El Intelectual
Los Petersellers Lyrics


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Como te reías en el cole maricón,
porque yo leía Mortadelo y Filemón,
por tus reyes El Quijote,
por tu cumple Platón,
tus gafillas ajustadas a tu cara de melón.

Todo el puto día en tu agujero a devorar,
con tu musiquita celta y tu pipa pa' fumar,
las películas de cine en versión original,
infusiones orientales y verdura pa' cenar.

EST.: Intelectual,
intelectual,
intelectual, cabróóóón.

Cambiaste al Che Guevara por Mandela y Lech Valesa,
el pañuelo palestino por la pajarita inglesa,
el Dos Caballos por la moto japonesa.
Jugando al diccionario eres el amo de la mesa.

Todos tus amigos leen los editoriales,
filólogos, expertos, ingenieros industriales,
¡amazonas para todos! ¡salvad a los animales!
Ballenas, focas, nutrias, ozono y osos polares.

EST.

¡Ah... intelectual, amigo mío! Tanto estudiar, tanto estudiar... ¿para qué? Sí, sí sabes mucho deeee otras cosas... pero de la noche, de las tías, de la vida, de la juerga... ¡no sabes nada de nada! Por ejemplo en tus fiestas... ¡en tus fiestas no hay tías! Nunca hay whisky suficiente, siempre te quedas sin hielo, los sandwiches ¡se te quedan duros! ¡Intelectual, nunca, nunca tenías que haber sido un puto hombre!





EST.

Overall Meaning

The song "El Intelectual" by Los Petersellers portrays a caricature of an intellectual who has strayed far from traditional masculine norms. The lyrics begin by mocking the intellectual's effeminacy - the singer laughs at him for reading Mortadelo y Filemón (a Spanish comic book series) while the intellectual was mocked for enjoying classics such as Don Quixote and Plato. His glasses are also criticized; they are supposedly too tight on his large face, further emphasizing his unmanly appearance.


The song highlights the apparent isolation of the intellectual; he spends all day in his "hole," studying and intellectualizing while smoking a pipe and listening to Celtic music. He claims to enjoy movies in original versions and oriental infusions, and his idea of dinner is a plate of vegetables. The song further suggests that the intellectual may have betrayed his roots, abandoning influential figures such as Che Guevara for lesser-known figures such as Mandela and Lech Valesa. As he plays dictionary games with his friends, he maintains his intellectual superiority over them all.


The song fits within the tradition of Spanish satire, which often targets different lifestyles, beliefs, and personalities, from politicians to intellectuals. It highlights a caricature of Spanish intellectuals, as seen from the perspective of the average person. The lyrics are full of witty language and double entendres, characteristic of the Spanish sense of humor.


Line by Line Meaning

Como te reías en el cole maricón
You used to laugh at me in school, calling me names like 'maricón'


porque yo leía Mortadelo y Filemón,
Because I used to read comic books like 'Mortadelo y Filemón'


por tus reyes El Quijote,
You would read 'El Quijote' like it was your bible


por tu cumple Platón,
On your birthday, you probably read works by philosophers like Plato


tus gafillas ajustadas a tu cara de melón.
You wore glasses that fit your round face perfectly


Todo el puto día en tu agujero a devorar,
You spent your entire day reading and learning in your secluded space


con tu musiquita celta y tu pipa pa' fumar,
Listening to Celtic music and smoking a pipe


las películas de cine en versión original,
You watched foreign films in their original language


infusiones orientales y verdura pa' cenar.
Your diet included Oriental tea and vegetables


Cambiaste al Che Guevara por Mandela y Lech Valesa,
You swapped Che Guevara for Nelson Mandela and Lech Valesa


el pañuelo palestino por la pajarita inglesa,
You stopped wearing a Palestinian scarf and started wearing an English bowtie


el Dos Caballos por la moto japonesa.
You ditched your Citroën 2CV for a Japanese motorcycle


Jugando al diccionario eres el amo de la mesa.
You're the king of the table when it comes to playing dictionary games


Todos tus amigos leen los editoriales,
All of your friends read editorials


filólogos, expertos, ingenieros industriales,
Your friends include philologists, experts, and industrial engineers


¡amazonas para todos! ¡salvad a los animales!
You advocate for saving the Amazon rainforest and animals


Ballenas, focas, nutrias, ozono y osos polares.
You care about whales, seals, otters, ozone, and polar bears


¡Ah... intelectual, amigo mío! Tanto estudiar, tanto estudiar... ¿para qué?
Ah, my intellectual friend! So much studying, so much learning... for what?


Sí, sí sabes mucho deeee otras cosas... pero de la noche, de las tías, de la vida, de la juerga... ¡no sabes nada de nada!
Yes, you know a lot about other things... but when it comes to parties, women, life, and having fun... you know nothing at all!


Por ejemplo en tus fiestas... ¡en tus fiestas no hay tías! Nunca hay whisky suficiente, siempre te quedas sin hielo, los sandwiches ¡se te quedan duros!
For example, at your parties... there are no women! There's never enough whiskey, you always run out of ice, and the sandwiches go stale!


¡Intelectual, nunca, nunca tenías que haber sido un puto hombre!
Intellectual, you should have never been born as a man!


intelectual, intelectual, intelectual, cabróóóón.
Intellectual, intellectual, intellectual, you jerk!




Contributed by Leo K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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