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.
Quieren Dinero
Los Prisioneros Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No es tan cierto eso de la vocación
Estamos listos tú y yo para matarnos
Los dos por algún miserable porcentaje
Están corriendo los demás
Están robando si es posible
Y nunca con seguridad
O es nuestro estupido sistema
Es una nueva religión
O tal vez solo sea su emblema
El caso es que mi papá debe pegarle a tu papá
Porque en la mesa no cabemos todos
Salvavida o delincuente conductor o presidente
La cuestión fuciona del mismo modo
Nadie te puede ayudar
Nadie tiene tiempo de reclamar
Solo algo todos quieren en común
Solo algo deja bien a casi todo el mundo
Quieren dinero
Es el cómo y el por qué, es el presente y el futuro
Es el poder y la pasión, el atractivo más seguro
El profesor no tiene la cabeza en enseñar
Como el doctor no sale de su casa para sanar
Somos mil perros tras un hueso, esclavos de los pesos
No es chiste ser mayor paren mi reloj por favor
Nadie te puede ayudar
Nadie tiene tiempo de reclamar
Solo algo todos quieren en común
Solo algo deja bien a casi todo el mundo
Quieren dinero
Quiero más pesos, quiero más dólares
Quiero más libras, quiero más australes
Quiero más pesos, quiero más dólares
Quiero más libras, quiero más australes
Quiero más pesos, quiero más dólares
Quieren dinero
Los Prisioneros’s song Quieren Dinero is a critique of the capitalist system that values financial gain above all else. The song’s lyrics suggest that love of the arts and passion for one’s work no longer hold any value in society. The opening lines of the song, “Es mentira eso del amor al arte / No es tan cierto eso de la vocación” (Love for art is a lie / Passion is not so true), exemplifies this idea. The song argues that instead of striving for personal fulfillment and creativity, people are more concerned with achieving financial gain.
The lyrics describe a society where individuals will do anything to get ahead, even if it means hurting others. For instance, the lines “Estamos listos tú y yo para matarnos / Los dos por algún miserable porcentaje” (We are ready to kill each other / For some miserable percentage”), suggests that people are willing to go to extreme lengths to increase their wealth. This idea is further reinforced in the line “Salvavida o delincuente conductor o presidente / La cuestión funciona del mismo modo” (Lifesavers, delinquent drivers or presidents / The question works the same way), which suggests that regardless of one’s profession, the desire for financial gain is universal.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase “Quieren dinero” (They want money). The repetition of this line reinforces the central theme of the song and serves as a reminder of the society’s obsession with financial gain at the expense of other values. Los Prisioneros’s Quieren Dinero is a powerful critique of capitalism that highlights the inherent flaws in a system that values wealth over all else.
Line by Line Meaning
Es mentira eso del amor al arte
The idea of loving art is a lie
No es tan cierto eso de la vocación
The concept of having a calling is not entirely true
Estamos listos tú y yo para matarnos
You and I are ready to kill each other
Los dos por algún miserable porcentaje
We both do it for a miserable percentage
Están corriendo los demás
The others are running
Están robando si es posible
They are stealing if possible
Y nunca con seguridad
And never with certainty
Es una humana condición
It is a human condition
O es nuestro estupido sistema
Or it is our stupid system
Es una nueva religión
It is a new religion
O tal vez solo sea su emblema
Or maybe it is just its emblem
El caso es que mi papá debe pegarle a tu papá
The case is that my dad must hit your dad
Porque en la mesa no cabemos todos
Because there is not enough room for everyone at the table
Salvavida o delincuente conductor o presidente
Lifeguard or criminal, driver or president
La cuestión funciona del mismo modo
The issue works the same way
Nadie te puede ayudar
No one can help you
Nadie tiene tiempo de reclamar
No one has time to complain
Solo algo todos quieren en común
There is only one thing that everyone wants in common
Solo algo deja bien a casi todo el mundo
Only something that benefits almost everyone
Quieren dinero
They want money
Es el cómo y el por qué, es el presente y el futuro
It is about how and why, it is the present and the future
Es el poder y la pasión, el atractivo más seguro
It is power and passion, the safest attraction
El profesor no tiene la cabeza en enseñar
The teacher's mind is not focused on teaching
Como el doctor no sale de su casa para sanar
Just as the doctor doesn't leave his house to heal
Somos mil perros tras un hueso, esclavos de los pesos
We are a thousand dogs chasing after a bone, slaves of money
No es chiste ser mayor paren mi reloj por favor
It's not a joke to get older, please stop my clock
Quiero más pesos, quiero más dólares
I want more pesos, I want more dollars
Quiero más libras, quiero más australes
I want more pounds, I want more australs
Quieren dinero
They want money
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Juana Gonzalez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pochocamargo3091
Esto si es musica... no esas giladas de bad bunny , karol g, Rosalía o peso pluma saludos desde 🇨🇴
@oldgamecafe
Esos son ejemplo de algo comercial y malo
@pepitapin8482
Los Peruanos, AMAMOS Y VALORAMOS, a la mejor banda en todo sudamericarockers. LOS PRISIONEROS X SIEMPRE!!!!! Jorge, Claudio y Miguel, Super Estrellas🌟🌟🌟
@paulinajara6698
Asi es muy buena banda .saludo desde chileeee
@slave267
Saludos desde Arica-Chile de un chileno-peruano amigaza!
@Subnemcs2012
Abrazos a Perú
@elizabethaguero9400
Grandes Los Prisioneros.música de mi etapa joven 🇨🇱⚘🎼🎸🎹🎵
@renzofer6598
Prisioneros es único
@bell906
2023 y nuestros oídos retumba la buena música... Generación de cristal aprende.. Esto es música
@manubaq9142
¿Cuándo pasarán de moda Los prisioneros?.
NUNCA
Su música trasciende el tiempo, las fronteras, las generaciones.
¡Gracias Chile por este buen grupo!.