Category: Songs (Page 4 of 4)

Once again Leon Gieco’s song “Memoria” comes up as I work in Proyecto Desaparecidos. I translated the song and posted it to my old blog, which is now password-protected, so I’m reposting it now

Old loves that are no longer here,
the hope of those who lost,
all the promises that go away,
and those who fell in any war

All is kept in memory
dream of life and history.

The deception and complicity
of the genocidaires who are free,
the pardon and the punto final
to the beasts of that hell.

All is kept in memory
dream of life and history.

Memory awakes to injure
the sleeping people
that don’t let it live
free like the wind

The disappeared that we look for
with the color of their births,
hunger and abundance that come together
mistreatment with its bad memories.

All is nailed into memory,
thorn of life and history.

Two thousand would eat for a year
with what a military minute costs.
How many would stop being slaves
for the price of a bomb thrown to the sea.

All is kept in memory
dream of life and history.

Memory stabs until it bleeds
the peoples that tie it
and don’t let it go
free like the wind.

All the dead of the AMIA
and those of the Israeli Embassy
the secret power of weapons
a justice system which looks and doesn’t see.

It’s all hidden in memory
refuge of life and history

It was when churches went silent
it was when soccer ate everything
that the Palottine fathers and Angelelli
left their blood in the mud.

It’s all hidden in memory
refuge of life and history

Memory blows up until it defeats
the peoples that trample on it
and that don’t let it be
free like the wind

The bullet to Chico Mendez in Brazil
150 thousand Guatemalans
The miners that face guns
Student repression in Mexico.

It’s all loaded in memory
weapon of life and of history.

America with destroyed souls
The children killed by the death squad.
Mugica‘s ordeal for the slums
The Dignity of Rodolfo Walsh.

It’s all loaded in memory
weapon of life and of history.

Memory aims until it kills
the people who try to silence it
and don’t let it fly
free like the wind.

—

Spanish

Los viejos amores que no están
La ilusión de los que perdieron
Todas las promesas que se van
Y los que en cualquier guerra se cayeron
Todo está guardado en la memoria
Sueño de la vida y de la historia
El engaño y la complicidad
De los genocidas que están sueltos
El indulto y el Punto Final
A las bestias de aquel infierno
Todo está guardado en la memoria
Sueño de la vida y de la historia
La memoria despierta para herir
A los pueblos dormidos
Que no la dejan vivir
Libre como el viento
Los desaparecidos que se buscan
Con el color de sus nacimientos
El hambre y la abundancia que se juntan
El maltrato con su mal recuerdo
Todo está clavado en la memoria
Espina de la vida y de la historia
Dos mil comerían por un año
Con lo que cuenta un minuto militar
Cuántos dejarían de ser esclavos
Por el precio de una bomba al mar
Todo está clavado en la memoria
Espina de la vida y de la historia
La memoria pincha hasta sangrar
A los pueblos que la amarran
Y no la dejan andar
Libre como el viento
Todos los muertos de la AMIA
Y los de la Embajada de Israel
El poder secreto de las armas
La justicia que mira y no ve
Todo está escondido en la memoria
Refugio de la vida y de la historia
Fue cuando se callaron las iglesias
Fue cuando el fútbol se lo comió todo
Que los padres palotinos y Angelelli
Dejaron su sangre en el lodo
Todo está escondido en la memoria
Refugio de la vida y de la historia
La memoria estalla hasta vencer
A los pueblos que la aplastan
Y no la dejan ser
Libre como el viento
La bala a Chico Mendez en Brasil
150 mil guatemaltecos
Los mineros que enfrentan al fusil
Represión estudiantil en México
Todo está cargado en la memoria
Arma de la vida y de la historia
América con almas destruidas
Los chicos que mata el escuadrón
Suplicio de Mugica por las villas
Dignidad de Rodolfo Walsh
Todo está cargado en la memoria
Arma de la vida y de la historia
La memoria apunta hasta matar
A los pueblos que la callan
Y no la dejan volar
Libre como el viento

Mothers day is coming soon. This song, written by Isamel Serrano for the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, came up in my song list as I was rocking my baby to sleep. It brought tears to my eyes and reminded me why I chose the path I have. I’ve posted this song before on my blog, but my old blog is now “private”, so I’m posting it again. My translation.
He looks for you, mother, while his body is rocked
by the sea in which he sinks asleep.
He dreams with your embrace, searches for memories
to which to hold on so he won’t fall asleep.
The sea roars, it’s a tempest, a cry.
Who could have sent a thousand angels to heaven?
And he hears your screams, white scarves
cover its waters, the wind brought them.
Send a wave to take away
the traitors who planted so much death.
Boats and castaways hear their voices.
They say “Never, never, forget our names”.
Tell the mothers that someplace,
where it’s needed, we continue fighting.
Mother, your son hasn’t disappared.
Mother, I found him walking with you.
I see him in your eyes, I hear him in your mouth,
and he calls me in everyone of your gestures.
I see him in my struggle and he is with me
among the flames of every new battle.
His strong hands guide mine,
towards a future, always towards victory.
His strong hands guide mine,
towards a future, always towards victory.

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Update – Sorry, the code I had here has been used. When/if I get more, I’ll post them.

Once in a while we get codes for free song downloads from bottle caps. We don’t use them, so I figured I’d write the codes here for anyone who wants to download the song to do so. Newer codes will go on top. This game ends on 4/11 – I don’t know if that’s the deadline to download the songs. If you do use a code, please let me know so I can delete it from here.
Go to www.itunes.com
CODES

Uruguayan singer and songwriter Jorge Drexler won the Oscar for the best song, “Al otro lado del r