Illapu was exiled due to their very liberal viewpoints during the right-wing dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, and returned to Chile in 1988. Their return was captured in the 1989 album `En Vivo: Parque La Bandera', which was a recording of their returning concert.
During their exile from Chile, they spent time in Europe in general and France in particular, where they gained a good amount of fame, as with other similar groups such as Inti Illimani and Los Calchakis.
Illapu comes from the Quechua word for "Lightning Bolt" (Quechua being the language of the Incan empire and still spoken by many Native American groups in South America).
Cuando nada Tengas
Illapu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que se cerraron las puertas tras de ti
Y te ocultasen silencio a decidir
La forma heroica de llegas al fin
Si tocar el fondo te hacer sonreír
Y no quieres con nadie compartir
Si despiertas sin saber adonde ir
Es momento de sembrar en tu jardín
Los colores con los que quieras vestir
Y llenar de estrellas tu cielo gris
Y ver a la media noche el sol salir
Cuando creas que ya es todo para ti
Que no hay beso que despierte tu latir
Del amor escapes por no sufrir
Y la envidia haga carne en tu sentir
Cuando mires sin ver en la ciudad
Y te ahogue vivir en soledad
Cuando ya no tengas nada que pensar
Y al sistema culpes de tu mal
Si tocar el fondo te hacer sonreír
Y no quieres con nadie compartir
Si despiertas sin saber adonde ir
Derrotado sin combatir
Es momento de sembrar en tu jardín
Los colores con los que quieras vestir
Y llenar de estrellas tu cielo gris
Y ver a la media noche el sol salir
The lyrics of Illapu's song "Cuando nada Tengas" speak to the feelings of hopelessness and isolation that can arise when one feels like they have lost everything. The song encourages the listener to find strength within themselves and to plant the seeds of positivity and self-expression in their own lives.
The opening lines suggest a sense of despair and resignation, with the feeling that all doors have closed and the individual is left alone to make a silent decision about how to move forward. The lyrics then describe a curious phenomenon - finding solace in hitting rock bottom and choosing not to share one's pain with others. There is a sense of aimlessness and defeat, waking up without knowing where to go or how to fight back.
The chorus offers a different perspective, urging the listener to sow their own garden with colors that represent the way they want to dress their life. It suggests filling one's sky, which is currently dull and gray, with stars and experiencing the sun rise at midnight. This imagery emphasizes the possibility of transformation and finding beauty even in the darkest times.
The second verse continues to explore moments of despair, when one may feel that everything is against them and love is something to be avoided to avoid suffering. It mentions feeling isolated in a crowded city and blaming the system for one's misfortunes. However, the chorus repeats, reminding the listener that hitting rock bottom can bring a smile and that it is important to find one's own colors and fill their sky with stars.
Overall, "Cuando nada Tengas" is a song that acknowledges the difficulties and challenges of life, but also emphasizes the importance of finding inner strength and embracing positivity to overcome adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Si tu sientes que no vale seguir
If you feel that it's not worth continuing
Que se cerraron las puertas tras de ti
That the doors have closed behind you
Y te ocultasen silencio a decidir
And you hide in silence to decide
La forma heroica de llegas al fin
The heroic way to reach the end
Si tocar el fondo te hacer sonreír
If touching the bottom makes you smile
Y no quieres con nadie compartir
And you don't want to share with anyone
Si despiertas sin saber adonde ir
If you wake up not knowing where to go
Derrotado sin combatir
Defeated without a fight
Es momento de sembrar en tu jardín
It's time to sow in your garden
Los colores con los que quieras vestir
The colors you want to wear
Y llenar de estrellas tu cielo gris
And fill your gray sky with stars
Y ver a la media noche el sol salir
And see the sun rise at midnight
Cuando creas que ya es todo para ti
When you believe that everything is over for you
Que no hay beso que despierte tu latir
That there is no kiss that awakens your heartbeat
Del amor escapes por no sufrir
You escape from love to avoid suffering
Y la envidia haga carne en tu sentir
And envy takes hold of your feelings
Cuando mires sin ver en la ciudad
When you look without seeing in the city
Y te ahogue vivir en soledad
And living in loneliness suffocates you
Cuando ya no tengas nada que pensar
When you no longer have anything to think about
Y al sistema culpes de tu mal
And blame the system for your misfortune
Es momento de sembrar en tu jardín
It's time to sow in your garden
Los colores con los que quieras vestir
The colors you want to wear
Y llenar de estrellas tu cielo gris
And fill your gray sky with stars
Y ver a la media noche el sol salir
And see the sun rise at midnight
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Manuel González
"CUANDO NADA TENGAS ES CUANDO MÁS PUEDES TENER, SOLO ES COSA DE ACTITUD Y VER EL ENTORNO CON LOS OJOS DEL CORAZÓN, SI LOS OTROS LO VEN, SOLO FALTAS TÚ QUE DESPIERTES DEL SUEÑO Y VIVAS LA REALIDAD".
Rolando gabriel Carrizo godoy
Muy buen tema este cuando nada tengas es para levantas el animo a mucha gente en estos tiempos
Gabriela Derza
vuelve a sembrar y creer en esta lluvia maravillosa que unida de un sol que renace nos dara vida nueva, vuelve a creer y vamos por ese APRUEBO. TE AMO HIJITA, ARRIBA AMORCITO QUE SI PODEMOS.
Juana Muñoz
Cancion hermosa de refleccion .
Manuel González
"no se pierde lo que nunca ha tenido, y es cuando mas puedes obtener con solo cambiar la mirada y el horizonte".
Manuel González
"CON HUMOR, SI FOTOS DE MUJERES EN DISTINTAS EDADES ME ENAMORA, FOTOS DE VARONES ME DESANIMAN Y AMARGAN LA EXISTENCIA SI SON MÁS FEOS".
Manuel González
"señorita se puede poner los lentes por favor que con esos ojos está matando a varios, claro que si se los pone me mata a mi".
Gabriela Derza
vuelve a creer y vota APRUEBO