In 2005, Estopa signed a global music publishing deal with BMG Music Publishing.
The name of the group, "Estopa" (tow, in english) refers to when both brothers worked together at a SEAT automobile factory and, in their own words, a boss kept on screaming at them, "¡Dale estopa!" which means something like "Work hard!".
La Matraca
Estopa Lyrics
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So-bran las palabras
No me cuentes mas charangas
Que hoy...estoy doblao!
La piedra filosofal
Es lo que me hace falta
Dame fuego y dime
La mitad de la verdad
Que me organice y te comprenda
Cuando estoy a gusto
No vengas con la matraka
En mi cielo azul celeste estoy
Soy un nublao!
Yo tengo de blues mas lo que tu
Tienes de monja
Dame fuego y dime la verdad
Por la mitad
Que soy una esponja...
Que empiece ya el tira y afloja
Lejos del ebro...vamos al tajo
Dame lo que quiero ya veras que no me rajo
Esta me esta costando trabajo
Comiendo me el coco
No vas a llegar muy lejos
Muy despacito que yo me entienda
Que empiece ya el tira y afloja
Y que te compre el que te comprenda
Muy despacito que soy una esponja
Que empiece ya el tira y afloja
Muy despacito que yo me entienda
Que me organice y te comprenda
Y un viento de sur
Que ya esta cruzando la calle
Me hace recordar
Que yo no vendo mi alma a nadie
Me paro a mirar
En casi todos los escaparates
Ya lo sabes tu
Que soy un poquito cobarde...
Y no me vengas
Con historietas ni monsergas
Muy despacito que soy una esponja
Que empiece ya el tira y afloja
Lejos del ebro...vamos al tajo
Dame lo que quiero ya veras que no me rajo
Esta me esta costando trabajo
Comiendo me el coco
No vas a llegar muy lejos
Muy despacito que yo me entienda
Que empiece ya el tira y afloja
Y que te compre el que te comprenda
Muy despacito que soy una esponja
Que empiece ya el tira y afloja
Muy despacito que yo me entienda
Que me organice y te comprenda
Comiendome el coco
No vas a llegar muy lejos...
Comiendome el coco(x4)
No vas a llegar muy lejos...
Comiendome el coco(x4)
(Gracias a Manu por esta letra)
The song "La Matraca" by Estopa is about someone who has had enough of people lying to them and giving them false stories. The phrase "la matraca" refers to someone who talks and talks, but never says anything worthwhile or truthful. The singer wants the truth, but only half of it, so they can understand and organize their own thoughts. They compare themselves to a sponge, ready to soak up information, but also susceptible to being overwhelmed.
The song talks about being content and not wanting to be bothered with lies or stories, especially when they are in a good place mentally. The singer asserts that they have more blues in them than a nun, which means they know what they're talking about when it comes to being sad or emotional. The phrase "lejos del Ebro" means "far from the Ebro" which is a reference to the Ebro River in Spain. It is a metaphor for being far away from everything that is familiar and comfortable, and moving forward to something new and challenging. The song ends with the singer feeling courageous, ready to face whatever comes their way, but still a little afraid.
Overall, "La Matraca" is a song about wanting the truth, but only enough to understand it, without being overwhelmed or burdened by it. It's a song about being able to move forward, even when things are uncertain or scary.
Line by Line Meaning
La cartas sobre la mesa
The cards are on the table
So-bran las palabras
Words are superfluous
No me cuentes mas charangas
Don't tell me more nonsense
Que hoy...estoy doblao!
Today... I'm doubled over!
La piedra filosofal
The philosopher's stone
Es lo que me hace falta
It's what I need
Dame fuego y dime
Give me fire and tell me
La mitad de la verdad
Half of the truth
Que yo me entienda
So I can understand myself
Que me organice y te comprenda
Organize myself and understand you
Cuando estoy a gusto
When I'm comfortable
No vengas con la matraka
Don't come with the matraka
En mi cielo azul celeste estoy
I'm in my heavenly blue sky
Soy un nublao!
I'm a clouded-over!
Yo tengo de blues mas lo que tu
I have more blues than you
Tienes de monja
Have of a nun
Que empiece ya el tira y afloja
Let the pull and slack begin
Lejos del ebro...vamos al tajo
Away from the Ebro... let's go to work
Dame lo que quiero ya veras que no me rajo
Give me what I want, you'll see that I won't back down
Esta me esta costando trabajo
This is costing me work
Comiendo me el coco
Eating my brain
No vas a llegar muy lejos
You won't get very far
Muy despacito que yo me entienda
Very slowly so I understand myself
Y que te compre el que te comprenda
And let someone else who understands you buy you
Y un viento de sur
And a southern wind
Que ya esta cruzando la calle
That is already crossing the street
Me hace recordar
Reminds me
Que yo no vendo mi alma a nadie
That I don't sell my soul to anyone
Me paro a mirar
I stop to look
En casi todos los escaparates
In almost every shop window
Que soy un poquito cobarde...
That I'm a little cowardly...
Y no me vengas
And don't come to me
Con historietas ni monsergas
With stories or nonsense
Comiendome el coco(x4)
Eating my brain (x4)
No vas a llegar muy lejos...
You won't get very far...
Contributed by Ava D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.