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.
La Prima
El Cuarteto De Nos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
no sé muy bien quién le contó y cómo lo supo
me aturdía con sus gritos
escuchá bien lo que dijo
"no sé cómo pudiste hacerme esto a mí
yo que te di de comer y de dormir
¿cómo pudiste atreverte a tanto?"
¿Cómo iba yo a saber que era mi prima?
aparte fue ella que se me tiró encima
tía Noemí siguió insistiendo
mientras me iba persiguiendo
"la culpa es mía por ser tan idiota
dejar en mi casa a culquier marmota
ah, pero me la vas a pagar, truhán"
Una vez que voy
de visita cordial
me echa sin razón
yo no vuelvo más
yo no vuelvo más
Y después de varias horas de carrera
tía Noemí me dió alcance en la perrera
me hizo comer gilette picada
me clavó un garfio en la papada
"si la chiquilina queda embarazada
le arruinás la vida por esta pavada
¿qué van a decir los vecinos?"
Mi primita lloraba desconsolada
claro ahora se hacía la violada
tía Noemí siguió insistiendo
tirándome blocks de cemento
Te aprovechaste de mi bebé
sabés que tiene sólo cuarenta y seis
te encadenarán perpetuamente
Una vez que voy
de visita cordial
me echa sin razón
yo no vuelvo más
yo no vuelvo más
¡chau!
The song "La Prima" by El Cuarteto De Nos tells the story of a young man who is accused of sleeping with his own cousin, much to the outrage of his aunt, Tía Noemí. The opening lines introduce the scene, with the singer expressing confusion over how Tía Noemí found out about the alleged tryst. Tía Noemí's anger is depicted with strong, sharp language – she yells and screams as she chases after the young man, asking how he could betray the family in this way. The song is told from the singer's point of view, and he protests his innocence, claiming he didn't know the girl in question was his cousin and that she was the one who initiated the encounter. However, Tía Noemí is relentless in her accusations and her punishment, eventually catching up with him and forcing him to eat razor blades and stabbing him in the chin with a fishhook.
Despite the heavy subject matter, the song has a humorous and ironic tone, as shown by the use of puns and colloquial expressions such as "culquier marmota" (any old riff-raff) and "te encadenarán perpetuamente" (they'll chain you up forever). The singer's refusal to visit Tía Noemí again – "yo no vuelvo más" – is repeated throughout the song, adding to the sarcastic tone.
Overall, "La Prima" is a darkly comic commentary on family relationships, sexuality, and social norms. It subverts expectations by portraying a scenario that goes against societal values, but in a way that is both humorous and disturbing.
Line by Line Meaning
Te imaginás tía Noemí cómo se puso
Can you imagine, Aunt Noemi, how angry she got?
no sé muy bien quién le contó y cómo lo supo
I don't know who told her and how she found out.
me aturdía con sus gritos
Her shouting was making me feel overwhelmed.
escuchá bien lo que dijo
Listen carefully to what she said.
"no sé cómo pudiste hacerme esto a mí
"I don't know how you could do this to me
yo que te di de comer y de dormir
I who fed and sheltered you.
¿cómo pudiste atreverte a tanto?"
"How dare you do this?"
¿Cómo iba yo a saber que era mi prima?
How could I have known she was my cousin?
aparte fue ella que se me tiró encima
Besides, she was the one who came on to me.
tía Noemí siguió insistiendo
Aunt Noemi kept insisting.
mientras me iba persiguiendo
As she chased after me.
"la culpa es mía por ser tan idiota
"It's my fault for being such an idiot
dejar en mi casa a culquier marmota
For letting any old riffraff into my house.
ah, pero me la vas a pagar, truhán"
But you will pay for this, scoundrel."
Una vez que voy
Once I go
de visita cordial
For a friendly visit
me echa sin razón
She kicks me out for no reason
yo no vuelvo más
I'm never going back again.
yo no vuelvo más
I'm never going back again.
Y después de varias horas de carrera
After hours of running,
tía Noemí me dió alcance en la perrera
Aunt Noemi caught up with me at the pound.
me hizo comer gilette picada
She made me eat minced razor blades.
me clavó un garfio en la papada
She stabbed me with a hook in my jaw.
"si la chiquilina queda embarazada
"If the girl gets pregnant
le arruinás la vida por esta pavada
You will ruin her life for this foolishness.
¿qué van a decir los vecinos?"
"What will the neighbors say?"
Mi primita lloraba desconsolada
My little cousin cried inconsolably.
claro ahora se hacía la violada
Of course, she was pretending to be the victim.
tía Noemí siguió insistiendo
Aunt Noemi kept insisting.
tirándome blocks de cemento
Throwing cinder blocks at me.
Te aprovechaste de mi bebé
You took advantage of my baby.
sabés que tiene sólo cuarenta y seis
You know she's only 46 years old.
te encadenarán perpetuamente
They will chain you up forever.
Una vez que voy
Once I go
de visita cordial
For a friendly visit
me echa sin razón
She kicks me out for no reason
yo no vuelvo más
I'm never going back again.
yo no vuelvo más
I'm never going back again.
¡chau!
Bye!
Contributed by Mia T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.