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 Templos
Los Prisioneros Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Justo al despertar
Vi los templos despegando
Y no eran cohetes
Eran naves de rezar
Iglesias, Sinagogas y Mesquitas
Huyendo de la tierra
A surcar el cielo azul
Los fieles se han quedado
Sin pensar ni respirar
Que sus templos se han marchado ya...
Hoy se venden los decretos
De canonización
Hambre, miedo y mucho frío
Los dueños de la tierra
Se instalan a reinar
Y te aceptan como esclavo
El código de barras
En la piel van a marcar
Como acceso a la comida
Cualquier espiritualidad
Se tiene que ocultar
Que no hay casa donde ir a rezar
(los templos)
(se van)
(despegan)
(se van)
Se diluiran al agua
Los metales de valor
No podrás comerte los ahorros de tu vida
La muerte y la enfermedad
Harán su selección
La manta del cachorro
Arde en cada esquina
El templo crecerá por fin
En tu corazon
Rezar y respirar será lo mismo
Y todo lo de atrás
Se revelará
PAGANO!(fin)
Desde que los templos escaparon
El templo se alza en mi corazon
Y cuando respiro vuelan oraciones
El viento se calma en mi corazon
Y cuando te miro vuelan oraciones
El puente se alza en mi corazon
Y cuando camino suenan oraciones
El templo se arma en mi corazon
Y cuando respiro vuelan oraciones
El templo se arma en mi corazon
Y cuando respiro vuelan oraciones
Y cuando respiro vuelan oraciones
Y cuando respiro vuelan oraciones
EE!
A aa a aa aaa ......
The lyrics to Los Prisioneros's "Los Templos" describe a dystopian situation where the temples, churches, synagogues and mosques have left the earth and their followers are left behind in confusion. The song paints a picture of a world where the powerful exploit the weak using intimidation and surveillance technologies, epitomized by the 'barcode on the skin' to access food. The chorus goes on to suggest a shift in spirituality from traditional religion to individual activism, with the temple no longer being found in bricks and mortar structures but in one's heart, where prayer and breathing become one.
The lyrics are a reflection of the political and social climate in Chile at the time of its release, in 1990. The country was reeling from years of political dictatorship, censorship and economic exploitation. The band, Los Prisioneros, were at the forefront of the movement against dictatorship through their music, which was seen as a form of rebellion. The song is a powerful social commentary on the state of the nation at the time of its release.
Line by Line Meaning
Esa mañana, del domingo
On that Sunday morning
Justo al despertar
Right when waking up
Vi los templos despegando
I saw the temples taking off
Y no eran cohetes
And they weren't rockets
Eran naves de rezar
They were prayer ships
Iglesias, Sinagogas y Mesquitas
Churches, synagogues, and mosques
Huyendo de la tierra
Fleeing from the earth
A surcar el cielo azul
To navigate the blue sky
Emigrando a otros planetas
Emigrating to other planets
Los fieles se han quedado
The faithful have stayed behind
Sin pensar ni respirar
Without thinking or breathing
Que sus templos se han marchado ya...
That their temples have already gone...
Hoy se venden los decretos
Today, decrees are sold
De canonización
Of canonization
Hambre, miedo y mucho frío
Hunger, fear, and a lot of cold
Los dueños de la tierra
The owners of the land
Se instalan a reinar
Are settling in to reign
Y te aceptan como esclavo
And accept you as a slave
El código de barras
The barcode
En la piel van a marcar
Will mark on your skin
Como acceso a la comida
As access to food
Cualquier espiritualidad
Any spirituality
Se tiene que ocultar
Must be hidden
Que no hay casa donde ir a rezar
That there's no home to go and pray
(los templos)
(the temples)
(se van)
(they leave)
(despegan)
(take off)
(se van)
(they leave)
Se diluiran al agua
They will dissolve in the water
Los metales de valor
The valuable metals
No podrás comerte los ahorros de tu vida
You can't eat the savings from your life
La muerte y la enfermedad
Death and disease
Harán su selección
Will make their selection
La manta del cachorro
The puppy's blanket
Arde en cada esquina
Burns on every street corner
El templo crecerá por fin
The temple will finally grow
En tu corazon
In your heart
Rezar y respirar será lo mismo
Praying and breathing will be the same
Y todo lo de atrás
And everything from before
Se revelará
Will be revealed
PAGANO!(fin)
PAGAN!(end)
Desde que los templos escaparon
Since the temples escaped
El templo se alza en mi corazon
The temple rises in my heart
Y cuando respiro vuelan oraciones
And when I breathe, prayers fly
El viento se calma en mi corazon
The wind calms in my heart
Y cuando te miro vuelan oraciones
And when I look at you, prayers fly
El puente se alza en mi corazon
The bridge rises in my heart
Y cuando camino suenan oraciones
And when I walk, prayers sound
El templo se arma en mi corazon
The temple is assembled in my heart
Y cuando respiro vuelan oraciones
And when I breathe, prayers fly
El templo se arma en mi corazon
The temple is assembled in my heart
Y cuando respiro vuelan oraciones
And when I breathe, prayers fly
Y cuando respiro vuelan oraciones
And when I breathe, prayers fly
EE!
HEY!
Contributed by Julia B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.