Becoming involved in music since he was 15, in 1979 he and his brother Alejandro formed underground rock band ZAS. The following year he managed to contact Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and gain a spot on stage as the opening act for the British group for their Buenos Aires concerts. He turned ZAS into one of the most important argentine rock bands of the early 80s.
In 1986, Mateos recorded in the United States his first solo album (officially, but in practice he still used members of ZAS as supporting band). With a much more polished sound, and greater pop accessibility than the ZAS works, Mateos jumped on the crest of the wave of Argentine rock acts that dominated the 1986-1988 period all over Latin America, Spain, and elsewhere.
Solos en América was considered a watershed album containing cuts that would become classics of Rock en Español from that time, including the homonymous track, "Cuando Seas Grande", and "Mi Sombra en la Pared".
Riding a wave of massive popularity in Mexico, Mateos introduced the slogan "Rock en tu Idíoma" (Rock In Your Language) in 1987. He began touring that nation, introducing along the way local acts such as Caifanes and Maldita Vecindad, among others. All those groups would become major acts in their own right within a short period. In the 1987-1988 Mateos would tour Latin America to sell-out stadiums.[1] He was among the first Rock en Español acts to receive active support from fledgling MTV International.
The 1990s would be a period of continued solo success for Mateos and his now adult-pop rock music across the Spanish-speaking world, though ironically he would drop off somewhat in popularity in his homeland. In general, what in the rest of Latin America is considered rock, in Argentina tends to be seen as pop. This has sometimes led to cultural confusion about how to categorize the current Miguel Mateos musical output, as outside Argentina Mateos remains an iconic figure of the Rock en Español movement.
Mateos went on the so-called first Rock en Español tour of the United States in 1990, where he was awared the Bravo Musical Award. He released Bar Imperio in 1998 and after a hiatus released Uno in 2005.
Exilio en Paris
Miguel Mateos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Estoy de vuelta, estoy aquí
Vos sabes bien porque me tuve que ir
Oh! nena
Sienta miedo, no se porque
Si trabajaba el día para vivir
Quizás con tiempo lo podrás entender
Fue difícil, mujer ser argentino en París
Esperando tener noticias para volver
Exilio, auxilio,
Ah!
Una llamada, un coche gris
Una historieta de terror, que se acaba
Oh! nena
Seis años duros de facultad
Y terminar como taxista siendo físico nuclear
Oh! no
Te espero a eso de las 6 junto al rio
Con la manzana mordida
Y la tonta expresión
De un perro sin dueño, recordando su amor
Mientras Buenos Aires se divierte,
Se divierte, no, no.
Estoy de vuelta (exilio)
Estoy aquí (auxilio)
No quiero volver a ser
Un argentino en París
Estoy de vuelta (exilio)
Estoy aquí (auxilio)
No quiero volver a ser
Un argentino en París
No tengo miedo (exilio)
No se porque (auxilio)
No quiero volver a ser
Un argentino en París
Miguel Mateos's song "Exilio en Paris" (Exile in Paris) is about the experiences of an Argentine man who finds himself exiled in Paris. He starts off by saying that he is back, but he had to leave because of something. He addresses a woman he calls "nena" and expresses his fear of not knowing why he is scared. He worked hard to make a living in Paris, but he found it difficult as an Argentine man, and he eventually fell in love with the postman. He eagerly awaits news from home, hoping he can return one day. The repeated lines of "exilio" and "auxilio" suggest that he feels abandoned and is in desperate need of help.
The song's second verse describes how the man studied physics for six long years, but had to become a taxi driver in Paris. He asks the woman he loves to meet him by the river at six o'clock with a bitten apple and the foolish expression of a dog without an owner, remembering his love for her. Meanwhile, Buenos Aires is having fun without him. The last verse repeats the same lines from the beginning, with additional emphasis on not wanting to be an Argentine in Paris again. The lines "no tengo miedo, no sé por qué" translate to "I'm not afraid, I don't know why," indicating that the singer has grown tired of living in a constant state of fear.
To summarize, "Exilio en Paris" is a song about a victim of political persecution who had to leave his home in Argentina and find refuge in Paris. Through his story, he gives a glimpse into the difficulties that come with exile, including the loneliness, the fear, and the constant yearning for home.
Line by Line Meaning
Estoy de vuelta, estoy aquí
I have returned and I am here.
Vos sabes bien porque me tuve que ir
You know well why I had to leave.
Oh! nena
Oh! girl
Sienta miedo, no se porque
I'm feeling scared, don't know why.
Si trabajaba el día para vivir
If I worked every day just to survive.
Quizás con tiempo lo podrás entender
Maybe with time you will understand.
Le di mi amor al cartero
I gave my love to the postman.
Fue difícil, mujer ser argentino en París
It was tough, my dear, to be an Argentinian in Paris.
Esperando tener noticias para volver
Waiting for news to come back.
Exilio, auxilio,
Exile, help.
Ah!
Ah!
Una llamada, un coche gris
A phone call, a gray car.
Una historieta de terror, que se acaba
A horror story that comes to an end.
Oh! nena
Oh! girl
Seis años duros de facultad
Six tough years in college.
Y terminar como taxista siendo físico nuclear
To end up being a nuclear physicist driving a cab.
Oh! no
Oh no.
Te espero a eso de las 6 junto al rio
I'll wait for you around 6 by the river.
Con la manzana mordida
With the bitten apple.
Y la tonta expresión
And the silly expression.
De un perro sin dueño, recordando su amor
Of a stray dog, remembering its love.
Mientras Buenos Aires se divierte,
While Buenos Aires has fun,
Se divierte, no, no.
Has fun, no, no.
No tengo miedo (exilio)
I'm not afraid (exile).
No se porque (auxilio)
I don't know why (help).
No quiero volver a ser
I don't want to be again,
Un argentino en París
An Argentinian in Paris.
Lyrics © SADAIC LATIN COPYRIGHTS, INC.
Written by: MIGUEL MATEOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind