Arbex formed Barrabás in 1971 when his previous band, Alacrán, split. He and Alacrán's bass guitarist and vocalist Ignacio "Iñaki" Egaña were joined by several other musicians in preparation for the recording of their debut album Wild Safari released later that year. These were Filipino guitarist brothers Ricky and Miguel Morales; Portuguese keyboard player Juan Vidal and Cuban percussionist, saxophone and flute player Ernesto "Tito" Duarte.
Wild Safari spawned the hit singles "Woman" and "Wild Safari" which were successful in various countries across Europe and the Americas, including the USA and Canada. The group also toured throughout Latin America.
Arbex removed Egaña from the group after the recording of Wild Safari, and also decided to further reduce his own involvement as a musician, hiring two new members, José Luis Tejada and José María Moll, as vocalist and drummer respectively. Moll had played live with Barrabás from the beginning, with Arbex only playing on Wild Safari. This new line-up recorded two albums, Power in 1973 and ¡Soltad a Barrabás! in 1974. The latter album featured the hit single "Hi-Jack", which reached № 1 in Spain, and was successfully covered by American jazz musician Herbie Mann in 1975.
Moll then left the band after disagreements with the other members, and was replaced by Daniel Louis. With the popularity of disco in the mid-1970s, Barrabás moved in that direction and produced a number of minor hits. There was another line-up change when Tejada and Ricky Morales left to be replaced by Ernie Garrett on guitar and vocals. Garrett was soon forced to leave the band with heart problems and Barrabás disbanded in 1977. Arbex then moved fully towards writing and producing music for other artists.
The group reformed in 1980 with a new line-up. Neither the Morales brothers, Vidal nor Louis were involved, and were replaced by the returning Moll, Costa Rican guitarist "Koky" Maning, bassist "Susy" Gordaliza and keyboard player Armando Pelayo. This line-up recorded two albums before being dropped by their record label, RCA, and subsequently Tejada, Maning, Gordaliza and Pelayo all left. Miguel Morales and Iñaki Egaña then returned for the recording of the 1983 album Prohibido for CBS.
Barrabás continued on a smaller scale afterwards under the leadership of Moll, still accompanied by Egaña and Miguel Morales, with Duarte and other musicians helping out both live and in the studio. A number of albums were recorded in the 1990s, consisting of re-recordings of songs from the 1970s and 1980s.
Barrabás founder Fernando Arbex died in 2003.
Multi-instrumentalist Ernesto "Tito" Duarte died in Spain on 14 July 2003, at age 57.
Tejada died on 20 April 2014 at age 69.
2) Barrabas (UK) are a lyrical acoustic folk project led by vocalist Damon Young.
3) Barrabus (UK) are a band that have been in the UK underground scene for over 20 years. They mix sludgecore, art rock, noise and experimentation in their music, led by the versatile Paul Catten. Their self-titled debut album showcases their varied and vibrant sound, which has won them praise from several metal media outlets, such as KERRANG, METAL HAMMER and TERRORIZER.
Cheer Up
Barrabas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Oh let the Jameson sink in I drink to that, yeah yeah
Don't let the bastards get ya down Turn it around with another round There's a party at the bar
Everybody putcha glasses up
And I drink to that I drink to that Life's too short to be sittin' around miserable
People gon' talk whether you doing bad or good, yeah
Got a drink on my mind
Got my Ray Bans on and I'm feelin' hella cool tonight, yeah
Everybody's vibin'
So don't nobody start a fight, yeah-ah-ah-ah
Cheers to the freakin' weekend I drink to that, yeah yeah
Oh, let the Jameson sink in I drink to that, yeah yeah
Don't let the bastards get ya down Turn it around with another round There's a party at the bar
Everybody putcha glasses up
And I drink to thaaaaat I drink to that Bout to hop on the bar
Put it all on my card tonight, yeah Might be mad in the morning
But you know we goin hard tonight It's getting coyote ugly up in here No tyra It's only up from here
No downward spiral
Got my Ray bans on and I'm feelin' hella cool tonight, yeah
Everybody's vibin'
So don't nobody start a fight, yeah Cheers to the freakin' weekend I drink to that, yeah yeah
The song "Cheer Up" by Barrabas is all about celebrating and enjoying life without caring about what others think. The lyrics encourage listeners to let go of their worries and raise their glasses to the weekend, toasting to life and all its wonderful moments. The song starts with the line: "Cheers to the freakin' weekend, I drink to that, yeah yeah," which sets the tone for the rest of the track. The singer of the song talks about how life is too short to be miserable, and even when people are going through bad times, they should still celebrate and enjoy what they have.
The song encourages listeners to turn things around and keep going, no matter what may be happening. When the lyrics say, "Don't let the bastards get ya down, turn it around with another round," it's an inspiration to not let negative people or situations affect one's mood. There's a sense of defiant positivity in the song that's contagious and motivating. Listeners can relate to the desire to let go, enjoy the present moment and not care about what anyone else thinks.
In summary, "Cheer Up" by Barrabas is an uplifting anthem that encourages listeners to celebrate life and not let negative thoughts or people bring them down. The song invites people to let loose, dance, and raise their glasses, toasting to the good times and looking forward to tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Cheers to the freakin' weekend
A celebratory toast to the upcoming weekend
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Expressing agreement with the toast and willingness to drink alcohol
Oh let the Jameson sink in
Waiting for the whiskey to have an effect
Don't let the bastards get ya down
Encouragement to not be affected by negative people or circumstances
Turn it around with another round
Suggesting the solution to a bad situation is to drink more alcohol
There's a party at the bar
Announcement of a lively atmosphere with lots of people and drinks
Everybody putcha glasses up
Instruction to raise glasses for a toast
Life's too short to be sittin' around miserable
Acknowledgment that life is short and should not be spent being unhappy
People gon' talk whether you doing bad or good, yeah
Recognition that people will always gossip and judge others, regardless of their actions
Got a drink on my mind
Feeling the strong desire to drink
And my mind on my money, yeah
Focusing on finances and how to spend money on drinks and fun
Looking so fine gonna find me a honey
Feeling good and confident, and hoping to attract a romantic partner
Got my Ray Bans on and I'm feelin' hella cool tonight, yeah
Wearing sunglasses and feeling very fashionable and impressive
Everybody's vibin'
Everyone is feeling good and enjoying themselves
So don't nobody start a fight, yeah-ah-ah-ah
A warning to not ruin the positive atmosphere by starting an altercation
Bout to hop on the bar, put it all on my card tonight, yeah
Getting ready to make an extravagant purchase and charge it to a credit card
Might be mad in the morning, but you know we goin hard tonight
Recognizing that there may be consequences for partying too hard, but choosing to ignore them
It's getting coyote ugly up in here, no tyra
Comparing the atmosphere to a wild bar scene from a movie, without the need for a bouncer like Tyra Banks
It's only up from here, no downward spiral
Being optimistic that things will only get better, and not allowing a negative turn of events
Cheers to the freakin' weekend
Repetition of the earlier toast, continuing the celebration
I drink to that, yeah yeah
Reiteration of willingness to participate in the toast and consume more alcohol
Contributed by Colton M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@carlosrobertosolis1411
Think of the town females
To pass the time away
For if you close your mind
You won't feel the pain
Feel all the warmth of life
And meet what lies ahead
Fly through the new sensations
Find yourself a place
Be like me seeking harmonies
Searching all the lights and sounds
Come and follow me
Follow me
@edgardocortes4514
[Introduction]
Seems like the time he knows to pass the time away
for if you close your mind you won’t free the pain
feel other warmth of life and need what lies ahead
flight for the new sensations, find yourself a place
Be like me, seeking harmonies
searching other lights and sound
come and follow me, follow me
Doo, doo, doo, doodoo, [Flute Solo]
@user-ls4ls4mh9j
Toda la juventud nicaraguense bailamos la musica de esta super banda, eramos estudiantes de la nacional de comercio.
@emilioalvarado2878
Super joya musical de la época dorada, visitaron Nicaragua en 1973.
@rafaelramos9672
Los vi en 1973 en la feria Internacional en El salvador..grupazo..!
@user-ls4ls4mh9j
Linfa joya musical, escuchda y bailada por toda nicaragua.
@jacquelineaulet2186
I love you Barrabas!🎼💎💓
@shalomnow
Gracias a quien subio esta cancion, tenia unos doce años cuando salio , todavia estaba en pañales en aquella epoca pero la recuerdo perfectamente pues la juventud de aquellos tiempos ciertamente la bailaban en un ladrillo, y bueno la habia buscado pero no sabia el titulo, casualmente la he encontrado y gracias nuevamente a la persona que la subio me recuerda mi niñez y esos dorados tiempos que no volveran, ¡arriba Barrabas! saludos desde mi pulgarcito EL SALVADOR; C: A:
@kikicoronacanta
Amén Elsa. Amén. Ya no hay tantas canciones así...
@sil2677
Barrabas siempre grandes. Espsña deberia estar orgullosa de esta gente, que llevaron su nombre por todo el mundo, compitiendo de tu a tu, con los grandes del momento. Suerte tuve de verles y escucharles. 1975.
@TheTonjol
Grande lembrança, maravilhoso momentos eu já vivi ao som de Cheer Up, fantástico bailes, grandes voltas nos salões, Good Times !
@sergioviniciogonzalezzeped9826
lo mejor rock de España, para latinoamérica