Discography:
Primeros ensayos - (1982)
Jodiéndolo Todo - (1983)
Que Corra La Sangre - (1984)
Eskizofrenia - (1984)
Zona Especial Norte - (1985)
Anti Todo - (1986)
Ya no quedan más cojones, Eskorbuto a las elecciones - (1986)
Impuesto revolucionario - (1986)
Los demenciales chicos acelerados - (1987)
Las más macabras de las vidas - (1988)
Demasiados enemigos - (1991)
Aki no keda ni Dios - (1994)
Kalaña - (1996)
Dekadencia - (1998)
Ratas en Vizcaya
Eskorbuto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Una gran nube sucia
No lo pienses, no lo dudes
Altos Hornos de nuestra ciudad
Mirarás las fachadas
Llenas de mierda, llenas de mierda
Desde Santurce a Bilbao, vengo por toda la orilla
Somos ratas en Bizkaia
Y vivimos en un pueblo
Que naufraga, que naufraga, fraga, fraga
El orgulloso puente colgante
Por debajo el gran Nervión
Donde reposan los excrementos
Despidiendo mal olor
En sus orillas cuanta gente
Lucha por subsistir.
Desde Santurce a Bilbao, vengo por toda la orilla
Somos ratas en Bizkaia
Somos ratas contaminadas
Y vivimos en un pueblo
Que naufraga, que naufraga, fraga, fraga
Fraga, naufraga.
The lyrics of Eskorbuto's song "Ratas en Vizcaya" talk about the pollution and degradation of the Biscayan society. The song begins with the singer asking the listener to look up at the sky and see a great dirty cloud, a representation of the contamination and industrialization of the city. The lyrics denounce the pollution caused by the Altos Hornos, the ironworks located in the city. The lyrics are a call to action, to not think twice about the problem and to take action as the situation requires it, "No lo pienses, no lo dudes".
The song continues with the description of the river Nervión, which flows past Bilbao and is severely polluted with industrial waste, giving off a bad smell. The singer sings about the struggle of the people living on its banks to make a living. The chorus repeats the phrase "somos ratas en Bizkaia" or "we are rats in Biscay", which can be interpreted as a metaphor for the degradation of society, but also as a way to reclaim their identity as a subculture.
Ultimately, the song is a critique of the urbanization and industrialization of Biscay, and a call for change. The lyrics are all in Spanish, and while it may be difficult for non-Spanish speakers to understand the nuances of the song, it is a powerful commentary that resonates with people in Biscay and beyond.
Line by Line Meaning
Mirarás al cielo y verás
You will look up to the sky and see
Una gran nube sucia
A big dirty cloud
No lo pienses, no lo dudes
Don't think about it, don't doubt it
Altos Hornos de nuestra ciudad
The steel mills of our city
Mirarás las fachadas
You will look at the facades
Llenas de mierda, llenas de mierda
Full of shit, full of shit
Desde Santurce a Bilbao, vengo por toda la orilla
From Santurce to Bilbao, I come along the entire shore
Somos ratas en Bizkaia
We are rats in Bizkaia
Somos ratas contaminadas
We are contaminated rats
Y vivimos en un pueblo
And we live in a town
Que naufraga, que naufraga, fraga, fraga
That is sinking, that is sinking, fraga, fraga
El orgulloso puente colgante
The proud suspension bridge
Por debajo el gran Nervión
Below the great Nervion River
Donde reposan los excrementos
Where excrement rests
Despidiendo mal olor
Emitting a bad smell
En sus orillas cuanta gente
On its banks so many people
Lucha por subsistir.
Are struggling to survive.
Writer(s): Jesus Maria Exposito Lopez, Francisco Galan Portillo, Juan Manuel Suarez Fernandez
Contributed by Muhammad Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.