Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. This week’s Song Lyrics Sunday is about “father / dad / barbecue”. This prompt was given by Jim at an “A Unique Title For Me”. It is a perfect theme for today as it is a special dad to honor dads. I can’t be with my dad this year as I live in another country thousands of miles away. But, I get to call him today and tell him how much I love him (if he doesn’t get on my nerves).
There is a lot of great songs about fathers out there. This includes the amazing “Az én apám” by Joci Pápai that was in this year’s Eurovision contest. However, I wanted to feature a song from South America, so I began a search for a great song from this continent.
No Te Va Gustar: The Kings of Uruguayan Rock
While searching for songs that are related to this week’s theme, I stumbled on “Padre de la Patria” (The Father of the Homeland). This song is by Uruguayan rock band No Te Va Gustar (You Wouldn’t Like It) or NTVG. This band is 25 years old this year, making their debut in 1994. They incorporate various musical genres like reggae, candombe, salsa, ska and murga into their songs.
The Father of the Fatherland
When I looked up songs with the title “padre”, there were a lot of Christian songs. That is because God / The Father is also called “padre” in Spanish. I don’t know if “Padre de la Patria” is truly a religious song but there are some religious motifs going on in the lyrics. Judging on the translation of the song, the lyrics paint a picture of a society that has turned their backs to the Lord, including the person who is narrating the song.
“Dije pelear por el mundo, pero me equivoqué”
(I said to fight for the world, but I was wrong)
I was going to be a crusader but I have given up.
“Hay mucha gente que piensa lo mismo
Pensé que yo era distinto, pero me equivoqué”(There are many people who think the same
I thought I was different, but I was wrong)
“Que cambie de la noche a la mañana
Si hasta al padre de la patria, tuvieron que correr”
(They changed from night to morning
Even the father of the homeland, they had to run)
These are rough translation of the lyrics. If anyone can translate them back (as my Spanish isn’t as good like it used to be), please feel free to tell me in the comments below.
The Musical Style of “Padre de la Patria”
Nevertheless, however you interpret the lyrics, you have to agree that the beat is really upbeat and groovy. It reminds of the 90s ska music, like No Doubt’s early discography. It most likely due to the horns feature prominently through the song. You can hear ska prominently in the ending instrumentation. It reminds of an instrumental piece that No Doubt would play on an album like Tragic Kingdom. Listeners can also hear dabs of reggae in the melodies played by the guitar. And maybe a dash of Latin in the percussions.
“Padre de la Patria” is a wonderful listen as it features a combination of rock, latin, salsa, reggae, and ska. I love No Doubt’s ska-influenced albums like Tragic Kingdom. So, I naturally fell in love with “Padre de la Patria”.
How about you? What do you think about the song? Tell me in the comments below!
The Lyrics
Here are the English translation of the lyrics:
Listen to me, sir
I have been looking for the path for some time
I said fight for the world, but I was wrong
Listen to me, sir
There are many people who think the same
I thought I was different, but I was wrongThey say they are just words
Because they do not appear on television
Red and white flags
They greet each other on the same balconyThey listen to the lord
The one who sticks the dagger in their backs
Without moving from home, we gave him the powerThey ask the Lord
I changed overnight
If even the father of the country, they had to runThey say they are just words
Because they do not appear on television
Red and white flags
They greet each other on the same balconyThey are living
Some so precariously
While others have fun, watching them fallAnd they ask the Lord
I changed overnight
If even the father of the country, they had to runThey say they are just words
Because they do not appear on television
Red and white flags
They greet each other on the same balcony
The Rules
If you want to participate, here are the rules:
- Post the lyrics to the song of your choice, whether it fits the theme or not.
- Please try to include the songwriter(s) – it’s a good idea to give credit where credit is due.
- Make sure you also credit the singer/band and if you desire you can provide a link to where you found the lyrics.
- Link to the YouTube video, or pull it into your post so others can listen to the song.
- Ping back to this post will eventually work, as long as you are being patient, but you can also place your link in the comments if you don’t like to wait.
- Read at least one other person’s blog, so we can all share new and fantastic music and create amazing new blogging friends in the process.
- Feel free to suggest future prompts.
- Have fun and enjoy the music.
