I normally don’t post about Music. I am not into a lot of modern music, like pop music, modern rock music, alternative music or even country music. I’m just not into the new stuff. I like older music, especially folk songs. Lately, I have discovered a Spanish group called Los Guaraguaos. They are from Venezuela and were popular in the 1970’s.
In fact, they were so popular that their song Casas de Carton was the song of the EL Salvador guerrillas in the 1980’s. In English it means Cardboard Houses and talk about the poor. Most of their songs talk about the poor and the struggle against the status quo. It’s very pointed and beautiful music with a strong message.
Most music nowadays can’t carry a message. Movies don’t either. It seems like we are being lulled into a trance and just being entertained like the Roman Circuses. We are being entertained but not being told about the real problems and the real path to getting ourselves ahead.
We are being exploited by the media.
Anyways, here are some lyrics with my lousy translation on the side. Hope you enjoy them a little bit.
Cristo al servicio de Quien? Christ in who’s service?
Preguntaba Jaime Obrero Asked Joe Worker
Preguntaba Jaime Obrero Asked Joe Worker
Al servicio de unos pocos In the service of a few
que se lo llevaron preso that they have taken
disfrazandolo que lujos disguising that the luxuries
sabiendo que El es del pueblo knowing that He is a man of the people
Lo tiene encarcelado en palacios de concreto They have put themselves in concrete palaces
con pisos de puro marmol with floors of pure marble
de puera madera el techo with beautiful wood on the ceiling
templos que no se parecen Temples that don’t look like
a las casas de mi pueblo the houses of my people.
Casas de la calle Carton Houses on the street named Cardboard
techos rotos tierra el suelo with broken ceilings and dirt floors
Cristo al servicio de Quien? Christ in who’s service?
Preguntaba Jaime Obrero Asked Joe Worker
Preguntaba Jaime Obrero Asked Joe Worker
A Cristo hay que liberarlo Christ liberates you
El siempre quiso ser pueblo He always wanted to be with the people
y hoy lo exploitan los de arriba and today the important people exploit you.
Ricos, Iglesia y Gobierno The rich, the church and the government
Los señores de una iglesia The priests of a church
que esta muy lejos del pueblo that is very far from the people
que no sabe se miserias that doesn’t know the miseries
que no vive su evangelio that don’t live its gospel
y que no habla nuestro idioma and that doesn’t speak our language
cuando nos dice silencio then they tell us to be silent,
son cosas de Dios permite they are the things God permits
son cosas que manda el cielo they are the things that Heaven tells them
Cristo al servicio de Quien? Christ in who’s service?
Preguntaba Jaime Obrero Asked Joe Worker
Preguntaba Jaime Obrero Asked Joe Worker
A Cristo hay que liberarlo Christ is the liberator
me dicia Jaime Obrero so Joe Worker told me.
porque ellos se lo han robado because they have stolen!
y Cristo, Cristo es del pueblo and Christ, Christ is of the people
Iglesia que no denuncia la injusticia A church that doesn’t denounce the injustice
y la oprecion and the oppression
es una iglesia vendida Is a church that has sold out.
queremos resurreccion We want resurrection
queremos renovacion We want renovation
queremos revolucion We want revolution
Wow, I know my translation sucks, but you should understand the basic meaning of this song. If you can correct anything, please do it in comments!
2 comments ↓
Esa canción en realidad es de Alí Primera, la grabaron los Guaraguao
Christ In Whose Service?
-Los Guaragaos
Christ in whose service?
Asked Joe Worker
Asked Joe Worker
1
At the service of a few
Who put him under arrest
Disguising him with luxury
Knowing that He’s from the People.
They have him incarcerated in concrete palaces
With floors of pure marble
The roof of pure wood,
Temples that don’t look like
The houses of my town,
Cardboard houses,
Torn roofs, dirt floors.
2.
Christ must be liberated
He always wanted to be of the People
And today those above us exploit Him;
The rich, the church, the government.
The gentlemen of a church
That’s very far from town,
That knows nothing of misery,
That does not live by its Gospel,
And does not speak our language
When we are told to be silent.
These are things that God permits,
These things are sent by Heaven.
3.
Christ must be liberated,
Joe Worker used to tell me,
Because they have stolen Him
And Christ, Christ is of the People.
A church that does not denounce
Injustice and oppression
Is a church that has sold out.
We want resurrection.
We want renovation.
We want revolution.
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