Fernando Otaro found his voice as a writer, musician and bandleader when, a… Read Full Bio ↴Fernando Otaro found his voice as a writer, musician and bandleader when, at the urging of one of his music teachers, he began to incorporate the indigenous sounds of his native Buenos Aires into his work. He was just a teenager then, but an exceptionally gifted one, a serious student of classical music with an ability to master a variety of instruments from a very young age. As he recalls, a guitar and composition instructor, Marcel Braga Saral, showed me the possibility of developing something with roots and sound of tango. Not necessarily tango itself, but music I heard as a child, the sound in the streets. I started working with a bandoneon player and tried my first project, which I called X Tango.

20 years have passed since Otero opened his ears to this wealth of ideas, and ever since he has pursued his vision of X Tango. On Nonesuch debut "Pagina da Buenos Aires" he evokes a felling of Buenos Aires. But the world Otero conjures up is all his own. Tango is a jumping-off point for an instrumental sound that boasts the improvisatory thrill of jazz within a more formal classical structure. His work is often short, fast-paced and intense, full of enough dramatic stops and starts to astonish first-time listeners.

Otero has composed and performed with recital symphonies and chamber groups in the US and Mexico. Actress Salam Hyek introduced Quincy Jones to Otero; subsequently Jones arrived unannounced backstage after Otero peformed a solo piano recital in Los Angeles, offering advice, encouragement and an open-ended invitation to do a project with him. Otero has collaborated with Bill Evans, sideman Eddied Gomez, flautist Dave Valentin and pianist/film composer Dave Grusin among others. He played with Chico O'Farrill's Jazz Orchestra at Linclon Center; and he's joined clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera on stage and in the studio.

Union
Fernando Otero Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus]
(One for all, one for all)
(It's all it's all for one)
Let's start a union, calling every human
It's one for all and all for one
Let's live in unison, calling every citizen
It's one for all and all for one

We don't want war, can't take no more
It's drastic time for sure
We need a antidote and a cure
Coz do you really think Mohamed got a problem with Jehovah
We don't want war imagine if any prophet was alive
In current days amongst you and I
You think they'd view life like you and I do
Or would they sit and contemplate on why
Do we live this way, act and behave this way
We still live in primitive today
Coz the peace in the destination of war can't be the way
There's no way, so people, just be a woman, be a man
Realize that you can't change the world by changing yourself
And understand that we're all just the same
So when I count to three let's change

[Chorus]

Got no time for grand philosophy
I barely keep my head above the tide
I got this mortgage, got three kids at school
What you're saying is the truth, but really troubles me inside
I'd change the world if I could change my mind
If I could live beyond my fears
Exchanging unity for all my insecurity
Exchanging laughter for my tears

[Chorus]

I don't know, y'all, we in a real deposition
In the midst of all this negative condition
Divided by beliefs, different sink and religion
Why do we keep missing the point in our mission?
Why do we keep killing each other, what's the reason?
God made us all equal in his vision
I wish that I could make music as a religion
Then we could harmonize together in this mission
Listen, I know it's really hard to make changes
But two of us could help rearrange this curse
Utilizing all the power in our voices
Together we will unite and make the right choice
And fight for education, save the next generation
Come together as one
I don't understand why it's never been done
So let's change on the count of one

It takes one, just one
And then one follows the other one
And then another follows the other one
Next thing you know you got a billion
People doing some wonderful things
People doing some powerful things
Let's change and do some powerful things
Unity could be a wonderful thing

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Fernando Otero's song "Union" is a call for unity and solidarity, urging all humans to work together for the betterment of society. The song highlights the need to put an end to wars and conflicts, to dissolve cultural and religious differences, and to embrace the idea that all individuals are equal. The chorus of the song repeats, "One for all, and all for one", emphasizing that changes can only be made if everyone comes together and works towards a common goal. The song acknowledges that change may require sacrifice and hard work, but the ultimate goal of harmony and unity is worth the effort.

The first verse suggests that religion is often a source of division and conflict between different groups. Otero questions whether any prophet, if they were alive today, could uphold the values of peace and compassion they preached in the face of contemporary issues. He also suggests that society still operates in primitive ways, where war is seen as a solution to problems rather than a cause of more significant issues. The second verse is more introspective, acknowledging that changing the world is hard and that it first requires changing oneself. Otero admits that he has his share of fears and insecurity, but he is willing to exchange it for laughter and unity.

Line by Line Meaning

(One for all, one for all)
We are all in this together.

(It's all it's all for one)
We should work together for the common good.

Let's start a union, calling every human
Let's come together and work towards a common goal.

It's one for all and all for one
We should work together for the common good.

Let's live in unison, calling every citizen
We should all work together towards a common purpose.

We don't want war, can't take no more
War is not the answer and we need to find a better solution.

It's drastic time for sure
We are facing a serious situation.

We need a antidote and a cure
We need a solution to our problems.

Coz do you really think Mohamed got a problem with Jehovah
Do religious differences really matter?

We don't want war imagine if any prophet was alive
If religious figures were alive today, would they approve of war?

In current days amongst you and I
In the modern-day and age, where we all live.

You think they'd view life like you and I do
Would they have the same perspective on life as we do?

Or would they sit and contemplate on why
Would they question the purpose of our current behavior?

Do we live this way, act and behave this way
Do our current actions and behaviors reflect the best version of ourselves?

We still live in primitive today
We are still living in a primitive way when it comes to handling conflicts.

Coz the peace in the destination of war can't be the way
We cannot achieve peace through violent means.

There's no way, so people, just be a woman, be a man
We should take responsibility and be the change we want to see in the world.

Realize that you can't change the world by changing yourself
Individual actions can lead to collective change.

And understand that we're all just the same
We are all human beings with the same aspirations and desires.

So when I count to three let's change
It's time for us to make a change together.

Got no time for grand philosophy
We don't have time to think about big ideas.

I barely keep my head above the tide
I am struggling to keep up with the demands of life.

I got this mortgage, got three kids at school
I have financial obligations and a family to take care of.

What you're saying is the truth, but really troubles me inside
I agree with the message, but it also makes me feel uneasy.

I'd change the world if I could change my mind
Our thoughts and beliefs can influence our actions and the world around us.

If I could live beyond my fears
Fear can hold us back from making positive changes.

Exchanging unity for all my insecurity
Replacing insecurity with a sense of unity to make a positive impact.

Exchanging laughter for my tears
Transforming sadness into joy through collective efforts.

I don't know, y'all, we in a real deposition
We are in a difficult situation.

In the midst of all this negative condition
Amidst all the negativity around us.

Divided by beliefs, different sink and religion
Our differences in beliefs, culture, and religion are keeping us apart.

Why do we keep missing the point in our mission?
Why have we not yet succeeded in achieving our goals?

Why do we keep killing each other, what's the reason?
What drives us to resort to violence and hatred?

God made us all equal in his vision
We are all equal in the eyes of God.

I wish that I could make music as a religion
Music has the power to bring people together and heal differences.

Then we could harmonize together in this mission
We could work together in harmony to achieve our goals.

Listen, I know it's really hard to make changes
Making changes is not easy, but it's necessary.

But two of us could help rearrange this curse
Small efforts can lead to large-scale changes.

Utilizing all the power in our voices
We can use our voices to make a difference.

Together we will unite and make the right choice
We need to come together and make the right decision for the greater good.

And fight for education, save the next generation
We need to work towards a better future for the next generation.

Come together as one
We need to come together as a unified force to make a difference.

I don't understand why it's never been done
It's puzzling why we have not been able to achieve this before.

So let's change on the count of one
Let's make a collective effort to bring about positive change.

It takes one, just one
One person can make a difference.

And then one follows the other one
More people can join in and make a larger impact.

And then another follows the other one
Small efforts can build up to create a larger effect.

Next thing you know you got a billion
Collective efforts can lead to large-scale change with significant impact.

People doing some wonderful things
Positive actions and efforts can lead to wonderful outcomes.

People doing some powerful things
Positive actions and efforts can lead to powerful outcomes.

Let's change and do some powerful things
We need to change our ways and work towards positive outcomes.

Unity could be a wonderful thing
Collective unity can create wonderful outcomes.

[Chorus]
We need to come together and work towards a common purpose.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALLAN PINEDA, WILL ADAMS, GORDON SUMNER, GEORGE JR PAJON, STACY FERGUSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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