Paloma Blanca
"Paloma Blanca", often called "Una Paloma Blanca", is a song written by Dutch musician George Baker and first recorded and released by his band, George Baker Selection. The single—the title track of the group's fifth album—was released in 1975 with "Dreamboat" as its B-side. The song was a hit throughout Europe, reaching No. 1 in Austria, Finland, Flanders, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and West Germany, and it also topped the charts of New Zealand and South Africa.
In the United States, the song became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Easy Listening Singles chart on 14 February 1976, peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. In Canada and the United Kingdom, "Paloma Blanca" peaked at No. 10, and in Australia, it reached No. 2. The song sold over two million copies worldwide.
Meaning
Baker has been quoted as saying the song is about "a poor South American farmer who works hard all day and then sits by a tree and dreams of being a white bird with its freedom."Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart | Rank |
| Australia | 94 |
| Canada Top Singles | 110 |
| US Easy Listening | 1 |
| US | 157 |
Cover versions
Following the George Baker Selection's success, the song was widely covered. In the UK, where the group took "Paloma Blanca" to a number 10 chart peak, the recording by Jonathan King reached number five.In 1976, English Scrumpy and Western band the Wurzels released a cover version titled "I Am a Cider Drinker" that contains a number of references to rural West Country life, including scrumpy, rabbit stew, combine harvesters and evenings at the local pub. The single was a number-three hit on the UK singles chart. A remastered version was produced in 2007, with an accompanying video which featured veteran disk jockey Tony Blackburn.