Joaquín Sabina, is the second son of Adela Sabina del Campo and Jerónimo Martinez Gallego, which was a policeman. He attended a Carmelite primary school and he started writing his firsts poems and composing music at 14 years old. He was part of a band called Merry Youngs which imitated singers such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry or Little Richard.
In 1968 he enrolled in the University of Granada, but went into exile in London, using a fake passport, to avoid Francisco Franco's persecution. In London, he collaborated with other young artists in theater and cultural events.
In 1975, he started composing songs and singing at local bars. When the dictatorship ended in 1977 he returned to Spain and enrolled in the military.
In 1978 his first album, Inventario (Inventory), debuted with the number-one hit single Pongamos que hablo de Madrid (Let's say I'm talking about Madrid).
Afterwards, he released Malas compañías (The Wrong Crowd) and a live album called La mandrágora (The Mandragora), which caused much controversy due to the racy content of its lyrics. Spain was just coming out of the dictatorship, and Sabina's favorite topics have always been deemed "morally inappropriate" by some: the homeless, prostitutes, drunks, and Robin Hood-styled thieves. He is very much anti-stablishment.
In 1983 he released Ruleta Rusa (Russian Roulette) and two years later, Juez y parte (Judge and Jury). His political views led him to take part in the anti-NATO movement. He later published Joaquín Sabina y Viceversa.
In 1987 he released Hotel, dulce hotel (Hotel, Sweet Hotel), which sold a large number of records in Spain. That success followed with his next album El hombre del traje gris (The Man in The Gray Suit), and followed with a successful tour of South America.
In 1990 he released Mentiras piadosas (White Lies) and two years later Física y química (Physics and Chemistry), which led to another successful tour of the Americas.
His later albums Esta boca es mía (These Lips are Mine), Yo, mi, me contigo (I, Me, With You) and 19 días y 500 noches (19 Days and 500 Nights), won him recognition and multiple platinum albums.
After recovering from a stroke, he returned to the stage in 2002 with Dímelo en la calle (Let's Take It Outside). He later released a double album called Diario de un peatón (Diary of A Pedestrian), which included both his previous album and 12 new songs, along with a book illustrated by him.
In 2005 his new record Alivio de luto (Mourning Relief), put him in track to being one of the biggest names in Spanish musical stardom. The album comes with a DVD that includes interviews, music videos, acoustic versions of the songs and some home-made recordings.
Pájaros de Portugal
Joaquín Sabina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y se les antojó más triste
Que en la tele, pájaros de Portugal
Sin dirección ni alpiste
Ni papeles
Él le dijo vámonos
Dónde le respondió
Lejos del altar mayor
En el velero pobretón
De una botella
Despójate del añil
Redil del alma de nardo
Con camisa
Devuélveme el mes de abril
Se llamaban Abelardo y Eloisa
Arcángeles bastardos de la prisa
Alumbraron el amanecer muertos de frío
Se arroparon con la sensatez del desvarío
Tuyo y mío de vuelta al hogar
Qué vacío deja la ansiedad
Qué vergüenza tendrán sus papás
Sin alas para volar
Prófugos del instituto
Y de la cama, pájaros de Portugal
Apenas dos minutos
Mala fama
Luego la guardia civil
Les decomisó el sudor
Y la sonrisa, las postales de estoril
Sin posada, sin escudos
Y sin visa
Se llamaban Abelardo y Eloisa
Bucearon contra el Everest
Y se ahogaron
Nadie les enseño a merecer
El amparo de la virgen de la soledad
Qué pequeña es la luz de los faros
Bucearon contra el Everest
Y se ahogaron
Nadie les enseño a merecer
El amparo de la virgen de la soledad
Qué pequeña es la luz de los faros
De quien sueña con la libertad
The lyrics of Joaquin Sabina's "Pajaros de Portugal" tell the story of Abelardo and Eloisa, two young lovers who, feeling trapped and restricted by their lives, run away together. They are "birds of Portugal" without direction or destination, and they leave behind the solemnity of the cathedral ("altar mayor") and the routine of their daily lives to embrace the freedom of the open sea. The ocean, which they had never seen before, is initially overwhelming and disappointing to them, and they long for the familiarity of home. But as they sail further away, they shed their old identities and constraints ("Despójate del añil/ Redil del alma de nardo") and embrace their new life as outcasts, together ("tuyo y mío de vuelta al hogar"). Yet their escape ultimately ends in tragedy, and they are unable to find the solace they seek. Abelardo and Eloisa drown when they try to dive underwater, seeking to immerse themselves in the experience of freedom and liberation.
The song explores themes of rebellion, freedom, and the search for identity. The title "Pajaros de Portugal" (birds of Portugal) refers to the idea of being adrift, without direction or purpose. The birds represent a yearning for freedom and exploration but also embody a certain kind of aimlessness and futility. The lyrics capture the tumultuous emotions of youth, as Abelardo and Eloisa search for meaning and purpose beyond the confines of their established lives. At the same time, the song speaks to the dangers of romanticizing rebellion and freedom, as Abelardo and Eloisa's quest for liberation ultimately leads to their untimely demise.
Line by Line Meaning
No conocían el mar
They had never seen the sea before
Y se les antojó más triste Que en la tele, pájaros de Portugal
And it seemed sadder to them than it did in the movies, birds of Portugal
Sin dirección ni alpiste Ni papeles
Without direction, birdseed, or papers
Él le dijo vámonos Dónde le respondió Llorando ella
He said 'let's go', to which she responded crying
Lejos del altar mayor En el velero pobretón De una botella
Far from the main altar, on a shabby sailboat made of a bottle
Despójate del añil Redil del alma de nardo Con camisa
Strip off the indigo, the corral of the soul of nard, with a shirt
Devuélveme el mes de abril Se llamaban Abelardo y Eloisa Arcángeles bastardos de la prisa
Give me back the month of April, they were called Abelardo and Eloisa, bastard archangels of haste
Alumbraron el amanecer muertos de frío Se arroparon con la sensatez del desvarío Tuyo y mío de vuelta al hogar Qué vacío deja la ansiedad Qué vergüenza tendrán sus papás
They lit up the sunrise freezing to death, covered themselves with the sensibility of madness, yours and mine on the way back home. What an emptiness anxiety leaves, what shame their parents must feel
Sin alas para volar Prófugos del instituto Y de la cama, pájaros de Portugal Apenas dos minutos Mala fama
Without wings to fly, refugees from school and their bed, birds of Portugal for only two minutes. Bad reputation
Luego la guardia civil Les decomisó el sudor Y la sonrisa, las postales de estoril Sin posada, sin escudos Y sin visa
Then the civil guard confiscated their sweat and their smile, the postcards from Estoril, without lodging, without protection, and without a visa
Se llamaban Abelardo y Eloisa Bucearon contra el Everest Y se ahogaron Nadie les enseño a merecer El amparo de la virgen de la soledad Qué pequeña es la luz de los faros
They were called Abelardo and Eloisa, they dove against Everest and drowned. No one taught them to deserve the protection of the Virgin of Solitude. How small the lighthouse's light is for those who dream of freedom
Bucearon contra el Everest Y se ahogaron Nadie les enseño a merecer El amparo de la virgen de la soledad Qué pequeña es la luz de los faros De quien sueña con la libertad
They dove against Everest and drowned. No one taught them to deserve the protection of the Virgin of Solitude. How small the lighthouse's light is for those who dream of freedom
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Antonio Perez Garcia De Diego, Francisco Jose Lopez Varona, Joaquin Ramon Sabina, Joaquin Ramon Martinez Sabina
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Brishantina_para_mi
"Qué pequeña es la luz de los faros de quien sueña con la libertad" <3
@LuisGarcia-gl9eg
arcángeles nastardos de la prisa
@JaretaMCVendetta
tremeeendo fraseo. a los que nos da por pensar... lo hemos vivido. pero hay muuuucha luz en ese faro.
@gabrielasabina4872
Increíble, no lloraba desde hace años por temas personales y Sabina acaba de conseguir que lo haga. Ahora sí que tiene todo mi respeto, admiración, fascinación y todo lo que quiera. Me ha resucitado.
@nomals
Esta buena la canción. Pero no es para llorar. Debe ser que estabas con la regla o algúna cuestión hormonal.
@dariorauldeleonferreyra1384
Escucha peces de Ciudad..la versión en Vivo
@elkinbilardo
Aha: así es la libertad. Cuando tenemos fuerza y ganas para tomarla, no tenemos madurez ni independencia. Cuando tenemos la madurez y la independencia, no tenemos la fuerza ni el interés para tomarla.
@marielaaguirrechevez155
cuanta verdad !!!
@amilcarcarmona8309
Me gusta mucho tu opinión , nada más sercano a la verdad
@mariabelenfuente9499
Mucha verdad!