Otra Piel
Gustavo Cerati Lyrics

The verses of Gustavo Cerati's song "Otra Piel" describe a beautiful afternoon spent reminiscing about a loved one. The opening lines express the singer's longing to see his lover's beauty under the light of the sun. He spends the afternoon looking at the postcard she has sent him, which is shining under the bright light. His thoughts drift to how much he misses her, and how just thinking of her feels like a beautiful and peaceful place. The chorus is powerful and explores the idea that language can be as much an instrument of desire as touch. In the second set of verses, Cerati contemplates how the language of desire is its own skin, its own flesh, its own touch.

The chorus is the highlight of the song. It represents Gustavo's relationship with his lover, how words can become touch, how language can transcend and become physical. It seems like he's thinking about how the spoken word can bring people closer under a common skin devoid of banalities. The song imagines a utopian world where to touch someone you love, all that's needed are messages of desire. In the final verse, the singer reveals that he'll endure the distance between them by reminding himself that he loves her even when he cannot touch her.