The gig
Poetry & Music is a monthly live event held at The Office Bar, 124 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington, on the third Sunday of each month from 4–6 pm.
The afternoon begins with an open mic session, followed by performances from invited musicians and poets.
For this edition, I’ve been invited to perform a Spanish language acoustic set, featuring well known songs from Latin and Spanish rock and pop ballads.
Below, you can find a short background to each song, along with an English translation of the lyrics.
Tonight’s setlist
- Arrancacorazones — Heartbreaker — Argentina — 2003
- Da la claridad a nuestro sol — Bring Clarity to Our Sun — Chile — 1997
- Mi enfermedad — My Disease — Spain — 1991
- Tabaco y Chanel — Tobacco and Chanel — Colombia — 2000
- Aún sigo cantando — I’m Still Singing — Argentina — 1984
Click on any song name below to display info and lyrics
#1. Arrancacorazones (Arg) – 2003
Attaque 77
Arrancacorazones – English title “Heartbreaker”
A song about a powerful relationship that is difficult to leave behind. It speaks of attraction, emotional dependence and the contradiction between wanting to move on and still feeling tied to someone.
See lyrics and traslation
Arrancacorazones English
Lyrics
Trying not to resist your spell of gentle addiction
As if it were easy to control the way I feel
And knowing that you’re leaving, knowing that withdrawal gets to me
Everything turns dark, and all I can say is
More, give me a little more, I want to get intoxicated on you
Heartbreaker
Today, before the end, I want to get intoxicated on you
Heartbreaker, give me your drug
And to think that once you told me, “Let’s end it all
My life is a mess and I don’t want you in it”
But in the end, I followed you through a maze of broken mirrors
And I ended up in a place I can’t escape from
More, give me a little more, I want to get intoxicated on you
Heartbreaker
Today, before the end, I want to get intoxicated on you
Heartbreaker, give me your drug
Arrancacorazones Spanish
Lyrics
Evitar resistir tu hechizo de suave adicción
Como si fuera fácil dominar mi sentir
Y saber que te vas, y saber que la abstinencia me puede
Todo se vuelve oscuro y solo puedo decir
Mas, dame un poco mas, quiero intoxicarme en vos
Arrancacorazones
Hoy antes del final quiero intoxicarme en vos
Arrancacorazones, dame tu droga
Y pensar que una vez me dijiste ‘terminemos todo
Mi vida es un desastre y no te quiero en el’
Pero al fin te segui por un laberinto de espejos rotos
Y apareci en un barrio del que no puedo salir
Mas, dame un poco mas, quiero intoxicarme en vos
Arrancacorazones
Hoy antes del final quiero intoxicarme en vos
Arrancacorazones, dame tu droga
#2. Chancho en Piedra – Da la claridad (Chile) – 1997
Chancho en Piedra
Chancho en Piedra is a Chilean funk-rock band formed in Santiago in the 1990s. Known for combining rock, funk and distinctly Chilean influences, the band became one of the most distinctive names in Chile’s alternative rock scene.
Da la claridad a nuestro sol – Bring clarity to our sun
A song about searching for light and clarity when emotions become uncertain. Its lyrics use images of warmth and brightness to express the hope of recovering connection, meaning and a sense of direction
See lyrics and traslation
Da la Claridad English
Lyrics
Today I feel a little clouded
And my star has faded out,
How can I see
The joy within our bodies
Without entering your sacred sanctuary?
Bring clarity to our sun,
For life is slipping away from us.
You will walk without the fear of stumbling.
Your caresses are what surrender me most to your warmth.
I burn, and my ashes appear upon your skin, my love.
My heart, my soul has already hidden itself within your body.
I hope, daughter of the sun,
That you give back to me the feeling
Of casting out a thousand sorrows.
Bring clarity to our sun,
For life is slipping away from us.
You will walk without the fear of stumbling, lost.
(You are the clarity, you fill my loneliness, you calm the storm.)
If I do not see you for a long time,
I will convince myself that I have died.
Then I will dream of your breath,
With the memory of you as my only nourishment.
Now that you speak to me from afar,
I want to enjoy your presence.
I long to kiss your face,
I long to have you in my bed.
Bring clarity to our sun,
For life is slipping away from us.
You will walk without the fear of stumbling, lost.
(You are the clarity, you fill my loneliness, you calm the storm.)
The storm will finally grow calm, and they will shine—
(You are the clarity, you fill my loneliness, you calm the storm.)
The lights that, as they evaporate,
May burn away the promises
And the last remaining sadness.
(You are the clarity, you fill my loneliness, you calm the storm.)
Bring clarity to our sun.
Da la Claridad Spanish
Lyrics
Hoy me siento un poco nublado
Y mi estrella se ha apagado,
Como puedo ver.
La alegria en nuestro cuerpo
Sin entrar en tu sagrado santuario.
Da la claridad a nuestro sol
Que se nos va la vida.
Ya caminarás sin el temor de tropezar.
Las caricias son la que mas me someten a tu calor
Me quemo, mis cenizas aparecen en tu piel amor
Corazón, mi alma en tu cuerpo ya se escondió
Espero hija del sol
Que devuelvas a mi la emoción
De escupir las mil penas
Da la claridad a nuestro sol
Que se nos va la vida
Ya caminarás sin el temor de tropezar perdida.
(Eres la claridad, llenas mi soledad ,calmas la tempestad)
Si es que no te veo en mucho tiempo
Me convenceré que he muerto
Así soñaré con tu aliento
Siendo tu recuerdo mi único alimento
Ahora que me hablas desde la distancia
Quiero disfrutar de tu presencia
Ando con las ganas de besarte en la cara,
Ando con las ganas de tenerte en mi cama.
Da la claridad a nuestro sol
Que se nos va la vida
Ya caminarás sin el temor de tropezar perdida
(Eres la claridad,llenas mi soledad ,calmas la tempestad)
Ya la tempestad se calmará y brillarán
(Eres la claridad,llenas mi soledad ,calmas la tempestad)
Las luces que al evaporar las promesas podrán quemar
Las últimas tristezas.
(Eres la claridad,llenas mi soledad ,calmas la tempestad)
Da la claridad a nuestro sol.
#3. Bacilos – Tabaco y chanel (Colombia)
Released in 2000, this is a song about an intense past relation with an older woman. Details like the mixed smell of tobacco and parfum (chanel), flavours, shared places and memories make the presence of this woman still strong even after the relation is over followed by strong desires to find her again.
See lyrics and traslation
Tabaco y Chanel English
Lyrics
A scent of tobacco and Chanel
Reminds me of the scent of her skin
A blend of honey and coffee
Reminds me of the taste of her kisses
The colour at the end of the night
Asks me where I ended up, where are you?
You only live this once
Where did you end up, where are you?
A scent of tobacco and Chanel
And a blend of honey and coffee
Ask me about her
They ask me about her
The stars ask me about her too
They urge me to go back to her
Oh, to go back to her
Oh, to go back to her
It doesn’t fade, it doesn’t go away
It doesn’t fade, it doesn’t go away
Nothing is ever forgotten
It doesn’t go away, it isn’t forgotten
It doesn’t go away, it isn’t forgotten
Nothing ever goes away
A rose that never bloomed
But time does not make it wither
A promised flower, a love
That never was, but is still alive
And once again
The colour at the end, at the end of the night
Asks me where I ended up
You only live this once
Where did you end up, where are you?
A scent of tobacco and Chanel
A blend of honey and coffee
Ask me about her
They ask me about her
The stars ask me about her too
They urge me to go back to her
Oh, to go back to her, oh, to go back to her
But they were the very same stars
That one day marked my hands
And took the flower, that flower,
Away from my life, away from my life
A scent of tobacco and Chanel
A blend of honey and coffee
Ask me about her
They ask me about her
The stars ask me about her too
They urge me to go back to her
Oh, to go back to her
Oh, to go back to her
It doesn’t go away, it isn’t forgotten
It doesn’t go away, it isn’t forgotten
Nothing ever goes away
It doesn’t go away, it isn’t forgotten
It doesn’t go away, it isn’t forgotten
Nothing ever goes away
Tabaco y Chanel Spanish
Lyrics
Un olor a tabaco y Chanel
Me recuerda el olor de su piel
Una mezcla de miel y café
Me recuerda el sabor de sus besos
El color del final de la noche
Me pregunta dónde fui a parar, dónde estás
Que esto solo se vive una vez
Dónde fuiste a parar, dónde estás
Un olor a tabaco y Chanel
Y una mezcla de miel y café
Me preguntan por ella (ella)
Me preguntan por ella
Me preguntan también las estrellas
Me reclaman que vuelva por ella
Ay, que vuelva por ella (ella)
Ay, que vuelva por ella
No se olvida, no se va
No se olvida, no se va
No se olvida nada nada
No se va, no se olvida
No se va, no se olvida
No se va, no se olvida nada
Una rosa que no floreció
Pero que el tiempo no la marchita
Una flor prometida una amor
Que no fue, pero que sigue viva
Y otra vez
El color del final, del final de la noche
Me pregunta dónde fui a parar
Que esto solo se vive una vez
Dónde fuiste a parar, dónde estás
Un olor a tabaco y Chanel
Una mezcla de miel y café
Me preguntan por ella (ella)
Me preguntan por ella
Me preguntan también las estrellas
Me reclaman que vuelva por ella
Ay que vuelva por ella (ella), ay que vuelva por ella
Pero fueron las mismas estrellas
Que un día marcaron mis manos
Y apartaron la flor, esa flor, de mi vida, de mi vida
Un olor a tabaco y Chanel
Una mezcla de miel y café
Me preguntan por ella (ella)
Me preguntan por ella
Me preguntan también las estrellas
Me reclaman que vuelva por ella
Ay que vuelva por ella (ella)
Ay que vuelva por ella
No se va, no se olvida
No se va, no se olvida
No se va, no se olvida nada
No se va, no se olvida
No se va, no se olvida
No se va, no se olvida nada
#4. Los Rodriguez – Mi enfermedad (Espana / Arg)
Released in 1991 by the spanish band “Los Rodriguez” leaded by argentinian singer songwriter Andres Calamaro, the song describes an intense relationship evolving into a dependency. Love is described as something really attractive, painful and in the end something that you need to runaway from.
See lyrics and traslation
Mi Enfermedad English
I’m defeated because the world made me this way
I can’t change
I’m the remedy with no prescription, and your love is my disease
I’m defeated because the body of the two of us is my weakness
This time the pain is going to end
It seems the party is over
Lost in the tunnel of love
And the pages of the book I read the most say
This time the slave escaped
I surrender to wine because the world made me this way
I can’t change
I’m the remedy that needs no prescription, and your love is my disease
I’m defeated because the body of the two of us is my weakness
This time the pain is going to end
A leaf fell from the tree
The apple rotted in my mouth
You should learn how to ask for forgiveness
This time the chain was broken
You should learn how to ask for forgiveness
This time the slave escaped
I’m defeated because the world made me this way
I can’t change
I’m the remedy that needs no prescription, and your love
Is my disease
I’m defeated because the body of the two of us is my weakness
This time the pain is going to end
Mi Enfermedad Spanish
Estoy vencido porque el mundo me hizo así
No puedo cambiar
Soy el remedio sin receta y tu amor
Mi enfermedad
Estoy vencido porque el cuerpo de los dos
Es mi debilidad
Esta vez el dolor va a terminar
Parece que la fiesta terminó
Perdidos en el túnel del amor
Y dicen las hojas del libro que más leo yo
Esta vez el esclavo se escapó
Me entrego al vino por que el mundo me hizo así
No puedo cambiar
Soy el remedio sin receta y tu amor
Mi enfermedad
Estoy vencido porque el cuerpo de los dos
Es mi debilidad
Esta vez el dolor va a terminar
Del arbol una hoja se cayó
En mi boca la manzana se pudrió
Tendrías que aprender a pedir perdón
Esta vez la cadena se rompió
Tendrías que aprender a pedir perdón
Esta vez el esclavo se escapó
Estoy vencido porque el mundo me hizo así
No puedo cambiar
Soy el remedio sin receta y tu amor
Mi enfermedad
Estoy vencido porque el cuerpo de los dos
Es mi debilidad
Esta vez el dolor va a terminar
#5. Los Enanitos Verdes – Aun sigo cantando (Arg)
A nostalgic song that looks back on the people, places and experiences that shaped the narrator’s life, including the memory of a past love that still carries emotional weight. It also reflects on how friends and people from earlier years have taken different paths, while he has remained connected to music and to the life he chose. The song has become a classic campfire singalong across Latin America, helped by its simple acoustic feel, memorable lyrics and strong sense of shared nostalgia.
See lyrics and traslation
Aun sigo cantando English
In that drawer, there’s a photo of you
Slowly gathering dust
It’s been so long since I last saw it
Just like you, just like you
Do you remember those days
Those days back then
When everything was a good enough reason
To say “I love you”
What could have happened to life
That somehow I can hardly even remember
Those times when I went to the stadium with my dad
To watch that Atlético team
Do you remember skinny Spinetta
When he sang, “All the leaves belong to the wind”
That was our whole philosophy back then
Simply being rockers
But how the times have changed
Everyone is fighting to hold on to their jobs
So many of them are engineers now
And so few of those people remain
But I’m still singing
And I’m going to keep doing it
Life taught me one lesson
You have to do what your heart tells you
And yesterday, perhaps while thinking about your photo
I ran into you walking down the street
So little has changed between us
Only our bodies have changed a little
I hope that time does not erase
These people I love so much
Because without you, I am nothing
Your spirit is what keeps me going
Aun sigo cantando Spanish
En aquel cajón esta tu foto
Llenándose de tierra
Hace tanto que no la veo
Como a vos, como a vos
Te acordás que tiempos aquellos
Que tiempos aquellos
En donde todo era un buen motivo
Para decir te quiero
Que le habrá pasado a la vida
Que sin quererlo ya ni me acuerdo
Cuando con mi viejo iba a la cancha
A ver aquel atlético
Te acordás del flaco Espinetta
Cuando cantaba, todas las hojas son del viento
Hay toda nuestra filosofía
Que era solo ser rockero
Pero como han cambiado los tiempos
Todos luchan por mantener sus puestos
Hay muchos que ahora son ingenieros
Que pocos quedaron de aquellos
Pero yo aún sigo cantando
Y lo voy a seguir haciendo
Una lección me dio la vida
Tenes que hacer lo que el corazón diga
Y ayer quizás pensando en tu foto
Por la calle te encontré andando
Que poco ha cambiado nuestra onda
Solo cambiaron un poco nuestros cuerpos
Espero que el tiempo ahora no borre
A esta gente que tanto amo
Por que sin ustedes no valgo nada
Su alma es mi alimento