Los Prisioneros was a Chilean rock band formed in San Miguel, Santiago, Chi… Read Full Bio ↴Los Prisioneros was a Chilean rock band formed in San Miguel, Santiago, Chile in 1982 by Jorge González (bass, vocals), Claudio Narea (guitar, backing vocals) and Miguel Tapia (drums, backing vocals). They began as a local band during the early 1980s, playing small shows in their neighborhood and high school. After selling a limited press number of their first album in Chile under the independent Fusión producciones label, they signed to EMI in 1985, re-releasing the same album on an LP record and Cassette. From that point on they reached mainstream success in Chile, then Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Eventually in the early 90's their albums were re-released completely in remastered Compact Disc form, this is when Chile was no longer run by a military regime which oppressed their music in the late 1980s. Throughout the 1990s their music spread out, reaching all of South and Central America as well as some parts of the U.S., Canada and Europe.

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.

Pa Pa Pa
Los Prisioneros Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Me encantan las canciones de amor
Y aquellas que piden un mundo mejor
Vivo con el miedo al dedo que alguna vez
Apretará el botón

Creo en la libertad y en mi corazón
Hay un sitio esperando por una flor
La escena me pone nervioso aunque el show

Debe continuar yo soy un profesional

Entrego diversión
Vaharadas de amor
Y mi coro dice
Pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa
Cantemos al amor, cantemos a la paz

Mi destino son los aviones y los moteles
Que no me dejan reír
Las penas de amor me sumergen en
Depresiones llenas de sensibilidad

Ofrezco el corazón
Mil ilusiones de amor
Y mi coro dice
Pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa
Cantemos al amor, cantemos a la paz
Cantemos al amor

Un poquito de amor puede cambiar el mundo muchachos
Cambiémoslo con esta canción

Pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa
Pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa

Ofrezco el corazón
Mil ilusiones de amor

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Los Prisioneros’s song Pa Pa Pa deal with different themes such as love, fears, and social issues. The song begins with the statement “Me encantan las canciones de amor” (“I love love songs”) which reflects the singer’s preference for songs that evoke romantic feelings. However, the second verse reveals the singer’s deeper concerns about the world, stating “Y aquellas que piden un mundo mejor” (“And those that demand a better world”). This shows that the artist is not only interested in singing about love but wants his music to carry a message of change and hope for a better society.

The following verse brings up the singer’s fear of nuclear war and the possibility of the world’s destruction, “Vivo con el miedo al dedo que alguna vez/Apretará el botón” (“I live with the fear that someday, the button will be pushed”). Despite this fear, the artist believes in the power of freedom and love, “Creo en la libertad y en mi corazón” (“I believe in freedom and in my heart”) and the power of love to heal the world, “Hay un sitio esperando por una flor” (“There is a place waiting for a flower”).

In the chorus, the singer invites us to sing for love and peace, “Pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa/Cantemos al amor, cantemos a la paz” (“Pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa pa/Let’s sing for love, let’s sing for peace”). The final verse recognizes the singer’s own personal struggles with love and depression, “Las penas de amor me sumergen en/Depresiones llenas de sensibilidad” (“The sorrows of love drown me in/Sensitively heavy depressions”). However, he still chooses to offer his heart and love to his audience, “Ofrezco el corazón/Mil ilusiones de amor” (“I offer my heart/A thousand illusions of love”).

Overall, the lyrics of Pa Pa Pa are a blend of personal and social themes that offer a message of hope and love in the midst of fear and uncertainty.

Line by Line Meaning

Me encantan las canciones de amor
I love songs about love

Y aquellas que piden un mundo mejor
And those that call for a better world

Vivo con el miedo al dedo que alguna vez
I live with the fear that someday

Apretará el botón
Someone will press the button

Creo en la libertad y en mi corazón
I believe in freedom and in my heart

Hay un sitio esperando por una flor
There's a place waiting for a flower

La escena me pone nervioso aunque el show
The scene makes me nervous even though the show

Debe continuar yo soy un profesional
Must go on, I'm a professional

Entrego diversión
I bring entertainment

Vaharadas de amor
Whiffs of love