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, former University classmate of Jorge, 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 2003. 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.
No Necesitamos Banderas
Los Prisioneros Lyrics
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Y en pleno uso de nuestra razón
Declaramos romper de forma oficial
Los lazos que nos pudieron atar alguna vez
A una institución o forma de representación
Que nos declare parte de su total
Con toda honestidad y con la mente fríaRenegamos de cualquier patrón
Ya todas las divisas nos dan indiferencia
Renegamos de cualquier color
Se llame religión, se llame nacionalidad
No queremos representatividad
No necesitamos banderas
No reconocemos fronteras
No aceptaremos filiaciones
No escucharemos más sermones
Es fácil vegetar, dejar que otros hablen
Y decir, "Ellos saben más que yo"
Ponerse una insignia, marchar detrás de un líder
Y dejar que nos esgriman como razón
No vamos a esperar, la idea nunca nos gustó
Ellos no están haciendo lo que al comienzo se pactó
No necesitamos banderas
No reconocemos fronteras
No aceptaremos filiaciones
No escucharemos más sermones
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
No necesitamos banderas
No reconocemos fronterasNo aceptaremos filiaciones
No escucharemos más sermones
No, no, no, no, no, no
No, eh
No, no, no, no, no
Oh-oh, uh, eh
The lyrics to Los Prisioneros's song No Necesitamos Banderas reject the idea of institutional belonging or representation that imposes labels, colors and flags to identify individuals with. The song claims the right of individuals to declare themselves independent and free from any affiliation that curtails their freedom of thought and expression. Its opening lines declare the authority of good judgement and reason to break officially the ties that may have once bound them to a particular institution or form of representation. The lyrics then proceed to renounce any pattern or symbol that imposes sameness or conformity and to declare indifference to any form of division, whether religious, nationalist, or ideological. The chorus reiterates the message of individual autonomy and resistance to any kind of hierarchy, allegiance or dogma.
The song reflects the social and political context of Chile in the 1980s, marked by the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet and the opposition and mobilization of various groups and movements fighting for democracy, human rights and equality. Los Prisioneros was a Chilean rock band formed in 1982, known for its critical and provocative lyrics that challenged the dominant cultural and political norms of the time. No Necesitamos Banderas was part of their album "La Voz de los '80," released in 1984, which became a landmark of Chilean rock and a symbol of the voice of the youth and the marginalized sectors of society. The song is an anthem of resistance and identity, rejecting any form of imposed identity and embracing the right to self-determination and diversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Con la autoridad que nos da el buen juicio
Declaring that they have the authority to make decisions based on good judgment.
Y en pleno uso de nuestra razón
Stating that they are using their own reasoning to make decisions.
Declaramos romper de forma oficial
Making a formal declaration to break ties with any institution that may have had authority over them.
Los lazos que nos pudieron atar alguna vez
Breaking any connections that may have once tied them to an authority or power.
A una institución o forma de representación
Refusing to be represented by any specific institution or group.
Que nos declare parte de su total
Rejecting the idea that they are a part of any particular group or collective.
Con toda honestidad y con la mente fría
Being honest and level-headed in their rejection of outside influences.
Renegamos de cualquier patrón
Rejecting any sort of pattern or structure that may tie them to outside beliefs.
Ya todas las divisas nos dan indiferencia
Expressing apathy toward any sort of external symbol or representation.
Renegamos de cualquier color
Rejecting any association with any particular group or ideology.
Se llame religión, se llame nacionalidad
Refusing to be identified with any specific religion or nationality.
No queremos representatividad
Not wanting to be represented by any specific individual or group.
No necesitamos banderas
The assertion that they do not need any external representation or symbol to define them.
No reconocemos fronteras
Rejecting the idea that borders and boundaries separate people from one another.
No aceptaremos filiaciones
Refusing to accept any sort of affiliation or connection to external groups or institutions.
No escucharemos más sermones
No longer wanting to listen to speeches or lectures from those in power.
Es fácil vegetar, dejar que otros hablen
It's easy to just let others speak and make decisions for you.
Y decir, 'Ellos saben más que yo'
Feeling inferior and thinking that those in power know more than they do.
Ponerse una insignia, marchar detrás de un líder
Putting on a symbol or following a leader does not appeal to them.
Y dejar que nos esgriman como razón
Rejecting the idea of being used as an excuse for someone else's agenda.
No vamos a esperar, la idea nunca nos gustó
They reject the idea of waiting for someone else to make decisions for them.
Ellos no están haciendo lo que al comienzo se pactó
They believe that those in power are not following through on their agreements.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
Asserting that they will not be swayed by external influences and that their decision is final.
No necesitamos banderas
Reiterating that they do not need symbols or external representations to define them.
No reconocemos fronteras
Asserting that they do not believe that borders separate people from one another.
No aceptaremos filiaciones
Rejecting any sort of connection to groups or institutions that may try to claim them.
No escucharemos más sermones
Reiterating that they will no longer listen to lectures or speeches from those in power.
No, no, no, no, no, no
Asserting their independence and their decision to reject external influences.
No, eh
Finalizing their decision.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ignacio Manbran, Jorge Gonzalez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind