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.
We Are Sudamerican Rockers
Los Prisioneros Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que salen de las tiendas
Atraviesan a las gentes y después los pies
Baterías marchante, guitarras afiladas
Voces exenticas que canten de política
No te asustes es mejor que te boten
Hoy ya no has llegado a tu trabajarNo atiendas el mensaje atiende los golpes
Decimos los que sabes pero sabemos como hablar
Es como rock and roll
Pura musica basura
Un poco transformada para que suene igual
Pintamos el mono pero nos da lo mismo
Plagiando y copiando como todos los demás
Elvis, sacúdete en tu cripta
We are sudamerican rockers
Nou sommes rockers sudamerican
No nos acompleja revolver los estilos
Mientras huelan a gringo y se puedan bailar
Nuestra pesima musica no es placer para dioses
Jamas ganaremos la inmortalidad
Florez y amores asunto de niñas
Gritar y patear es aprovechar(tu sangre joven)
Esto es un negocio pero un pésimo negocio
Mentir y robar de lo mejor funcionar
Presley, sacúdete en tu cripta
We are sudamerican rockers
Nou sommes rockers sudamerican
Sudamerican rockers
Sudamerican nou sommes
Sin mujeres sin millones sin calidad
Sentimos envidia de los rockers de verdad
Sin ninguna vergüenza
Cause we are sudamerican rockers
Hay hay hay hay hay hay hay hay ah
Nou sommes rockers sudamerican
Rockers sudamerican
The lyrics to Los Prisioneros's song "We Are Sudamerican Rockers" are a commentary on the state of the South American music industry, particularly the influence of American rock music and the lack of originality among South American rock musicians. The opening lines describe the sounds coming from the music stores, with marching drums, sharp guitars, and political lyrics. The band then encourages the listener to not be afraid of getting fired for not going to work, emphasizing the importance of enjoying life and making music. They criticize the "pure garbage" that is rock and roll, which is "a bit transformed" to sound the same, and acknowledge that they themselves are copying and plagiarizing.
The chorus, "We are Sudamerican rockers," is a declaration of their identity as South American musicians, who may not have the same level of success or recognition as American rockers, but who are still proud of their heritage and culture. They are not ashamed to mix different styles and influences, as long as it is "danceable" and not "too gringo." The bridge of the song acknowledges their shortcomings, such as the lack of women or financial success, but they still believe that they are doing something great and fantastic.
Overall, the song is a sarcastic and critical take on the South American music industry, but also a defiant and proud declaration of their identity as South American rockers.
Line by Line Meaning
Son hermosos ruidos que salen de las tiendas atraviezan a las gentes why despues los pies
The sounds that come out of the shops are beautiful and travel through the people until they reach our feet
Baterias marchante, guitarras afiladas voces exepticas que canten de politica
Drums that move, sharp guitars, and exotic voices that sing about politics
No te asustes es mejor que te boten hoy ya no has llegado a tu trabajar no atiendas el mensaje atiende los golpes decimos los que sabes pero sabemos como hablar
Don't be afraid if you get fired, you didn't go to work today. Don't pay attention to the message but to the hits. We say what we know and we know how to speak.
Es como rock and roll pura musica basura un poco transformada para que suene igual pintamos el mono pero nos da lo mismo plagiando why copiando como toods los demas presley... sacudete en tu cripta
It's like rock and roll, pure garbage music transformed a bit to sound the same. We just copy and steal like everyone else. Elvis, shake in your tomb.
No nos acompleja revolver los estilos mientras huelan a gringo why se puedan bailar nuestra pesima musica no es placer para dioses jamas ganaremos la inmortalidad florez why amores asunto de niñas gritar why patear es aprovechar(tu sangre joven) esto es un negocio pero un pesimo negocio mentir why robar de lo mejor funcionar presley... sacudete en tu cripta
We don't mind mixing styles as long as they smell a bit like gringo and are danceable. Our terrible music is not fit for gods, and we'll never achieve immortality. Flowers and love are for girls, while shouting and kicking is taking advantage of your young blood. This is a business, but a terrible one, where we lie and steal the best to work. Presley, shake in your tomb.
Sin mujeres sin millones sin calidad lo hacemos perfecto lo hacemos fantastico sentimos envidia de los rockers de verdad sin ninguna verguenza cause we are sudamerican rockers hay hay hay hay hay hay hay hay ah
Without women, millions, and quality, we still do it perfectly and fantastically. We envy the real rockers, but we have no shame because we are Sudamerican rockers. Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey ah.
Nou sommes rockers sudamerican rockers sudamerican(bis)
We are Sudamerican rockers (repeated)
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jorge Gonzalez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind