“The sound of silence” en español

Ahhh, there’s a real chance this song may annoy the hell out of me in a couple of weeks because I’ve been listening to it quite obsessively and for this blogpost I will be dissecting and translating it, which isn’t always beneficial for one’s relationship to a song.

But here we go; the song is by the incredibly talented Jorge Drexler and is called “Silencio”.

The lyrics are really very simple, as is the song as a whole. As a matter of fact, I think this song would be super nice to use in a Beginner’s Spanish course!

So, press play above, and read (or sing) along with the lyrics below.
Todo el mundo intentando venderte algo
The whole world is trying to sell you something

Intentando comprarte
They’re trying to buy you

Queriendo meterte en su melodrama
Trying to pull you into their melodrama

Su karma, su cama, su salto a la fama
into their karma, their bed, their leap into fame

Su breve momento de gloria
their brief moment of glory

Sus dos megas de memoria
their two megabytes of memory

Subirte a su nube
They try to upload you to their cloud

Como un precio que sube
like a prize that rises

Para luego exhibirte
so they can expose you

Como un estandarte
as if you were a banner

No encuentro nada más valioso que darte…
I can’t think if anything more valuable to give you…

…nada más elegante…
…nothing more elegant…

…que este instante...
…than this instant…

…de silencio.
…of silence.

Silencio
Silence

El índice vertical entre la boca y la nariz
the raised index finger, between the mouth and the nose

El eco en la catedral
the echo in the cathedral

La brisa en la enredadera
the breeze in the ivies

Entremos en el sonido hasta el penúltimo matiz
let’s enter into the sound until the penultimate shade

Hagámosle caso al gesto de la foto de la enfermera
let’s follow the gesture of the photo of the nurse

Y cuando el ruido vuelva a saturar la antena
and when the noise returns to saturate the antenna

Y una sirena rompa la noche, inclemente
and a siren rudely breaks the night

No encontraremos nada más pertinente
we can’t think of anything more relevant…

…que decirle a la mente…
…to tell the mind…

 

“Detente!”
“Stop!”

[Hook]

Bésame ahora
Kiss me now

Antes que diga algo completamente inadecuado
Before I say something completely inadequate

No hay que desperdiciar una buena ocasión
We shouldn’t waste a good occasion

De quedarse callado
to remain silent

[Hook]

Y cuando el ruido vuelva a saturar la antena
and when the noise returns to saturate the antenna

Y una sirena rompa la noche, inclemente
and a siren rudely breaks the night

No encontraremos nada más pertinente
we can’t think of anything more relevant…

…que decirle a la mente…
…to tell the mind…

 

“Detente!”
“Stop!”

 

 

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I’m new

On day two of the lyrics challenge, I might as well name the Rules that go with the Three day Lyric challenge:

1. Thank the person who nominated you.
   I actually wasn’t nominated, but felt free to invite myself to the party, as Melanie from Sparks from a Combustible Mind kind of gave me permission to.
2. Share one of your favorite song/lyrics one at a time for three days.
   On day two I will be sharing Stevie Wonder’s song “I’m new”, which should be a mandatory addition to everyone’s lives.
   Yesterday I wrote about the lyrics of two songs, which (imo) could be seen as two sides of the same story.
   Tomorrow’s post will be about Silence, pero en español.
   
3. Nominate three other bloggers each day.
   I will follow in Melanie’s footsteps and skip this rule, partially because I don’t really have a following and partially because I think it’s nicer this way (because it paved the way for me to join in).

So have a listen if you don’t know this Stevie Wonder song already and let the lyrics quench your soul’s thirst like a big glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

 

Try to envision you as the oldest living someone, being every night and day all alone
Going through ages and ages, places and spaces with never finding that someone to call your own.

Like a treasure chest of dreams long forgotten, hidden for good in a stolen lost and found
But just when fate was calling quits, love appeared in the midst of despair, came and turned your life around

I’m new.

New like the first day of spring
New like a nightingale that’s just learned to sing
I’m new, new like the very start of dawn
Like a child that’s first born with your love.

I’m new.

You’re standing among a crowd of six billion people, crying out for help, but no one understands
‘Cause much to your dismay, you’ve been taken far away to a land where joy is pain and sorrow’s a happy man

Where an aching heart’s the sign of the mighty and a love-filled heart looks down upon with fault and shame
But at the very instant all was through, lady luck appears, says “love can do” and changed you like a Christian who’s been born again

I’m new.

New like the fresh morning dew
New like a work of art that’s finally through
I’m new, new like a first flight of a dove
So safe and secure with your love.

I’m new.

Love took a long time coming to me
But I’ve gotta say I owe my thanks to him for sending you my way.

‘Cause I’m new.

New, like the first winter snow.
Like the start of forever, with infinity to go .

I’m new.

New, like the birth of the sun
Forever young I will be, ’cause with your love;

I’m new

New, like from a restful night of sleep
New like a starving man that’s had food to eat

I’m new, nothing compares nor can compete
Sharing with you the sweetness of your love,

I’m new.

Bathing in the purple rain

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Your Number One.”

What was the #1 song when you were born? Write about how the song relates (or not!) to your personality.

On the day I was born, Prince was leading the charts here in Holland with his heart wrenching song: Purple Rain.

I am not completely certain what this song is about and as far as I can tell, neither is the internet.

Purple rain, whatever it is, is supposedly a good thing. He sings about wanting to laugh, bathe and be in this blue-red precipitation. If purple rain is happiness, I think it must be the kind of happiness a manic person must feel during their peeks. Glee with a touch of insanity.

I think this song always makes me feel a bit uneasy. But it’s the kind of uneasiness you sometimes feel like feeling, you know what I mean? That edgy, dark feeling that may seem somber to some, but isn’t really.

So, do I relate to this song? I really don’t know… I do have the following image as my desktop image, and I do identify with the crazy kid soaking up the rain there, laughing at the grumpy man pass by. Coincidence?

For the rest, this song plays no particular role in my life, even though I appreciate it in my own way. My parents do have a soft spot for good ol’ Prince, but not like they do for say, Bob Dylan.

If there is any parallel between this song and me then it may be the crazy romance between my parents. They have the type of relationship that only they can understand. They make each other miserable like you wouldn’t believe, but have a passion for life and each other that some might envy (not me though 😉 ).

It’s definitely never boring…

Lyrical confusion

Once again, I am behind on schedule. I have missed out on some blogging deadlines (placed there by nobody other than myself, which made them that much easier to break). My inspiration is running a bit dry so this blog is going to be a pretty simple one.

One of the lists I have been adding items to lately on Wunderlist, is one about songs with confusing lyrics.

For example, the song Boy with a Coin. Beautiful song with a beautiful but totally unrelated (as far as I can tell) video.

I sort of get the first verse, but then he starts changing the iron:wine ratio, it seems and goes full on delirium when he sings:

A girl with a bird she found in the snow
Then flew up her gown and that’s how she knows
If God made her eyes for crying at birth
Then left the ground to circle the earth

I guess the bird is some sort of sexual metaphor? Symbol of her virginity? If so, I would imagine the bird would be flying OUT from under her gown and abandoning her forever, as she apparently becomes pregnant?

Someone who DOES know about contraceptives is Alanis Morisette, or at least that is what I thought the “jagged little pill” she dedicated her album to referred to. Thinking on it a bit harder and listening to the song that these words actually come from, it might actually refer to some sort of hallucinogenic drug, but it’s open to interpretation….

But that’s not the song I wanted to mention here anyway. The lyrical confusion I wanted to share comes from one of my favorite songs by her, which is “Not the doctor”. I won’t post the whole song here, but you can check it out on youtube. The part I have always wondered about goes like this:

Visiting hours are 9 to 5 and if I show up at 10 past 6
Well I already know that you’d find some way to sneak me in and oh
Mind the empty bottle with the holes along the bottom
You see it’s too much to ask for and I am not the doctor

What’s this bottle with holes along the bottom?? Can’t think of any medicine or drug that comes in a bottle with holes along the bottom… I have even asked doctors this question… and if it’s a metaphor, than what does it symbolize?? Anyone?

Another song that always leaves me in this bundle of confusion is this song by Nelly Furtado (but written by Chris Martin, if I remember correctly) is “All good things (come to an end)”. Again, the videoclip is totally unrelated to the lyrics and kind of weird all together, but it kind of fits because:

Dogs were whistling a new tune barking at the new moon
Hoping it would come soon so that they could die

That’s some pretty depressive stuff, don’t you think? So your breakup was so heavy that even the dog wants to kill himself now?? Geesh!

And this isn’t the first time Chris Martin’s lyrics confused me…. All though I have almost all Coldplay records and listened to them fanatically in high school, I always skipped this one weird song: Yellow. I don’t get it!!

Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah, they were all yellow.

OK, nothing weird there. Stars can totally be yellow, right? And they’re shining for me, yeah! But then it gets weird:

I came along,

I wrote a song for you,

And all the things you do,

And it was called “Yellow”.

What did I do? and who or what was called yellow? No comprendo!

So then I took my turn,
Oh what a thing to have done,
And it was all yellow.

Did you drop a can of paint maybe? or did you squish a banana? Did life give you lemons? eggs? corn? sunflowers?

I swam across,
I jumped across for you,
Oh what a thing to do.
‘Cause you were all yellow,

Ok, I get it…… You’re talking about the minions movie now, right?

I drew a line,
I drew a line for you,
Oh what a thing to do,
And it was all yellow.

Did you use a yellow marker to draw the line? Yellow chalk? And why did you draw a line anyhow? Chris be honest…. are you high?

If any one of you out there has any ideas about these lyrics, do enlighten me… And if you know any other confusing songs, do share! 🙂