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.
Los Cuatro Luchos
Los Prisioneros Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somos cuatro Luchos aunque Luchos hay muchos
En este espacio reducido ¡ninguno!
Lucho soy yo ¡y Lucho yo también!
Tu no eres Lucho ¡y el tampoco!
Somos glamorosos con la gracia de Dios
Tenemos cabeza de rap ¡de future rap!
Hey hey hey me aniquila esta forma de cantar
Lucho soy yo y Lucho no eres tu
Ningún Lucho es cartucho no le da verguenza ir pilucho
Y doquiera que vaya hace el baile del péndulo.
Mi nombre es Lucho mi apellido Lucho
Vivo en una calle muy linda
Lo único es que no se ve mucho ¡así es!
Baila Lucho, baila Lucho pero baila ya
Mueve la clavícula y la espina dorsal
Luego date un brinco mortal y cómprate un chalequito
¡con pinguino! ¡pinguino tu abuela! eso si...
Lucho cartucho pilucho vete Lucho no quiero rap
Baja la radio porque está muy fuerte
Y los vecinos se pueden enojar
Sobre todo la señora Ana María
Desde que tuvimos el lío
Aquél de las peras me quitó el saludo
Lucho, ¿y el rap?... ¡aquí está el rap!
The song "Los Cuatro Luchos" by Los Prisioneros is about four guys who all claim to be named Lucho, but the singer is the real one. They contrast with each other, even though they are all Luchos, and talk about their qualities. They describe themselves as glamorous, with the grace of God, and heads of rap, from future rap. The singer explains his daily routine, listening to rap in the morning, and points out that none of the Luchos are fakes or ashamed to look "pilucho". However, the song suggests that one of the Luchos plays music too loud, annoying the neighbor, who now ignores him.
The song is, therefore, an ironic representation of daily annoyances that usually come with living in a community, intending to show the contradictions that arise due to human interaction, as well as the distinctive behaviours and attitudes of different people. It can also serve as a rally cry for personal distinctiveness, despite seemingly overlapping qualities.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey!
The song starts with an energetic greeting to the listener.
Somos cuatro Luchos aunque Luchos hay muchos
The band is composed of four people named Lucho, even though there are many others with that name.
En este espacio reducido ¡ninguno!
Despite being in a small space, none of the Lucho's feels confined or limited.
Lucho soy yo ¡y Lucho yo también!
Each band member affirms their identity as Lucho with pride and enthusiasm.
Tu no eres Lucho ¡y el tampoco!
The band asserts that the listener and anyone else not named Lucho is not one of them.
Somos glamorosos con la gracia de Dios
The band members feel stylish and elegant, attributing this to the grace of God.
Tenemos cabeza de rap ¡de future rap!
The band members see themselves as futuristic and forward-thinking, with a strong connection to the genre of rap.
Lucho se levanta en la mañana y escucha el rap
One of the Lucho's listens to rap music every morning after waking up.
Hey hey hey me aniquila esta forma de cantar
The Lucho listening to rap enjoys it so much that it 'kills' him with excitement.
Lucho soy yo y Lucho no eres tu
The band reminds the listener again that only they are Lucho, not the listener.
Ningún Lucho es cartucho no le da verguenza ir pilucho
The Lucho's feel no shame in being unrefined or underdressed, and reject any notion of being artificial or superficial.
Y doquiera que vaya hace el baile del péndulo.
No matter where the Lucho's go, they dance a specific move called the 'pendulum dance'.
Mi nombre es Lucho mi apellido Lucho
One of the Lucho's identifies himself by saying their name and surname are both Lucho.
Vivo en una calle muy linda
This Lucho lives on a beautiful street.
Lo único es que no se ve mucho ¡así es!
They acknowledge that while their street is nice, it's not very visible or well-known.
Baila Lucho, baila Lucho pero baila ya
The other Lucho's encourage the first Lucho to dance right away.
Mueve la clavícula y la espina dorsal
They give specific instructions for the dance, telling Lucho to move their collarbone and spine.
Luego date un brinco mortal y cómprate un chalequito
After the dance, they suggest performing a somersault and buying a vest, specifically one with a penguin on it.
¡con pinguino! ¡pinguino tu abuela! eso si...
They clarify that the vest should have a penguin on it, and shout at someone's grandmother who may disagree.
Lucho cartucho pilucho vete Lucho no quiero rap
In a sudden change of tone, they start insulting a Lucho and telling them to leave because they don't like rap music.
Baja la radio porque está muy fuerte
They ask for the radio to be turned down because it's too loud.
Y los vecinos se pueden enojar
They explain that this is because the neighbors might get angry.
Sobre todo la señora Ana María
They specifically mention a neighbor named Ana María as someone who might get upset.
Desde que tuvimos el lío aquél de las peras me quitó el saludo
They recall an incident involving pears that made them dislike a neighbor and refuse to talk to them.
Lucho, ¿y el rap?... ¡aquí está el rap!
The song ends with a reaffirmation of their love for rap music, despite the earlier outburst against it.
Contributed by Chase C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.