Mother's Daughter by Santana

Album: Abraxas (1970)

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Songfacts®:

Told from the first-person point of view, this is about a man who is tired of being mistreated by his girlfriend. At the end there's a twist... the man apparently had an affair with the girl's mother.
Gregg Rolie got sole credit for writing this song. From 1966 to 1972, almost all of his contributions to the band dealt with heartbreak and loneliness ("You Just Don't Care," "Hope You're Feeling Better"). >>
Suggestion credit:
Jim - Oxnard, CA, for above 2

Comments: 7

Shoshannah from SeattleI can't believe my first post here. I must've been trying to explain it away. Yes, he chose the mother over the game-playing daughter. LOL
Dick from Washington, DcAfter long consideration listening to this in the car, I've decided Greg moves his affair from the daughter to the mother. This explains the last verse -- how he found a woman who treats him better, she takes her time . . . your mother ain't so bad . . . . Like, gee, now that I know how nice your mother is, I wonder what happened to you and how you got so cruel.
Dick from Washington, DcHad an affair with the mother? Not the best explanation. Just what Shoshannah said. Could have said, "And you seemed like a nice girl." I liked this song in 1972 and now. Very simple. Interesting it has no chorus unless the 8-bar instrumental things could be called a chorus. I guess they are.
Shoshannah from Seattle, WaIs that the official word from Santana, that there's a twist at the end and he had an affair with the mother? If not, what makes anyone think that? Just because he says, "Your mother ain't so bad, what happened to you?", doesn't mean he had an affair with her. It's just an observation. Haven't you ever made an observation about someone comparing them to their parents and wonder what happened? I have and it wasn't because I had an affair with both the parent and their kid. You all have great, over-active imaginations. Makes for good reading tho'. LOL
D. K. from Not Listed, MoHe may have wrote it for Debby Hunter the girl he met in 1969 while she was in Jr High school in Missouri, him and Clapton had ask to meet her and they kept it going for so many years it was the hottest triangle at the time and lasted almost forever with both of them asking her to marry them. She has kids with both Clapton and Santana. D.K.
Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScIt's very disturibing!
Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScThe gyu had an afair with a woman and he's going out with her daughter... eeeeeew... kind of gross. character in song is sort of a perv. Well, not sort of but you know what I mean.

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