In March 1987 they released Soy una arveja, an album which unlike their previous record featured dark, humorous and satirical lyrics based around characters from the city of Tajo, a fictional city (an inside-joke between the members). This would also be their first album to feature the drummer Álvaro Pintos.
They would later release Emilio Garcia in 1988 and Canciones del Corazon in 1991. However, in 1994 with the release of Otra navidad en las trincheras the band unexpectedly gained massive popularity in Uruguay and stopped being a cult band. This caused Otra navidad en las trincheras to become the #1 best selling album in the country for a long time.
After the success of their previous album they released Barranca Abajo, a concept album revolving around the life of a fictional character named José Barrancas created by the band. The next year El tren bala was released and generated controversy throughout the country due to the Ministry of Education and Culture's attempts to ban the album over the song "El dia que Artigas se emborracho" which made fun of uruguayan national hero José Gervasio Artigas. However, this only expanded the group's popularity. Afterwards Revista ¡¡Ésta!! was released in 1998.
Riki Musso temporarily left the band in 2000 before the release of Cortamambo due to differences with their label and bandmates about the album cover. However, his brother convinced him to stay. Their 2004 self-titled album was the first to feature Juan Campodonico who would later produce all of their post-Cortamambo discography including Raro, a power pop album which made the band well known in other countries, allowing them to tour through South America. Riki would leave the band a second time due to musical differences with Bipolar being his last contribution to El Cuarteto de Nos.
Gustavo Antuña replaced guitarist Riki Musso in 2010 and joined the band alongside keyboardist Santiago Marrero. The first album to feature them both was the more pop rock influenced Porfiado which won two latin grammy awards.
Así Soy Yo
El Cuarteto De Nos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y así no sufro de sinsabores
Con todo el mundo estoy a mano
Como no juego, ni pierdo ni gano
No tengo mucho ni tengo poco
Como no opino no me equivoco
Y como metas yo no me trazo
Alegría y tristeza es lo mismo para mí
Que no me interesa sentir
Porque en el ángulo de la vida
Yo he decidido ser la bisectriz
Oh, así soy yo
No me involucro en la pareja
Y así no sufro cuando me dejan
A nadie quise jamás en serio
Y entonces nunca lloro en los entierros
No pasa nada si no me muevo
Por eso todo me chupa un huevo
Y no me mata la indecisión
Si "should I stay, o should I go"
Ojos que no ven corazón que no siente
Dijo un ciego cornudo una vez
Y no soy como Hamlet Perez
No me importa nada si ser o no ser
Oh, así soy yo
Dirán algunos, "Ay! que insensible" (Ay! que insensible)
Otros dirán "Que vacío y simple" (Vamo' Roberto)
Y esas palabras las lleva el viento
Como no escucho, no me caliento
No estoy arriba ni abajo
Ya ni mejoro ni voy a empeorar
Y como nunca empiezo nada
No me pone ansioso poder terminar
Oh, así soy yo
Oh, así soy yo
Oh, así soy yo
Oh, así soy yo
(Así) Oh, así soy yo
(Así) Oh, así soy yo
(Así) Oh, así soy yo
The song "Así Soy Yo" by El Cuarteto De Nos talks about a person who has decided to live life on their own terms. They do not have any pains, loves or opinions, which makes them immune to disappointments. This person is not involved in any romantic relationships and thereby is not affected when they are left. They do not feel any emotions, be it happiness or sadness, and have decided to be neutral. They are not bothered by the indecision of whether to stay or leave. The person has decided to live life without starting anything, thereby avoiding anxiety about finishing it. The song emphasizes how this person chose to live life in their own way - without getting involved in anything that could lead to disappointments.
The lyrics suggest that this individual is content with their life because they have adopted a neutral stance towards everything. They don't allow their emotions to get the better of them, and because of this, they can move on from negative situations without feeling hurt or affected. They do not bear any grudges or regrets, which prevents them from feeling sad or nostalgic, and thus, this person is at peace with themselves. By saying "alegría y tristeza es lo mismo para mí", they mean that they do not derive any pleasure from anything or feel any pain, which is why they don't get involved in situations that could lead to such emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
No tengo penas ni tengo amores
I don't have any sorrows or love affairs
Y así no sufro de sinsabores
Thus, I do not suffer from tribulations
Con todo el mundo estoy a mano
I am at peace with everyone
Como no juego, ni pierdo ni gano
Since I do not play, I neither win nor lose
No tengo mucho ni tengo poco
I have neither too much nor too little
Como no opino no me equivoco
As I do not give opinions, I do not err
Y como metas yo no me trazo
I don't set goals for myself
Nunca supe lo que es un fracaso
I have never experienced failure
Alegría y tristeza es lo mismo para mí
Happiness and sadness are the same to me
Que no me interesa sentir
I am not interested in feeling anything
Porque en el ángulo de la vida
Because in the angle of life,
Yo he decidido ser la bisectriz
I have decided to be the bisector
No me involucro en la pareja
I do not involve myself in relationships
Y así no sufro cuando me dejan
Thus, I do not suffer when someone leaves me
A nadie quise jamás en serio
I have never seriously loved anyone
Y entonces nunca lloro en los entierros
So I never cry at funerals
No pasa nada si no me muevo
Nothing happens if I do not move
Por eso todo me chupa un huevo
That's why I don't care about anything
Y no me mata la indecisión
Indecision does not kill me
Si 'should I stay, o should I go'
If it's 'should I stay or should I go'
Ojos que no ven corazón que no siente
'Out of sight, out of mind'
Dijo un ciego cornudo una vez
Said a blind man who was cheated on once
Y no soy como Hamlet Perez
And I am not like Hamlet Perez
No me importa nada si ser o no ser
It doesn't matter to me whether to be or not to be
Dirán algunos, 'Ay! que insensible' (Ay! que insensible)
Some will say, 'Oh, how insensitive!' (Oh, how insensitive!)
Otros dirán 'Que vacío y simple' (Vamo' Roberto)
Others will say, 'How empty and simple' (C'mon Roberto)
Y esas palabras las lleva el viento
Those words are carried away by the wind
Como no escucho, no me caliento
Since I do not listen, I do not get angry
No estoy arriba ni abajo
I am neither above nor below
Ya ni mejoro ni voy a empeorar
I am not going to improve or get worse anymore
Y como nunca empiezo nada
And since I never start anything
No me pone ansioso poder terminar
I am not anxious to finish
Oh, así soy yo
Oh, that's how I am
(Así) Oh, así soy yo
(That's how) Oh, that's how I am
(Así) Oh, así soy yo
(That's how) Oh, that's how I am
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBERTO FOCCACIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind