Macho
José Larralde Lyrics

In "Macho," José Larralde portrays a powerful image of a rustic, fearless, and virile macho who is deeply rooted in the land, sweat, and struggle of the Argentinean countryside. The song reflects on the defiant and passionate spirit of the gaucho, a symbol of rural masculinity, who despite the harshness of life, remains steadfast and proud of his identity and culture.

Throughout the song, Larralde poetically alludes to the roughness and intensity of life in the pampas, where the macho works hard, endures pain, and fights against adverse circumstances. The macho is portrayed as a wild horse that runs untamed, yet steadily, through the fields, a man with a strong arm that sinks into the furrow and earth, and a chest that swirls with the wind of pain. The repeated cry of "Macho" serves as a refrain that resonates with the courage and determination of the singer.

The second stanza reinforces the song's machismo theme by introducing images of suffering, sacrifice, and survival that the macho confronts. The flames of passion within his heart, the dead flowers that water his voice, and the dogs that bite into his guts- all describe the macho as a man of raw emotions, pain, and vitality. The broken fences of his soul, littered with shards of loss, define the cost that the macho must bear to be himself.

The final part of the song becomes an invitation from the singer to the macho to share his world, his toil, and his body. The last verse, a call and response, becomes a celebration of the power of a macho's hand, which the singer wishes to feel; the promise of his heart, which the singer believes will bleed love; the pulse of his fighter's heart, which the singer wants to measure, and the sweat of his body, which the singer longs to taste.