In 1982, three guys from Concepción, Álvaro Henríquez, Roberto Titae Lindl, and Pancho Molina started a band called Los Dick Stones, whose set list was based on songs by Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and Gene Vincent. They quickly became very popular in universities, bars, and peñas around the southern city of Concepción. Given their ambition to achieve success in the Chilean mainstream, they decided to move to the capital city of Santiago and changed their name to Los Tres. In 1988 Ángel Parra joined the band and even though Los Tres is Spanish for "the three", they decided to keep the name.
During years when culture and art began to rise again -after the cultural and night life had been reduced for almost 20 years due to the military regime that had ruled Chile since 1973-, the times were right for their music to develop and their popularity to grow. They recorded 9 albums during their first stage together, from 1982 until 2000.
In 2000 the band went into an indefinite break and its members continued their musical careers in personal projects.
On 2006 Los Tres, with the exception of Pancho Molina, announced their reunion including a show in May, the festival Vive Latino in Mexico City, and a show in Santiago de Chile. The first single Camino was already released. Their tenth album (Hágalo usted mismo) was a result of this reunion. The band is still together.
La Vida Que Yo He Pasado
Los Tres Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La vida que yo he pasado
En el puente
Del Mapocho
En el puente
Del Mapocho
Caramba, haciendo fuego con huaipe
Caramba, la vida que yo hei pasado
Los mejores amigos
Caramba, fueron los gatos
Le echaba pa' las pulgas
Bicarbonato
Los mejores amigos
Fueron los gatos
Bicarbonato sí,
Caramba triste y sombrío
En esos adoquines
Muerto de frío
Me tiritan los cuernos
Caramba, en los inviernos
The lyrics of Los Tres's song "La Vida Que Yo He Pasado" convey the story of a person who has lived a difficult life on the Mapocho bridge. The singer expresses nostalgia and remorse over the tough times they had to go through. The poem depicts a sense of loneliness and isolation, despite being surrounded by stray cats which became their only friends. The singer reminisces about lighting fires with huaipe and using gangochos as a means of comfort during those tough times.
The lyrics also emphasize the suffering and poverty that the singer had to endure. There is a mention of using bicarbonate for flea treatment, indicating a lack of resources for proper care. The singer also mentions the cold winters, and how they would shiver with cold as they walked the streets. The reference to tiritan los cuernos is a colloquial way of saying "I am freezing."
The song is an ode to the life of the homeless people of Chile, living on the streets and barely surviving the harsh realities of their impoverishment. The song exposes the cruelness of the social inequality that exists in our society. It also highlights the resilience and bravery of people forced to live through hard times.
Line by Line Meaning
Caramba la vida
A phrase to express astonishment or irritation towards the kind of life one has lived.
La vida que yo he pasado
The life that I have lived, as seen from my perspective.
En el puente
Refers to a bridge that connects two sides of the Mapocho River in Santiago, Chile.
Del Mapocho
The river that flows through Santiago, Chile, and is being referred to here.
Caramba, haciendo fuego con huaipe
Expressing surprise at having to make fire using huaipe (a common flower in Chile used for medicinal and other purposes).
Y tapaíto con gangochos
Refers to a poor man's meal made with tapaíto (a type of stew) and gangochos (a type of bean).
Caramba, la vida que yo hei pasado
The life that I have lived, as seen from my perspective.
Los mejores amigos
Talking about one's closest friends.
Fueron los gatos
Referring to cats as one's best friends.
Le echaba pa' las pulgas
Means to give affection or attention to someone, like petting a cat.
Bicarbonato
Using bicarbonate of soda to cure an ailment or illness.
Bicarbonato sí,
Acknowledging the use of bicarbonate.
Caramba triste y sombrío
Feeling sad and gloomy.
En esos adoquines
Referring to the stoned paving of the streets.
Muerto de frío
Feeling very cold, almost as if one is dead.
Me tiritan los cuernos
An expression implying feeling very cold, almost as if one's horns are shaking.
Caramba, en los inviernos
Expressing surprise at how cold and hard the winters can be.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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