He comes from a Jewish family that fled persecution in Germany. He studied to become an otolaryngologyst (i.e., ear, throat, and nose doctor) like his parents but ultimately chose to pursue his passion for music.
Drexler made his full-length album debut with La Luz Que Sabe Robar (1992), followed by Radar (1994). In hopes of furthering his career, he went to Spain in 1995 upon the invitation of legendary singer/songwriter Joaquín Sabina , who showed him around the Madrid music scene and helped him secure an international recording contract. So impressed with Madrid that he chose to make his permanent residency there, Drexler got together with a band of Spanish musicians to re-record material from his first two albums along with new material and release it internationally as Vaivén (1996), the first of four albums on Virgin España. The highlights of Vaivén along with those of its three follow-ups, Llueve (1998), Frontera (1999), and Sea (2001), were later compiled on the best-of compilation La Edad Del Cielo (2004).
Upon his switch to the Dro Atlántic label, Drexler's career reached new heights of success with the critically acclaimed Eco (2004). Most notably, the album includes the Oscar-winning song ''Al Otro Lado Del Río'', which was prominently featured during the closing credits of the Walter Salles film The Motorcycle Diaries (2004).
Eco proved so successful, in fact, that it was re-released with bonus material as Eco² (2005). Subsequent albums include 12 Segundos de Oscuridad (2006), the double-disc live album Cara B (2008), and Amar la Trama (2010).
Polvo de Estrellas
Jorge Drexler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol vale
Vale
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol vale
Se aprende en la cuna
Se aprende en la puerta de un hospital
Se aprende de golpe
Se aprende de a poco y a veces se aprende recién al final
Toda la gloria es nada
Toda vida es sagrada
Una estrellita de nada
En la periferia
De una galaxia menor
Una, entre tantos millones
Y un grano de polvo girando a su alrededor
No dejaremos huella
Sólo polvo de estrellas
Sólo polvo de estrellas
Vale
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol vale
Vale
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol vale
Se aprende en la escuela
Se olvida en la guerra
Un hijo te vuelve a enseñar
Está en el espejo
Está en las trincheras, parece que nadie parece notar
Toda victoria es nada
Toda vida es sagrada
Un enjambre de moléculas
Puestas de acuerdo
De forma provisional
Un animal prodigioso
Con la delirante obsesión de querer perdurar
No dejaremos huella
Sólo polvo de estrellas
Polvo de estrellas oh oh
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol vale
Vale
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol vale
Vale
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol vale
Vale
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol vale
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol
Una vida lo que un sol
Vale
In Jorge Drexler's song "Polvo de Estrellas," the lyrics speak to the insignificance of individual human lives when compared to the vastness of the universe. The repetition of the phrase "vale una vida lo que un sol vale" emphasizes that, no matter how important we may feel individually, in the grand scheme of things, we are just "a grain of dust" or "polvo de estrellas." The lyrics highlight how we learn important lessons about life at different stages - from the crib and the bed to the hospital and eventual death.
The song also touches on the idea that we can learn from our own children, who seem to have a greater appreciation for the value of life than many adults. Drexler references the temporary nature of our existence as "un animal prodigioso con la delirante obsesión de querer perdurar" or "a prodigious animal with the delirious obsession of wanting to endure." But ultimately, we will only leave behind "polvo de estrellas" or "stardust."
Line by Line Meaning
Vale
It's worth it
Una vida lo que un sol
One life is worth what one sun is worth
Una vida lo que un sol vale
One life is worth what one sun is worth
Se aprende en la cuna
We learn in the cradle
Se aprende en la cama
We learn in bed
Se aprende en la puerta de un hospital
We learn at the hospital door
Se aprende de golpe
We learn suddenly
Se aprende de a poco y a veces se aprende recién al final
We learn little by little, and sometimes we only learn at the end
Toda la gloria es nada
All glory is nothing
Toda vida es sagrada
All life is sacred
Una estrellita de nada
A little star of nothing
En la periferia
On the periphery
De una galaxia menor
Of a smaller galaxy
Una, entre tantos millones
One, among so many millions
Y un grano de polvo girando a su alrededor
And a grain of dust spinning around it
No dejaremos huella
We will not leave a trace
Sólo polvo de estrellas
Only stardust
Se aprende en la escuela
We learn in school
Se olvida en la guerra
We forget in war
Un hijo te vuelve a enseñar
A child will teach you again
Está en el espejo
It's in the mirror
Está en las trincheras, parece que nadie parece notar
It's in the trenches, and it seems like no one notices
Toda victoria es nada
All victory is nothing
Un enjambre de moléculas
A swarm of molecules
Puestas de acuerdo
In agreement
De forma provisional
Provisionally
Un animal prodigioso
A prodigious animal
Con la delirante obsesión de querer perdurar
With the delirious obsession of wanting to endure
Polvo de estrellas oh oh
Stardust oh oh
Una vida lo que un sol vale
One life is worth what one sun is worth
Vale
It's worth it
Una vida lo que un sol
One life is worth what one sun is worth
Vale
It's worth it
Una vida lo que un sol vale
One life is worth what one sun is worth
Vale
It's worth it
Una vida lo que un sol
One life is worth what one sun is worth
Una vida lo que un sol vale
One life is worth what one sun is worth
Vale
It's worth it
Una vida lo que un sol
One life is worth what one sun is worth
Una vida lo que un sol
One life is worth what one sun is worth
Una vida lo que un sol
One life is worth what one sun is worth
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jorge Abner Drexler Prada
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind