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.
Zombie
Los Prisioneros Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo soy un zombie
Me gustan las habichuelas
(si me gustan pero no a cada rato, se entiende)
Y camino por el parque
Y sin ir mas lejos
Ayer anduve buscando una herramienta
Y yo cacho que todos me miran raro
Solo porque soy un tétrico y maloliente,
Horrible zombie
Yo soy un zombie
Zombies habemos muchos
Como por ser: el Lucho, el Groucho,
Zeppo y Chico que es el menor y vayan a saber ustedes
Porque me pidieron autógrafos ayer en la calle
Hay cosas que no entiendo...
Y bueno tu sabes,
Las cosas se han puesto difíciles para los zombies
Antes, cuando habia democracia era tan distinto
Así es que por lo mismo los zombies
Llamamos a votar -NO- en el plebiscito
Para derrocar a Pinochet
Yo soy un zombie, soy un zombie,
Soy un zombie
Antes, cuando habia democracia era tan distinto
Asi es que por lo mismo los zombies
Llamamos a votar -NO- en el plebiscito
Para derrocar a Pinochet
Aunque Pinochet tiene sus cosas buenas
En su estilo
Como por ser...
Zombie
Si, eso soy yo
The song "Zombie" by Los Prisioneros has a deeper meaning than what its title suggests. The lyrics tell the story of the singer, who is a zombie longing for acceptance in a society that rejects him for his appearance and smell. He talks about how he walks in the park, loves to eat beans, and couldn't find a tool he was looking for. The singer believes that people look weirdly at him because he is different from them and smells unpleasant, just like a zombie would. The song takes a political turn when the singer reveals that he and other zombies voted "NO" in the plebiscite to overthrow dictator Augusto Pinochet. The song ends with the singer saying that he is a zombie, just like Pinochet, but still seems resigned to his fate.
"Zombie" is a political allegory that expresses the suppression of individuality and the marginalization of certain social groups in Chile. The metaphor of a zombie is used to convey the idea that society views people who are different or unique as inherently dangerous and a threat to the status quo. The song is a reminder of the country's political history and the attempts made to overthrow oppressive regimes. It serves as a rallying cry for the oppressed, reminding them that they too have the power to make a change.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah! zombie, zombie, zombie
The song is about a person being referred to as a zombie and how difficult it is for zombies to live in a society.
Yo soy un zombie
I am one of the many zombies who live in this society which is becoming increasingly difficult to live in.
Me gustan las habichuelas (si me gustan pero no a cada rato, se entiende)
I like beans, but not all the time. Don't get the wrong impression about zombies.
Y camino por el parque
I walk around the park like a normal person, even though I am a zombie.
Y sin ir mas lejos ayer anduve buscando una herramienta. Busque' por varias partes pero no la haye'
I was looking for a tool yesterday, but I couldn't find it even after searching in multiple places.
Y yo cacho que todos me miran raro, solo porque soy un tétrico y maloliente, horrible zombie
I feel like everyone stares at me weirdly just because I am a scary and smelly zombie.
Zombies habemos muchos como por ser: el Lucho, el Groucho, Zeppo y Chico que es el menor y vayan a saber ustedes porque me pidieron autógrafos ayer en la calle. Hay cosas que no entiendo...
There are many zombies like Lucho, Groucho, Zeppo, and Chico. I don't know why people asked me for autographs on the street, it doesn't make sense to me.
Y bueno tu sabes, las cosas se han puesto difíciles para los zombies
As you know, life has become tough for zombies these days.
Antes, cuando habia democracia era tan distinto
In the past, when there was democracy, life was much easier for all people, including zombies.
Así es que por lo mismo los zombies llamamos a votar -NO- en el plebiscito para derrocar a Pinochet
That's why zombies like me are calling for people to vote 'no' in the plebiscite in order to overthrow Pinochet's regime.
Si, eso soy yo
Yes, that's what I am - a zombie, but I am still a human being who needs to coexist with others in society.
Contributed by Lucy S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.