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.
Nada Es Gratis En La Vida
El Cuarteto De Nos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
El forro del que nací yo
La plata no pudo juntar
Y el embarazo cancelar
Ella invirtió en mi educación
Pero con una condición
Porque le tuve que jurar
Que de vieja no la iba a internar
Difícil de creer
Difícil de explicar
Dijo un troyano joco
De un riego que trae regalos
Sea con dinero o no
Siempre se paga un favor
Y si veo que algo es fácil
Yo dudo enseguida
Pague antes o después
La cuenta va a aparecer
Y está claro de que nada es gratis en la vida
Papá pagó una mina en un bar
Cuando me llevó a debutar
Y por curarme se endeudó
De la peste que me contagió
Sí, sí, ya sé
Esperma done
Pero pobrecito destinatario
Yo tengo Alzheimer hereditario
Y como el jefe comentó
Después que mi sueldo aumentó
Uh
Si la limosna es de cuantía
Hasta el santo desconfía
Sea con dinero o no
Siempre se paga un favor
Y si veo que algo es fácil
Yo dudo enseguida
Pague antes o después
La cuenta va a aparecer
Y está claro de que nada es gratis en la vida
Si será así que lo jodí
Al diablo cuando le vendí
Mi alma que no vale un billete
Se la canjeé por un clarete
Ni honorario, ni voluntario
Soy un sicario y cobro salario
Y no pidan solidaridad
Que yo no hago caridad
No es gratis mi salud
Ni gratis será mi ataúd
Si alguien no pide su tajada
Es porque no vale nada
Sea con dinero o no
Siempre se paga un favor
Y si veo que algo es fácil
Yo dudo enseguida
Pague antes o después
La cuenta va a aparecer
Y está claro de que nada es gratis en la vida
Nada es gratis en la vida
Nada es gratis en la vida
Nada es gratis en la vida
Nada es gratis en la vida
The lyrics of El Cuarteto De Nos's "Nada Es Gratis En La Vida" (Nothing Is Free In Life) talk about how nothing comes without a cost in life. The first verse talks about how the singer's mother invested in their education but with the condition that they wouldn't put her in a nursing home when she gets old. This verse shows how even a parent's investment in their child's education comes with a condition. The second verse tells the story of how the singer's father paid for the singer's first sexual experience but got into debt to cure the singer of the disease they caught from it. The singer also talks about their genetic disease and how their soul is worth nothing, so they became a hired killer. The chorus highlights the fact that nothing comes for free in life, and everything must be paid for, whether with money or otherwise.
The song highlights the harsh truth that nobody does anything without an expectation of something in return, and everything you get in life comes at a price. It talks about how even something as innocent as a parent investing in their child's education comes with a condition. The song explains how a person's kindness symbolizes the payment that will be expected from them in the long run. The verses depict how the various characters in the song have paid a hefty price for their actions. The chorus emphasizes the fact that whether it's something as small as a favor or as important as someone's health, everything must be paid for one way or another.
Line by Line Meaning
Mamá compró y se le rompió
My mother bought something, but it broke.
El forro del que nací yo
The condom that was supposed to prevent my birth.
La plata no pudo juntar
She couldn't save up enough money.
Y el embarazo cancelar
To cancel the pregnancy.
Ella invirtió en mi educación
My mother invested in my education.
Pero con una condición
But with one condition.
Porque le tuve que jurar
I had to promise her.
Que de vieja no la iba a internar
That I wouldn't put her in a nursing home when she's old.
Difícil de creer
Hard to believe.
Difícil de explicar
Difficult to explain.
Dijo un troyano joco
A joking Trojan said.
De un riego que trae regalos
About a stream that brings gifts.
Sea con dinero o no
Whether it's with money or not.
Siempre se paga un favor
A favor is always paid back.
Y si veo que algo es fácil
And if I see something is easy.
Yo dudo enseguida
I immediately doubt it.
Pague antes o después
Pay before or after.
La cuenta va a aparecer
The bill will show up.
Y está claro de que nada es gratis en la vida
And it's clear that nothing is free in life.
Papá pagó una mina en un bar
My father paid for a woman at a bar.
Cuando me llevó a debutar
When he took me out for my first time.
Y por curarme se endeudó
And he got into debt to cure me.
De la peste que me contagió
From the illness I caught.
Sí, sí, ya sé
Yes, yes, I know.
Esperma doné
I donated sperm.
Pero pobrecito destinatario
But poor recipient.
Yo tengo Alzheimer hereditario
I have hereditary Alzheimer's disease.
Y como el jefe comentó
And as my boss commented.
Después que mi sueldo aumentó
After my salary increased.
Uh
Uh.
Si la limosna es de cuantía
If the charity is significant.
Hasta el santo desconfía
Even the saint distrusts it.
No es gratis mi salud
My health is not free.
Ni gratis será mi ataúd
Nor will my coffin be free.
Si alguien no pide su tajada
If someone doesn't ask for their cut.
Es porque no vale nada
It's because they're worthless.
Nada es gratis en la vida
Nothing is free in life.
Nada es gratis en la vida
Nothing is free in life.
Nada es gratis en la vida
Nothing is free in life.
Nada es gratis en la vida
Nothing is free in life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Roberto Foccacio
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind