news, just hearsay,
D7 G
don't bother with the WiFi, fuck Siri, ask Jose!
[End-Chorus]
C G G C
Fifteen Cuban minutes, there's no end in sight;
C G G C
I'll meet you by the cannon on the the Malecón tonight.
[Outro]
N.C.
Sana sana colito de rana
Si no sana hoy, bueno sana mañana
Mañana mañana lo que dicen Havana
Si no pasa hoy no pasa mañana.
