It was formed in Valladolid (Cas… Read Full Bio ↴Spanish music group of celtic rock.
It was formed in Valladolid (Castilla y León) in 1986. Eight friends, four of which played in the group Almenara decided to participate in a music contest under the name "Colectivo Eurofolk". They won the first prize and continued to play together changing their name to Celtas Cortos.
They won another contest in April 1987, the prize was the production of an album. They shared the prize with two other winners, so they contributed three songs to the album Así es como suena: Folk joven.
Executive producer Paco Martín helped them get out their first album, Salida de emergencia, with only instrumental songs. The next album, Gente Impresentable added the voice and the lyrics of Jesús H. Cifuentes (Cifu) to the powerful instruments. Their celtic rock style was combined with protest and other more melancholic lyrics. Through the years their music mixed with different styles such as Caribbean music, flamenco, electronic music or reggae. Their list of hits include 20 de Abril, La senda del tiempo or Tranquilo Majete.
In 2002 Cifu left the group, a definitive turning point after the departure of César Cuenca and Nacho Martín. In the beginning of 2006 Cifu comes back to the group to prepare their next release, 20 years after their foundation.
On-Off
Celtas Cortos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No queda tiempo. La historia acabó
Muchos ladrillos y muy pocas vidas
Muchas mentiras. Poco R&R
Hay esperanza para lo imposible
Callan las bocas que sienten temor
Por todos lados la idea corre, vuela
Vamos a apagar toda la basura en la televisión
Vamos a cortar las alambradas entre seres humanos
Vamos a apagar las ciberchorradas, al cibermamón
Vamos a cortar: con un solo dedo, pon el on en off
Qué gran momento plantándoles cara
No haciendo nada que sea ilegal
Tan sólo tienes que no hacer nada
Pa' mucha gente es algo muy normal
Un solo día tirado en la cama
Un solo día vivir natural
Que pare el hombre o el mundo se baja
Vamos a hacerlo mejor que fatal
Ya no habrá hielo para los cubatas
Birra caliente tendrás que beber
Quizá sea esa la única forma
Para que tú me quieras comprender
La cuenta atrás nos parece mentira
Y la ignorancia no nos deja ver
Un solo día amando la vida
Dejar que todo vuelva a su ser
The song "On-Off"by Celtas Cortos is a powerful manifesto against the artificiality and falsehood of modern life. The lyrics denounce the proliferation of lies and the lack of time for living truly human experiences, as well as the overemphasis on material possessions and the emptiness of the so-called "rock and roll" lifestyle. The chorus invites the listener to join a collective movement for change, symbolized by turning off all the screens and wires that separate and numb us, and reconnecting with ourselves and our environment.
The first verse suggest that we are reaching a breaking point, where the cost of living a lie has become too high. We are surrounded by too many bricks that represent possessions, rather than lives, and too many lies, with little room left for real rhythm and blues. The second verse offers a glimmer of hope, as a new idea spreads across the land, a desire to switch off and start anew. The chorus amplifies this desire to cut through the noise of modernity and to let natural sounds and sights speak. The third verse perhaps hints that this change might not be easy, that we might have to sacrifice some of our habits and comforts, but that it is worth it, as long as it helps us reconnect with what really matters.
Line by Line Meaning
No hay presupuesto para más mentiras
There's no budget left for more lies
No queda tiempo. La historia acabó
There's no time left. The story is over
Muchos ladrillos y muy pocas vidas
Many bricks and very few lives
Muchas mentiras. Poco R&R
Many lies. Little rest and relaxation
Hay esperanza para lo imposible
There's hope for the impossible
Callan las bocas que sienten temor
Those who are afraid are silenced
Por todos lados la idea corre, vuela
The idea runs and flies everywhere
Vamos a hacer un tremendo apagón
Let's have a huge power outage
Vamos a apagar toda la basura en la televisión
Let's turn off all the trash on television
Vamos a cortar las alambradas entre seres humanos
Let's cut the barbed wire between human beings
Vamos a apagar las ciberchorradas, al cibermamón
Let's turn off the useless cyber stuff and the cyber jerk
Vamos a cortar: con un solo dedo, pon el on en off
Let's cut: with a single finger, switch on and off
Qué gran momento plantándoles cara
What a great moment standing up to them
No haciendo nada que sea ilegal
Not doing anything illegal
Tan sólo tienes que no hacer nada
You just have to do nothing
Pa' mucha gente es algo muy normal
For many people, it's very normal
Un solo día tirado en la cama
Just one day lying in bed
Un solo día vivir natural
Just one day living naturally
Que pare el hombre o el mundo se baja
If man doesn't stop, the world will come down
Vamos a hacerlo mejor que fatal
Let's do it better than fatal
Ya no habrá hielo para los cubatas
There won't be ice for our cocktails anymore
Birra caliente tendrás que beber
You'll have to drink warm beer
Quizá sea esa la única forma
Maybe that's the only way
Para que tú me quieras comprender
For you to understand me and love me
La cuenta atrás nos parece mentira
The countdown seems like a lie to us
Y la ignorancia no nos deja ver
And ignorance doesn't let us see
Un solo día amando la vida
Just one day loving life
Dejar que todo vuelva a su ser
Letting everything return to its essence
Contributed by Carson S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.