Born Aug 22, 1961 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he began his professional musical career at the age of 17 playing keyboards in Raíces.
In 1981 he incorporated to one of the main bands of the Argentinean '80s rock scene: Los Abuelos de la Nada. Although the band was led by the brilliant Miguel Abuelo, Calamaro composed most of the band's hits, like "Mil Horas," "Así es el calor," "Sin gamulán" and "Costumbres Argentinas."
In 1984 he made his solo debut with Hotel Calamaro. The album was a bizarre mix of styles and musicians, and didn't gain public or press support.
In 1985 he left Los Abuelos de la Nada and registered his second album Vida Cruel. Inspite of the important musicians and guests, such as Luis Alberto Spinetta and Charly García, the album was a disappointment: both commercially and artistically. But if as a songwriter the luck was out of reach, he had an intense and successful work as a producer of bands like Los Enanitos Verdes, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Don Cornelio y la zona. He also worked and collaborated with many artists of different styles and genres, a constant attitude through his whole career. The third album Por Mirarte showed Calamaro in a better shape with an established band. Released in 1988 it contains some outstanding songs such as "Con los dientes apretados" and "Me olvidé de los demás," while others like "Cartas sin Marcar" and "Loco por tí" helped the album to get popular.
When Calamaro released in 1989 Nadie Sale Vivo de Aquí, Argentina was living it's worst economical crisis: few albums were released. The album title suggest it all: Nobody comes out alive from here. The LP production was paralyzed, and the few that could make it were almost ignored. That was Calamaro's case. This situation lead the singer to settle in Spain, following a road taken by many Argentinean rockers. Out there in Spain he met Ariel Rot y Javier Infante, former members of Tequila. They formed Los Rodríguez in 1991, a pop-rock band that was very popular in Spain and Latin America: Calamaro's songs began to be popular like in the early '80s: the hit maker was on the road again. Curiously, from Spain, he was conquering Argentina. While being part of the band he didn't release any new solo material, just Grabaciones Encontradas 1 y 2, a couple of CDs that contained unreleased and rare material from the '80s.
After the split of Los Rodríguez, Calamaro returned to his solo career recording Alta Suciedad in 1997, an album produced by Joe Blaney. This album brought him the commercial success that seemed to fail in his previous solo efforts, and sold 300.000 copies just in Argentina. That is certainly a huge amount for the country's small market. No doubts, that album helped him to be placed between the star legends of the national rock scene. Before that album Calamaro was considered an important character, appreciated by other musicians, but not a main one. After he broke up with his spanish girlfriend he released in 1999 the double CD Honestidad Brutal. Recorded when he was 37, it contained 37 songs of despair, love loss, drugs and regret. It was not as successful at the previous album, but showed a new Calamaro: desperate, decadent and often elegant at the same time, with a new and raw lyrical approach. El Salmon followed in spring 2001.
Calamaro's next proyect, El Cantante, was released in 2005. A delicious mixture of tango, rock n'roll and flamenco guitars (mostly played by spanish prodigy El Niño Josele).
After a break, he returned to the stages with a tour full of classics that gave birth to a live album called El Regreso on 2005, recorded with members of Bersuit Vergarabat as a backing band. This album was very well received for the charts as well as for the critics, wich lead him to different awards. One year later, on 2006, Andres published a new album from the roots of tango with the collaboration of guitarrists Niño Josele and Juanjo Dominguez. On 2007 El palacio de las flores was published, although it was recorded on 2006. The album had the collaboration and musical influence of argentine composer Lito Nebbia and was also recorded on his studio. This was the return to a classic Calamaro album with new songs and hits.
Paloma
Andrés Calamaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Con un sólo paracaídas
Uno solo va a quedar
Volando a la deriva
Vivir así, no es vivir
Esperando y esperando
Porque vivir es jugar
Y yo quiero seguir jugando
Sin gloria pero sin pena
No cometas el crimen varón
Si no vas a cumplir la condena
Quiero vivir dos veces
Para poder olvidarte
Quiero llevarte conmigo
Y no voy a ninguna parte
No te preocupes paloma
Hoy no estoy adentro mío
Tu amor es mi enfermedad
Soy un envase vació
No te preocupes paloma
No hay pájaros en el nido
Dos ilusiones se irán a volar
Pero otras dos han venido
Si me olvido de vivir
Colgado del sentimiento
Voy a vivir para repetir
Otra vez, este momento
Te bajaría del cielo mujer
La luna hasta tu cama
Porque es muy poco de amor
Solo una vez por semana
Puse precio a mi libertad
Y nadie quiso pagarlo
Te cambio tu corazón por el mío
Para mirarlo y mirarlo
Ampas de gloria mujer
Quiero un pedazo de cielo
Para invitarte a dormir
En la cama o en el suelo
Un sacrificio ritual
Bien o mal
Yo quiero hacerla mi estrella
Sin principio ni final
No puedo vivir sin ella
Quiero vivir dos veces
Para poder olvidarte
Quiero llevarte conmigo
Y no voy a ninguna parte
No te preocupes paloma
Hoy no estoy adentro mío
Tu amor es mi enfermedad
Soy un envase vació
No te preocupes paloma
No hay pájaros en el nido
Dos ilusiones se irán a volar
Pero otras dos han venido
In the first stanza of Paloma, Andres Calamaro sings about taking a risk in a relationship with only one parachute, and how one of them will be left drifting through life after the relationship ends. He says that living like that isn't really living, it's just waiting for something to happen. But he wants to keep playing the game of life and not give up. He then tells his heart not to commit a crime (presumably falling in love) if it's not willing to face the consequences of the fallout.
In the second stanza, Calamaro sings about wanting to keep living, but needing to forget someone. He wants to take that person with him, but also wants to go nowhere. He assures his loved one, the Paloma, that it's not her fault he is feeling down and empty, and that he is still carrying on with life. He then talks about wanting to hold his lover close, but also wanting to be free. He puts a price on his freedom, but nobody wants to pay it, and so he wants to trade hearts with her just to look at it. Calamaro ends by saying that he wants to make this lady his star, with no beginning or end, and that he can't live without her.
Paloma is a beautiful and haunting song that displays Calamaro's longing and vulnerability. The lyrics are reflective and show the complexities of love and relationships. The use of Paloma, meaning dove, is also significant as the white bird is often symbolic of peace, love and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Mi vida fuimos a volar
I took a risk and flew away with someone I love
Con un sólo paracaídas
We only had one parachute, so only one of us will make it safely
Uno solo va a quedar
Only one of us will survive
Volando a la deriva
Surviving without direction
Vivir así, no es vivir
Living without taking risks is not really living
Esperando y esperando
Waiting and waiting
Porque vivir es jugar
Living is like playing
Y yo quiero seguir jugando
I want to keep playing
Le dije a mi corazón
I spoke to my heart
Sin gloria pero sin pena
Without fame or shame
No cometas el crimen varón
Don't commit a crime if you are not prepared to face the consequences
Si no vas a cumplir la condena
If you're not willing to accept the punishment
Quiero vivir dos veces
I wish I could live twice
Para poder olvidarte
So that I could forget about you
Quiero llevarte conmigo
I want to take you with me
Y no voy a ninguna parte
But I'm not going anywhere
No te preocupes paloma
Don't worry my dove
Hoy no estoy adentro mío
I don't feel like myself today
Tu amor es mi enfermedad
Your love is my illness
Soy un envase vació
I'm an empty shell
No hay pájaros en el nido
There are no birds in the nest
Dos ilusiones se irán a volar
Two dreams will fly away
Pero otras dos han venido
But two more have come
Si me olvido de vivir
If I forget to live
Colgado del sentimiento
Lost in my emotions
Voy a vivir para repetir
I'll just keep repeating the same thing
Otra vez, este momento
This moment over and over again
Te bajaría del cielo mujer
I would bring you down from the heavens, my lady
La luna hasta tu cama
I'd bring the moon to your bedside
Porque es muy poco de amor
Because this is such a small gesture of love
Solo una vez por semana
Only once a week
Puse precio a mi libertad
I put a price on my freedom
Y nadie quiso pagarlo
And no one was willing to pay it
Te cambio tu corazón por el mío
I'd trade my heart for yours
Para mirarlo y mirarlo
So I can look at it all the time
Ampas de gloria mujer
Hail to the glory of a woman
Quiero un pedazo de cielo
I want a piece of the sky
Para invitarte a dormir
So I can invite you to sleep
En la cama o en el suelo
Anywhere, anytime
Un sacrificio ritual
A ritual sacrifice
Bien o mal
Right or wrong
Yo quiero hacerla mi estrella
I want to make you my star
Sin principio ni final
Without beginning or end
No puedo vivir sin ella
I can't live without her
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andres Calamaro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind