Maria

this song is perfectly describes my relationship with maria sharapova

it's about wanting to pound a hot virgin like a trashy prostitute

I remember hearing it was about some guy in the band having a crush on a girl in catholic school. But before I even heard that I thought it was one of those songs about a girl who is beautiful and all the guys in high school like her and the girls want to be her or portraying how she is to a girls POV.

great tune - but hardly anything deep - just about a sexy babe you fancy.

I disagree with both sides on the Regina/Latina discussion. I don't think it is either, I think it is "the diva, ave Maria."

First of all, Regina, a proper name. Why would another proper name be brought into the song when one is already there? Unless it were a famous iconic name such as Mona Lisa, venus, aphordite. Saying she is my venus, is a bit different from she is my regina. And let me tell you, caling a woman another's name is not the best policy, unless it is the goddess of love. To me that is as bad as when people call Debbie "Bondie."

Second, latina. Well, this is the feminine latino. This could work but there is no indication that this is specifically about a latina, like the Sanatna's Maria, the Spanish harlem Mona Lisa (see point one). Also, just calling her latina is not a bad thing but it is not the unbridled adoration that everything else is in the song. She is a million candles, makes you go insane, ave maria (a catholic song of adoration which ties into the author's catholic school background) and then added to that is "oh and latina."

So if it was "the diva," it would be:

Maria, you've gotta see her Go insane and out of your mind The Diva, Ave Maria A million and one candle lights

Which makes perfect sense to me.

I have been looking for the definitive lyrical version to answer this question and have not found it. The fact that there are two different versions and both have other errors suggest that these are not from the author and interpretations which are subjective and thus open to scrutiny. Listening to it, I can hear all three suggestions. I also think it may be different for each chorus. As much as I don't think "regina" fits into the song, Deb does seem to be singing that the first time through. The subtle change would also fit in this song as there are little lyrical twists elsewhere.

I once read someone say it is about a drug but I don't think so, insomuch as the infatuation with the unattainable goddess is not a drug. We have all been there or seen the complete loss of sanity over a girl. The POV is the presumed dowdy friend of such a girl, an impartial observer for whom this is old hat. Ironic juxtaposition that Deb Harry was certainly that girl to thousands.

its about a beautiful woman

At the time this song was written one of the members of Blondie was dating actress Regina Russell. He contributed to this song and the original lyrics (which I have on the vinyl version of this album) was "Regina - Ave Maria". According to her the song was about their relationship. (Several other lyric oriented websites have the "Regina" as opposed to "Latina" in the chorus.) I've heard Debbie Harry sing both versions (Regina and Latina) live in concert.

At least in the version from the album "Live", the chorus is sometimes sung with "regina" and sometimes with "latina". And both make sense: While Regina is a proper name, that's not what it means here. Next to the Latin words "ave maria", it should probably be interpreted as the female form of the Latin word "rex", which means king. In other words, Maria is considered a queen. Latina also makes sense, as I'd consider Maria a common name in South America.

JakeOfClubs makes great points, but to my ears, it still sounds like she’s saying “Latina.” It’s especially clear the third time she sings the chorus. With Window Media Player, you can play a song at slow speed to hear it more closely, and in that third instance, at least, there in no way she’s saying “The Diva” or “Regina.”

I agree “The Diva” would make more sense. Now that I’ve read all the above arguments, I even think “Regina” would have been a better choice. Members of Blondie may be kicking themselves that they didn’t think of those words. But in that third instance, at least, it’s clear as a bell “Latina.”

Ethnicity is a rather trivial detail for the songwriter to throw in, unless we assume someone (the writer, the guy in the song, or the woman singing it) has a real thing for Latinas. Then again, this is the same band that gave us “Kung Fu Girls,” which emphasizes to an uncomfortable degree that the woman in the song is Chinese. A few decades passed between “Kung Fu Girls” and “Maria,” and attitudes about race shifted, but Blondie does not strike me as a band that bows to political correctness.

I’m not sure Debbie Harry is singing “Latina” every time. There might be a deliberate switch, as you say. Hell, it’s even possible that, the third time, she just sang “Latina” by mistake and no one bothered to fix it. But the word she sings at that moment is clear.

does anyone know what this song's about? i liked it ages ago but i've just discovered some of the real lyrics, and on first impression it seems to be about "meetin ave maria"- something about religion and belief? help please!