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.
Se Remata el Siglo
Los Tres Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Se rematan
Las putas, heroes, ganas
Historia, escoria, fuerzas armadas
Aereas, terrestres
Se remata la plata
La escoba de las brujas
De chancho, las mismas
Que tantos pasos en falso
Han dado
Se remata mi madre
Tu hermana, el dolor, el calor
¡Ultimos dias!
La inocencia, el romance, el amor
Rematennos a todos
Que no quede nadie
Nos vemos en el infierno
Lleva bronceador
The song "Se Remata el Siglo" by Los Tres is a protest song that criticizes the state of society at the turn of the century. The title, "Se Remata el Siglo" which translates to "The Century is Auctioned Off," suggests that the values and ideals of the 20th century are being discarded in favor of profit and material gain. The first verse lists the things that are being auctioned off, including prostitutes, heroes, history, and the military. The mention of the military is particularly significant as Chile had experienced a brutal dictatorship that ended in 1990.
The second verse continues with the theme of auctioning off things, including silver, brooms used by witches, and pig legs. The imagery suggests that even the most ordinary and mundane things are being sold off for profit. Then, there is a shift in tone as the singer laments the loss of more personal things such as his mother, her sister, pain, warmth, innocence, romance, and love. The repetition of "ultimos dias" or "last days" emphasizes the sense of finality and hopelessness.
The last verse is a call for action, urging everyone to be auctioned off so that no one is left behind. The line "Nos vemos en el infierno, lleva bronceador" translates to "See you in hell, bring sunscreen," which might suggest that the future is bleak and that people need to prepare for the worst.
Ultimately, the song is a commentary on the commodification of human life and values, the loss of innocence, and the sense of despair that many felt at the end of the 20th century. It is a poignant and powerful critique of the rapidly changing world that many felt was leaving them behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Se remata el siglo
The century is coming to an end.
Se rematan
Everything is being sold off.
Las putas, heroes, ganas
Prostitutes, heroes and desires are being sold off.
Historia, escoria, fuerzas armadas
History, debris and armed forces are being sold off.
Aereas, terrestres
Air and land transport are being sold off.
Se remata la plata
Silver is being sold off.
La escoba de las brujas
The witches’ broom is being sold off.
Y patas
And the legs.
De chancho, las mismas
Of pig, the same ones.
Que tantos pasos en falso han dado
That have taken so many missteps.
Se remata mi madre
My mother is being sold off.
Tu hermana, el dolor, el calor
Your sister, the pain, the heat.
¡Ultimos dias!
Last days!
La inocencia, el romance, el amor
Innocence, romance, love are being sold off.
Rematennos a todos
Sell us all off.
Que no quede nadie
So that no one remains.
Nos vemos en el infierno
We’ll see each other in hell.
Lleva bronceador
Bring sunscreen.
Contributed by Carter A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.