The band started when Jorge González and Miguel Tapia decided to start their own band while being high school students. They were inexperienced but enthusiastic, after many practices and writing songs, they asked Claudio Narea if he would like to join them, and impressed by the music they were making, he accepted. Towards the early 80's they went through some name changes and before settling on "Los Prisioneros" they had the name "Los Vinchukas" as their original name. In 1983, they had played a number of local shows and that's when they met Carlos Fonseca, their future manager. Through him, they managed to score a record deal with Fusión Producciones.
In 1984, the band's debut album was released, with the hit song "La Voz De Los '80" (which was never a single). They reached acclaim in the radio and by the next year they would be touring. In 1986, their long awaited second album "Pateando Piedras" went double Platinum album in Chile. By that time, the group was invited to perform at Argentina's Chateau Rock Festival and later to a similar event in Montevideo, Uruguay. They continued touring and they became more successful mainstream wise.
The band disbanded in 1992, then as a quartet with additional members Cecilia Aguayo (keyboards) and Robert Rodríguez (guitar), since Claudio Narea had left the band earlier in 1990.
The original lineup of the band decided to get back together in 2001, offering two massive concerts in the National Stadium of Santiago, and then releasing "Los Prisioneros", their first original studio album in 13 years. However, internal problems between González and Narea led again to the departure of the guitarist in 2001. Los Prisioneros continued working as a duet with guest members like Álvaro Henríquez whom with they released a cover album. In 2004 two additional musicians joined the band: Sergio "Coty" Badilla and Gonzalo Yáñez, releasing their sixth album Manzana the same year. A little while after the release of the album band members decided to establish themselves in Mexico, attempting to get more international exposure. Yáñez decided not to leave Chile and left the band. After touring through several locations in North and South America, they finally disbanded in 2006.
El Baile de los Que Sobran
Los Prisioneros Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De caminar
Es otro fin de mes
Sin novedad
Mis amigos se quedaron, igual que tú
Este año se les acabaron, los juegos, los doce juegos
Nadie nos va a echar de más
Nadie nos quiso ayudar de verdad
Nos dijeron cuando chicos
Jueguen a estudiar
Los hombres son hermanos y juntos deben trabajar
Oías los consejos
Los ojos en el profesor
Había tanto sol
Sobre las cabezas
Y no fue tan verdad, porque esos juegos al final
Terminaron para otros con laureles y futuro
Y dejaron a mis amigos pateando piedras
Únanse al baile, de los que sobran
Nadie nos va a echar de más
Nadie nos quiso ayudar de verdad
Hey
Conozco unos cuentos
Sobre el futuro
Hey
El tiempo en que los aprendí
Fue mas seguro
Bajo los zapatos
Barro más cemento
El futuro no es ninguno
De los prometidos en los doce juegos
A otros le enseñaron
Secretos que a ti no
A otros dieron de verdad esa cosa llamada educación
Ellos pedían esfuerzo ellos pedían dedicación
Y para qué
Para terminar bailando y pateando piedras
Únanse al baile, de los que sobran
Nadie nos va a echar de más
Nadie nos quiso ayudar de verdad
Hey
Conozco unos cuentos
Sobre el futuro
Hey
El tiempo en que los aprendí
Fue mas seguro
Únanse al baile, de los que sobran
Nadie nos va a echar de más
Nadie nos quiso ayudar de verdad
The song "El Baile de los Que Sobran" by Los Prisioneros speaks to the struggles of the working-class youth in Chile. The song starts off by pointing out that it's just another night of walking around and another uneventful end of the month. The chorus, "Únanse al baile de los que sobran" ("Join the dance of the left-outs"), serves as a call to arms for the disenfranchised youth who feel neglected by their country's government and elite. They have no one to rely on but each other, so they come together in solidarity, represented by the titular dance.
The lyrics highlight the educational gap between social classes, where those with privilege and wealth have access to quality education, while those without get left behind. The line "A otros dieron de verdad esa cosa llamada educación" ("Others were truly given that thing called education") refers to the unequal distribution of resources in Chilean society. The song criticizes the idea that hard work and dedication will lead to success, as many of those who worked hard still ended up "dancing and kicking stones" - a metaphor for still being in poverty and not finding success.
The song's lyrics reflect the social and economic inequalities that existed in Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship. It resonated with the youth of the time, who were frustrated with the country's limited opportunities and unequal distribution of resources. The song has become an anthem for social justice movements in Latin America and is regarded as one of the most influential songs in Chilean music history.
Line by Line Meaning
Es otra noche más
Another night, just like all the others
De caminar
Of walking and wandering aimlessly
Es otro fin de mes
Another end of the month
Sin novedad
With nothing new happening
Mis amigos se quedaron, igual que tú
My friends stayed behind, just like you
Este año se les acabaron, los juegos, los doce juegos
This year they ran out of time, the twelve games
Únanse al baile, de los que sobran
Join the dance of those left behind
Nadie nos va a echar de más
No one will kick us out
Nadie nos quiso ayudar de verdad
No one really wanted to help us
Nos dijeron cuando chicos
They told us as children
Jueguen a estudiar
Play at studying
Los hombres son hermanos y juntos deben trabajar
Men are brothers and must work together
Oías los consejos
You heard the advice
Los ojos en el profesor
Eyes on the teacher
Había tanto sol
There was so much sun
Sobre las cabezas
Above our heads
Y no fue tan verdad, porque esos juegos al final
And it wasn't really true because in the end those games
Terminaron para otros con laureles y futuro
Ended up for others with laurels and a future
Y dejaron a mis amigos pateando piedras
And left my friends kicking rocks
Conozco unos cuentos
I know some stories
Sobre el futuro
About the future
El tiempo en que los aprendí
The time when I learned them
Fue mas seguro
Was safer
Bajo los zapatos
Under my shoes
Barro más cemento
Mud and cement
El futuro no es ninguno
The future is none
De los prometidos en los doce juegos
Of those promised in the twelve games
A otros le enseñaron
Others were taught
Secretos que a ti no
Secrets that you were not
A otros dieron de verdad esa cosa llamada educación
Others were truly given that thing called education
Ellos pedían esfuerzo ellos pedían dedicación
They asked for effort, they asked for dedication
Y para qué
And for what?
Para terminar bailando y pateando piedras
To end up dancing and kicking rocks
Únanse al baile, de los que sobran
Join the dance of those left behind
Nadie nos va a echar de más
No one will kick us out
Nadie nos quiso ayudar de verdad
No one really wanted to help us
Conozco unos cuentos
I know some stories
Sobre el futuro
About the future
Hey
Hey
El tiempo en que los aprendí
The time when I learned them
Fue mas seguro
Was safer
Únanse al baile, de los que sobran
Join the dance of those left behind
Nadie nos va a echar de más
No one will kick us out
Nadie nos quiso ayudar de verdad
No one really wanted to help us
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jorge Humberto Gonzalez Rios
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pipe5277
"Nos quitaron tanto, que nos quitaron hasta el MIEDO"
AGUANTE CHILE CTM ❤️🇨🇱💪
@ignaciovalenzuela5686
Somos los de abajo y vamos por lo de arriba ctm vamos chile no paremos no decaigamos con mas fuerza que ayer por todos nosotros
@patriciofaundez9046
NOS ROBARON HASTA EL MIEDO ESTOS CTM NO DESCANZAREMOS HASTA CUMPLIR EL OBJETIVO... Y HACER DE CHILE UN PAIS MAS JUSTO Y DIGNO ... YA NO HAY COLORES POLITICOS NI DERECHA NI IZQUIERDA SOMOS LOS DE ABAJO Y VAMOS POR LOS DE ARRIBA ... FUERZAS CABROS QUE NUESTROS PADRES VIVIERON CON EL TEMOR DE LA REPRESION NOSOTROS NO SOMOS IGUALES POR ELLOS POR NOSOTROS Y POR NUESTROS HIJOS ES TODO ESTE MOVIMIENTO 💪
@stv9346
Jajaja que ridículos! En Venezuela no aguantas ni 1 minuto
@pipe5277
@STV 93 ya sobrevivimos a un dictadura militar(PINOCHET) de casi 20 años y me vienes hablar de Venezuela 🤦😂🤣
AGUANTE EL PUEBLO CHILENO CTM❤️🇨🇱💪
@ignaciovalenzuela5686
@STV 93 jajajaj no un segundo todos los dias
@claudiarimay2796
Ésto debe ser un himno para Latinoamérica
@nsnsnsnsns521
Cierto nos identifica
@juandavidbettin3398
Ya lo es
@heynerhumanez4406
Latinoamerica de Residente y esta.