In the year 1967 in the city of Bilbao, eight Basque students decided to f… Read Full Bio ↴In the year 1967 in the city of Bilbao, eight Basque students decided to form a musical group to be known as Voces y Guitarras ("Voices and Guitars"), citing folk and spiritual music and The Beatles as influences. This group of siblings Amaya Uranga, Estibaliz Uranga, Izaskun Uranga, Roberta Uranga, brothers Rafael Blanco and Sergio Blanco, José Ipiña and Francisco Panera spent a year performing around their hometown before sending a demo cassette to producer Juan Carlos Calderón in Madrid. He took and immediate interest in the group and renamed them Mocedades ("Things of Youth").

Their most known song is "Eres Tu", which became second at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 (Luxembourg). Final Position: 2 - Total Points: 125. Eres Tu was accused of plagiarism. It was suggested by critics that the song was merely a copy of the Yugoslav entry of 1966, Brez Besed performed by Berta Ambroz. The Spanish entry was not sanctioned though and became a huge hit internationally - it even outsold the winner Tu Te Reconnaitras by Anne-Marie David.

If you miss from the back of the bus
Mocedades Lyrics

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I'll be studying over there.

If you miss me from knocking on doors
and you can't find me nowhere
come on down to the registrar's room
I'll be the registrar there.

If you miss me from the cotton fields
and you can't find me nowhere
come on down to the courthouse
I'll be voting right there.

If you miss me from the picket line
and you can't find me nowhere
come on down to the jailhouse
I'll be rooming down there.

If you miss me from the Mississippi River
and you can't find me nowhere

come on down the the city pool
I'll be swimming in there.

Overall Meaning

Mocedades' song "If You Miss Me From The Back Of The Bus" is a powerful and evocative piece that speaks of the Civil Rights Movement, which collided with the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission's decision to defund public transportation in Mississippi. This left African Americans with no means to get to school, work or go anywhere. The lyrics were written by another folk singer, Brother John Sellers. It's a song that reminds people of the importance of fighting for justice and an end to racial discrimination.

The song takes its inspiration from various elements of the Civil Rights Movement, calling listeners to different locations based on where they might have missed the singer. The first verse refers to the back of the bus, where African Americans were traditionally forced to sit, and the driver's seat, which became one of the organizing places for Civil Rights activists. The second verse speaks about Jackson State, a historically black college in Mississippi, and "ole Miss," the University of Mississippi, which played a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement. Similarly, the third verse references canvassing and voter registration, while the fourth speaks about cotton fields where African Americans were forced to work and the courthouse where voting rights were protected. The fifth verse reflects on the fact that many Civil Rights activists were arrested for their protest on picket lines, and the final verse speaks about the only place they could swim, which was in public pools.

Overall, the song is a powerful call to action that encourages listeners to seek justice and to fight against racism and discrimination. It's a potent reminder that although the Civil Rights Movement may be over, the struggle for equal rights and justice is far from finished.

Line by Line Meaning

If you miss me from the back of the bus
If you can't find me in the position where I was, i.e., at a lower position,