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.
Nunca Quedas Mal Con Nadie
Los Prisioneros Lyrics
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Dime, me aseguras que protestas
Dime, tú te crees un rebelde o algo así
Oye, tú te quejas de la polución
Hablas sobre la automatización
Dime, tú te crees un juglar moderno o algo así
Defiendes a la humanidad
Criticas a la sociedad
Dices tú que todo debería cambiar
En el escenario folclorizas tu voz
"Muera la ciudad y su contaminación"
Con tus lindas melodías y romántica simpatía
Nunca quedas mal con nadie
Oye, tú me dices que protestas
Pero tu postura no molesta
Dime si tu fin es algo atacar o ganar aplausos
Tú te quejas de las bombas
Hablas que con el planeta van a acabar
Pero nunca das un nombre
Tienes miedo a quedar con alguien mal
En las peñas facultades y en la televisión
Junto a los altezas y conscientes snob
Te crees revolucionario y acusativo
Pero nunca quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal con nadie
Me aburrió tu postura intelectual
Eres una mala copia de un gringo hippie
Tu guitarra, oye, imbécil barbón
Se vendió al aplauso de los cursis conscientes
Contradices toda tu protesta famosa
Con tus armonías rebuscadas y hermosas
Eres un artista y no un guerrillero
Pretendes pelear, y solo eres un mierda buena onda
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal con nadie, porque tú
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal con nadie
Cómete tu miedo a la bomba de neutrones
Quédate tu poesía y tus razones
Córtala con la selva de cemento
No aguanto tus artísticos lamentos
Tu bolsito y tu poncho artesanal
Tu cultura cursi me cae muy mal
Tu protesta a mí me da igual
Porque nunca quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal con nadie
Nunca quedas mal con
Nunca quedas mal con
Nunca quedas mal con nadie
The lyrics to Los Prisioneros' song "Nunca Quedas Mal Con Nadie" explore the idea of performative activism and suggest that some people who claim to be fighting for a cause are more interested in winning the approval of others than in truly effecting change. The song questions the authenticity of those who protest against pollution, automation, and other issues of the day, asking whether they are genuine rebels or just looking for applause. The lyrics suggest that these performative activists also lack the courage to take a more assertive stance, instead choosing to avoid offending anyone and thus never really standing for anything.
The song also criticizes the artistic pretensions of these performative activists, mocking their folksy stage personas and suggesting that their music and lyrics are nothing more than superficial attempts to appeal to a certain type of audience. The lyrics suggest that these artists are more interested in being seen as revolutionaries than in actually challenging the status quo. Ultimately, the song suggests that true activism requires a willingness to take risks, to speak truth to power, and to stand up for what one believes in, even if it means offending some people along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Dime, tú te crees que protestas
Do you believe that you protest?
Dime, me aseguras que protestas
Tell me, do you reassure that you protest?
Dime, tú te crees un rebelde o algo así
Tell me, do you think you're a rebel or something like that?
Oye, tú te quejas de la polución
Hey, you complain about pollution
Hablas sobre la automatización
You talk about automation
Dime, tú te crees un juglar moderno o algo así
Tell me, do you think you're a modern minstrel or something?
Defiendes a la humanidad
You defend humanity
Lloras porque el mundo está muy mal
You cry because the world is in a bad place
Criticas a la sociedad
You criticize society
Dices tú que todo debería cambiar
You say that everything should change
En el escenario folclorizas tu voz
On stage, you folklorize your voice
"Muera la ciudad y su contaminación"
"Death to the city and its pollution"
Con tus lindas melodías y romántica simpatía
With your beautiful melodies and romantic sympathy
Nunca quedas mal con nadie
You never lose popularity with anyone
Oye, tú me dices que protestas
Hey, you say that you protest to me
Pero tu postura no molesta
But your position does not bother anyone
Dime si tu fin es algo atacar o ganar aplausos
Tell me if your goal is to attack or win applause
Tú te quejas de las bombas
You complain about bombs
Hablas que con el planeta van a acabar
You speak that they will destroy the planet
Pero nunca das un nombre
But you never give a name
Tienes miedo a quedar con alguien mal
You are afraid of upsetting someone
En las peñas facultades y en la televisión
In the student gathering places and on television
Junto a los altezas y conscientes snob
With the high and mighty and conscious snobs
Te crees revolucionario y acusativo
You think you're revolutionary and accusing
Pero nunca quedas mal con nadie
But you never lose popularity with anyone
Nunca quedas mal, quedas mal con nadie
You never lose popularity, you don't upset anyone
Me aburrió tu postura intelectual
I got bored with your intellectual stance
Eres una mala copia de un gringo hippie
You're a bad copy of an American hippie
Tu guitarra, oye, imbécil barbón
Your guitar, hey, idiot with a beard
Se vendió al aplauso de los cursis conscientes
It was sold to the applause of the pretentious conscious
Contradices toda tu protesta famosa
You contradict your whole famous protest
Con tus armonías rebuscadas y hermosas
With your intricate and beautiful harmonies
Eres un artista y no un guerrillero
You're an artist and not a guerrilla fighter
Pretendes pelear, y solo eres un mierda buena onda
You pretend to fight, but you're just a good-natured worthless person
Cómete tu miedo a la bomba de neutrones
Eat your fear of the neutron bomb
Quédate tu poesía y tus razones
Keep your poetry and your reasons
Córtala con la selva de cemento
Cut it down with the concrete jungle
No aguanto tus artísticos lamentos
I can't stand your artistic complaints
Tu bolsito y tu poncho artesanal
Your little bag and your artisanal poncho
Tu cultura cursi me cae muy mal
Your pretentious culture bothers me a lot
Tu protesta a mí me da igual
I don't care about your protest
Porque nunca quedas mal con nadie
Because you never lose popularity with anyone
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jorge Humberto Gonzalez Rios
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind