Charly García took the band under his wing after dissolving Serú Girán, and the Abuelos played in García's 1982 Christmas concert. García also drafted López, Melingo and Calamaro for his band, in parallel with their work for the Abuelos. The 1983 debut album included many compositions by Abuelo-López, and a reggae hit by Calamaro's former partner Gringui Herrera, Tristezas de la ciudad (City blues).
For their 1983 album, Vasos y Besos, Melingo wrote his own reggae hit: Chala-man, Bazterrica contributed No se desesperen (Don't despair), and Calamaro chimed in with Mil horas (A thousand hours).
The band became popular with rockers and more pop-oriented audiences. Especially, Calamaro was favored by teenage girls looking for an "edgier" idol than balladeer Alejandro Lerner. The album sold a solid 160,000 records, and was presented in a six-month country-wide tour.
Record executives arranged to send the band to Ibiza for the recording of their 1984 album, Himno de mi Corazón (Hymn of my heart). The album became a sales hit as expected. Later that year, Melingo, who was also working with García and another band (Los Twist), called it quits and was replaced by Alfredo Desiata.
By early 1985, the band's spirits were damaged due to Bazterrica's cocaine addiction, which eventually had him fired from the band, and the rivalry between Abuelo and Calamaro for top billing.
About that time, Calamaro wrote what would be his last mega-hit with the band: Costumbres argentinas (Argentine habits). Sensing that the band was on the verge of dissolution, the band recorded a live album in the Opera theater in Buenos Aires on May 1985. For the occasion, Gringui Herrera replaced Bazterrica, Juan del Barrio reinforced Calamaro in keyboards, and Melingo played some songs as a guest musician.
The band played one last gig on October 1985, in the Vélez Sársfield stadium, to fulfill their contractual obligation to the "Rock and Pop" festival which featured INXS. The crowd reacted badly to the band's evident lack of motivation (the pouring rain and the badly mixed sound did not help), and Abuelo was hit in the face by a bottle hurled from the field. The band played the remainder of their set with Abuelo visibly bleeding.
With the band dissolved, Abuelo started playing small venues, harking back to his roots of poetry-influenced songwriting. Late in 1986, he drafted Polo Corbella, Kubero Díaz, and sax player Willy Crook to form a new Abuelos band, which recorded Cosas mías in 1987 with relative success.
In late 1987, following gallbladder surgery, Miguel Abuelo was diagnosed with AIDS; terminally ill, he died from cardiac arrest a few days after his 42nd birthday, in March 26, 1988. That was the end of the Abuelos as a band; the remaining members reunited several times, with different formations. Notably, Miguel's son Gato played with Calamaro, Bazterrica and Corbella in a 1997 re-union.
The rights to the Abuelos de la Nada name were offered by Abuelo's widow Krisha Bogdan to Kubero Díaz, who refused out of respect. At some point during 2001, it was reported that Bogdan and Gato were fighting in court over the rights to the name and to Miguel Abuelo's unpublished recordings.
En La Cama O En El Suelo
Los Abuelos de la Nada Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
sobre mi yo,
ligero y de adornos, encuentros.
En la casa,
en la guerra,
en la cama o en el suelo.
Yo te quiero.
Brilla todo lo que quieras,
pero no lo rompas, no.
No maltrates las reliquias,
de este pueblo que amo yo.
Cuando te ama el col al oro,
cielo de esta gran prisión.
Donde manda el corazón,
todo el mundo sin calzón, hay amor...
Felicidad, del testigo solo.
Espía de todos los mundos.
Ah mis queridos pasares.
Ah amadores débiles,
Yo te quiero!.
Adornate como un cielo
y aprende a respirar.
No me tires para abajo,
que no debo naufragar.
Gente querida del alma,
territorio del cantar.
Allí te quiero invitar,
déjalo que es de dejar.
Y a gozar!
The lyrics of the song En La Cama O En El Suelo by Los Abuelos de la Nada are a beautiful expression of love and appreciation for life. The singer talks about feeling light and adorned, and of encountering someone who he loves in every situation, whether it's in the house, in the war, in bed, or on the floor. The song talks about shining as bright as you can, but not breaking anything, and not mistreating the relics of the town that he loves. It talks about love being the ruler of the heart and about how everyone is equal when love is present. The lyrics also speak about the witnesses of happiness, the spies of all the worlds, and their beloved travelers.
The singer invites people to adorn themselves like the sky and learn to breathe. He asks for assistance and not to be pulled down so that he doesn't sink. The song conveys a sense of community and belonging as the singer invites his loved ones into his territory of songs where he wants to take them along, leave what needs to be left, and enjoy.
Overall, the lyrics of En La Cama O En El Suelo are a beautiful ode to love, community, and the appreciation of life. They encourage people to live life to its fullest, appreciate the people they love in every situation, and to not take anything for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
La punta de mi pie,
I'm light and carefree, and every step I take is with joy.
sobre mi yo,
I am confident in who I am.
ligero y de adornos, encuentros.
I move freely, feeling unburdened and excited by every new experience.
En la casa,
Whether we're in our home,
en la guerra,
or on the front lines of a battle,
en la cama o en el suelo.
whether we're lounging in bed or roughing it on the ground,
Yo te quiero.
my love for you remains steadfast and unwavering.
Brilla todo lo que quieras,
You're free to shine and be your best self,
pero no lo rompas, no.
but please don't destroy the things that are important to me.
No maltrates las reliquias,
Take care to respect the artifacts and symbols of my culture and heritage,
de este pueblo que amo yo.
which I hold dear to my heart.
Cuando te ama el col al oro,
When you find unexpected love and happiness,
cielo de esta gran prisión.
even in the midst of difficult times,
Donde manda el corazón,
your heart will be the one calling the shots.
todo el mundo sin calzón, hay amor...
Everyone can feel it, and love will bring people together.
Felicidad, del testigo solo.
Happiness can only be achieved through personal experience.
Espía de todos los mundos.
It comes from exploring and understanding the different perspectives of the world around us.
Ah mis queridos pasares.
Oh, the memories and experiences that we've lived through together!
Ah amadores débiles,
Oh you weak lovers,
Yo te quiero!.
I love you all the same.
Adornate como un cielo
Take pride in yourself like the sky,
y aprende a respirar.
and learn to breathe easy.
No me tires para abajo,
Don't bring me down,
que no debo naufragar.
because I cannot afford to drown.
Gente querida del alma,
Beloved friends of the soul,
territorio del cantar.
we're in a place where we can show off our musical talents.
Allí te quiero invitar,
It's there where I want to invite you,
déjalo que es de dejar.
to let go of any worries or stress and simply enjoy the moment.
Y a gozar!
And let's just have fun!
Contributed by Allison G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.