Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of an intense, almost surreal infatuation, beginning with a grand, almost cosmic event – man landing on the moon – as the moment the narrator "pawned their heart." This sets a tone of overwhelming emotion, further amplified by the arrival of a "letter of good fortune," described as a "diamond with a woman's light." This suggests Selena herself is a rare, radiant discovery, a source of unexpected luck and beauty that has captivated the narrator. The core of the song is the repeated, almost chant-like "See Selena." This isn't just observation; it's an urgent plea or command to witness her essence. Selena is described with evocative, elemental imagery: she "smells like the wind / That smells of everything else," a scent that is both pervasive and indefinable, encompassing all other aromas. Her movement is fluid and natural, "fleeing, combing the grass as she passes," like a natural force. The narrator seeks her out "every summer night," finding solace and intense sensation in her "kisses, bites of the sea," blending intimacy with the vastness and mystery of the ocean. The narrator's obsession reaches a fever pitch, leading to a sense of losing touch with reality. They anticipate "talking non-stop / –like the mad talk– / Facing a wall," a vivid image of speaking into emptiness, a consequence of this all-consuming fixation. This is contrasted with a more passive, yet equally intense, waiting by the sea, "lying down by the sea / –like the mad do– / Waiting for the tide, waiting for you!" This final image encapsulates the narrator's state: a blend of desperate anticipation and a surrender to forces beyond their control, mirroring the ebb and flow of the tide, all in service of waiting for Selena.