Catalan singer-songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat got involved in music at the age of 17, when he got his first guitar, to which he dedicates one of his earliest songs, "Una guitarra."
In early 60's the young artist participated in a pop band playing along with classmates at Barcelona's Agronomy School, doing mainly Beatles stuff and Italian 'pop-of-the-era' songs translated to Spanish.
In 1965, while singing in a radio show called Radioscope, host Salvador Escanilla helped him to get a record deal with local label Edigsa where he recorded his first EP, as well as became part of Els Setze Jutges, a group of Catalan artists aiming to promote a renaissance of Catalan culture after Spanish Franco's dictatorship and make it spread into popular classes.
Joan Manuel Serrat's first live stage performance in 1967 at the Catalan Music Palace, established definitely his name as one of the most important artists inside the 'Nova cançó' ('New Song') movement in Catalonia.
Next year, Spain originally entered Serrat in the Eurovision Song Contest 1968 to sing "La, la, la", but he asked to sing it in Catalan, to which the Spanish authorities would not agree. This would be the first time he came into conflict with the language politics of Francoist Spain, because of his decision to sing in his native Catalan language, repressed by Franco. After the incident, Serrat was hurriedly substituted by Massiel, who won the contest with her Spanish-language version. By that time Serrat's songs were banned and his records burned in the streets. He then traveled to South America and participated in the Rio de Janeiro's World Music Festival, where he took first place with the song "Penélope."
In 1969 Serrat released an album containing songs with texts of Antonio Machado, a well known Spanish poet of late 19th-early 20th century. This album gave him immediate fame in all Spain and Latin America though, in spite of this, his decission to sing in Spanish was still criticized in some nationalistic Catalan circles.
The release of 1971's Mediterráneo LP consolidated the artist worldwide. In 1976, Joan Manuel Serrat was acclaimed for the first time in the U.S.A. while performing in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York.
In late 1974, Serrat was exiled in Mexico due to his condemnation of arbitrary executions under Franco's regime. It wasn't until Franco's death (November 20, 1975) that Serrat was able to return to his homeland.
In January of 1995, the Spanish government gave him a medal for his contribution to the Hispanic culture. That same year, a tribute album called Serrat, Eres único was made to honor his career, featuring artists such as Diego Torres, Ketama, Rosario (Flores), Joaquín Sabina, and Antonio Flores. In the year 2000, the Spanish Association of Authors and Editors (SGAE) awarded him with one of ten Medals of the Century.
In October 2004 he revealed that he had been undergoing treatment for cancer of the bladder and in November that year he cancelled a tour of Latin America and the USA in order to undergo surgery in Barcelona, where he still lives. By that time, his wonderful song "Mediterráneo" was selected as the most important song of the 20th century in Spain.
His recovery was satisfactory, and in 2005 he went on a tour again ("Serrat 100×100") around Spain and Latin America with his lifelong producer and arranger, Ricard Miralles.
A second volume of Serrat, eres único was also released this year, featuring Alejandro Sanz, Estopa, and Pasión+Vega. Around the same time, Cuban artists such as Silvio Rodríguez, Pablo Milanés, Chucho Valdez, and Ibrahim Ferrer came together to make another tribute CD, Cuba le canta a Serrat.
Source: Wikipedia®
Utopia
Joan Manuel Serrat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Perseguida por lebreles que se criaron
En sus rodillas
Y que al no poder seguir su paso, la traicionaron
Y hoy, funcionarios
Del negociado de sueños dentro de un orden
Son partidarios
De capar al cochino para que engorde
Ay Utopía
Cabalgadura
Que nos vuelve gigantes en miniatura
Ay Ay, Utopía
Dulce como el pan nuestro
De cada día!
Quieren prender a la aurora
Porque llena la cabeza de pajaritos
Embaucadora
Que encandila a los ilusos y a los benditos
Por hechicera
Que hace que el ciego vea y el mudo hable
Por subversiva
De lo que está mandado, mande quien mande
Ay Utopía
Incorregible
Que no tiene bastante con lo posible
Ay Ay, Utopía
Que levanta huracanes
De rebeldía!
Quieren ponerle cadenas
Pero, quién es quien le pone puertas al monte?
No pases pena
Que antes que lleguen los perros, será un buen hombre
El que la encuentre
Y la cuide hasta que lleguen mejores días
Sin utopía
La vida sería un ensayo para la muerte
Ay Utopía
Cómo te quiero
Porque les alborotas el gallinero
Ay Ay, Utopía
Que alumbras los candiles
Del nuevo día!
In Joan Manuel Serrat's song "Utopía," the concept of utopia is presented as a journey through the mountains, pursued by hunting dogs that were raised on its knees. The utopia is then betrayed by the dogs and left for government officials to manipulate into an orderly system of dreaming. These officials now advocate for the castration of the pig to fatten it up. The song goes on to describe how Aurora, the goddess of dawn, is persecuted for filling people's heads with whimsical ideas and for being a subversive influence on the established structure.
Throughout the song, utopia is described as an untamable force that cannot be limited by what is considered possible or acceptable. It can cause rebellion and upheaval, but it also offers hope and illuminates new possibilities for the future. The refrain "Ay Utopía" reinforces this sense of hope and adoration for the notion of utopia, which is described as a small but powerful light illuminating the way to a better tomorrow.
Overall, the song is a powerful meditation on the value of hope and imagination in creating a better world, and the dangers that such notions can offer to those who are not ready to accept their transformative power.
Line by Line Meaning
Se echó al monte la utopía
The idea of a perfect society has escaped society's grasp and is now being pursued by those who wish to bring it to fruition.
Perseguida por lebreles que se criaron En sus rodillas Y que al no poder seguir su paso, la traicionaron
Chased by those who created it but ultimately abandoned because they cannot sustain it.
Y hoy, funcionarios Del negociado de sueños dentro de un orden Son partidarios De capar al cochino para que engorde
Those in power who claim to support the idea of utopia only work to maintain their status quo and prevent it from becoming a reality.
Ay Utopía Cabalgadura Que nos vuelve gigantes en miniatura Ay Ay, Utopía Dulce como el pan nuestro De cada día!
Utopia is like a magical creature that can make us feel empowered and inspire us to be better versions of ourselves.
Quieren prender a la aurora Porque llena la cabeza de pajaritos Embaucadora Que encandila a los ilusos y a los benditos Por hechicera Que hace que el ciego vea y el mudo hable Por subversiva De lo que está mandado, mande quien mande
The powerful are afraid of utopia because it inspires people to think outside of their prescribed roles and to speak up against the status quo.
Ay Utopía Incorregible Que no tiene bastante con lo posible Ay Ay, Utopía Que levanta huracanes De rebeldía!
Utopia is unstoppable and will continue to inspire people to fight against oppression and inequality.
Quieren ponerle cadenas Pero, quién es quien le pone puertas al monte? No pases pena Que antes que lleguen los perros, será un buen hombre El que la encuentre Y la cuide hasta que lleguen mejores días Sin utopía La vida sería un ensayo para la muerte
The powerful may try to suppress utopia, but it will ultimately prevail in the hands of those who value it and work diligently towards it.
Ay Utopía Cómo te quiero Porque les alborotas el gallinero Ay Ay, Utopía Que alumbras los candiles Del nuevo día!
Utopia is dearly loved because it inspires people to stand up against oppression and strive towards a better future.
Writer(s): Joan Manuel Serrat
Contributed by Charlie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cintaguilredondo754
Serrat ha sido y es el mejor cantautor de este país, es un artista y un filósofo...además de poeta...
@antoniocastellano6588
SIN UTOPIA, LA VIDA SERIA UN ENSAYO PARA LA MUERTE............
ERES UN GENIO DE LA MUSICA Y LA POESIA SERRAT..
@tiffanypaola4520
ES LA MEJOR MÚSICA FILOSÓFICA EN EL MUNDO, SU METAFORISMO DIFUNDE SUS IDEAS ULTRA.
@j.l.navarromarin
Como todas una maravilla.
@rubendonadio6872
que maravilla tener utopìas ...en buenos aires a fines del 2019
@jarp8481
...como te quierooo porque les alborotas el gallineroo...¡¡¡¡ Genial el nano y acompañado de la inmejorable guitarra de Paco de Lucia¡¡¡
@3000marce
" dulce como el pan nuestro de cada día"
@marcelojuliogallo3179
Joan manuel para siempre
@marcelojuliogallo3179
Ùtòpia es la sublime bellesa de lo escencial
@monicasilviasuez2693
ESTA ES LA ORIGINAL '', UTOPIA'' , CON EL ACOMPAÑAMIENTO EN GUITARRA DE PACO DE LUCÍA, QUE LAMENTABLEMENTE HOY 26 DE FEBRERO DE 2014 , SE ACABA DE IR DE ESTE MUNDO ,SERRAT DEBE TENER UN DIA MUY TRISRE, OTRO AMIGO QUE SE FUE...
DESCANSA EN PAZ, MAESTRO PACO DE LUCIA.
AMEN!!!