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.
Sólo Era un Niño
Mocedades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
al entierro de su compañero
por la decisión de su mirada
yo sabía que iba al matadero.
Cuando ya hubo anochecido
lo trajeron mal herido
y pensé que inutil oblación
Qué dirán los que mandaban
qué dirán sus compañeros
quién sabrá que al verse morir
siguió creyendo.
Me dirán que fué simiente, me dirán
me dirán que fué todo un valiente
me dirán no hay más camino, me dirán
me dirán que era su destino.
Pero quién dirá conmigo
si le queda algún amigo
ahora que me ven todos llorar
sólo era un niño.
Me dirán que fué valiente
me dirán que fué el destino
quién dirá al verme llorar
sólo era un niño.
The song “Sólo Era un Niño” by Mocedades is a tribute to a young boy who went out to attend his friend’s funeral and never made it back alive. The song paints a picture of a senseless act of violence where the boy was sent to the slaughter due to some decision he made earlier in the day, and the lyrics express the singer's frustration, questions, and grief towards this tragedy.
The first verse sets the scene for the song, describing the boy's departure for his friend's funeral. However, the use of the phrase "al matadero" (to the slaughterhouse) foreshadows the unfortunate event that can be expected. The chorus is where the song's message becomes most clear: "sólo era un niño" (he was just a child). With this phrase, the singer underscores the senselessness of the tragedy and the difficulty in coming to terms with it. The second verse continues with the description of the boy's return, and the singer acknowledges his own thoughts and feelings of futility and disappointment about the situation.
The bridge of the song addresses the societal attitudes towards such situations, with the singer anticipating the different things people will say like "fue simiente" (he was just a seed), "fue todo un valiente" (he was a true hero), and "era su destino" (it was his fate). However, the singer ultimately comes back to the central message of the song, that despite these statements, the boy's loss remains a tragic one. The final chorus is the singer's personal call to attention, saying that regardless of what people may say or think, this boy was just a child, and that's what should be remembered.
Overall, “Sólo Era un Niño” is a poignant and moving song that explores the grief and confusion that can come with a senseless loss of life. It's a powerful reminder that regardless of what we may know or believe about the world, sometimes bad things just happen.
Line by Line Meaning
Se marchó a la calle esta mañana
He went out to the street this morning
al entierro de su compañero
to the funeral of his companion
por la decisión de su mirada
by the decision in his eyes
yo sabía que iba al matadero.
I knew he was going to the slaughterhouse.
Cuando ya hubo anochecido
When it was already dark
lo trajeron mal herido
they brought him badly wounded
y pensé que inutil oblación
and I thought that useless offering
sólo era un niño.
he was just a child.
Qué dirán los que mandaban
What will those in charge say?
qué dirán sus compañeros
What will his companions say?
quién sabrá que al verse morir
who will know that when he saw himself dying
siguió creyendo.
he still believed.
Me dirán que fué simiente, me dirán
They will tell me he was a seed, they will say
me dirán que fué todo un valiente
they will tell me he was very brave
me dirán no hay más camino, me dirán
they will tell me there is no other way, they will say
me dirán que era su destino.
they will tell me it was his destiny.
Pero quién dirá conmigo
But who will say with me
si le queda algún amigo
if he had any friends left
ahora que me ven todos llorar
now that they see me crying all alone
sólo era un niño.
he was just a child.
Me dirán que fué valiente
They will tell me he was brave
me dirán que fué el destino
they will tell me it was destiny
quién dirá al verme llorar
who will say to me when they see me cry
sólo era un niño.
he was just a child.
Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@DrGNavarro
Her you are the translation:
Only a child
He left this morning
to his friend's burial
by the decision of his stare
I already knew he was going to the slaughterhouse.
When it had already got dark
they brought him back badly injured
and I though, what a pointless oblation!
He was only a child.
What will say the ones that loved him?
What will say his mates
that will know that when seeing himself dying
he kept believing?
They will tell him he was the next,
they will tell him he was a brave one,
they will tell him it was the only way,
they will tell him it was his fate,
but what will his friend say
if he still has any friend
now that they see me all crying?
He was only a child.
They will tell him he was a brave one,
they will tell him it was his fate,
they will tell him seeing me crying now.
He was only a child.
They will tell him he was a brave one,
they will tell him it was his fate,
They will tell him...
@carmenfontanez9809
Traducción al ingles:
He left this morning
To his friend's burial
By the decision of his stare
I already knew he was going to the slaughterhouse.
When it had already got dark
They brought him back badly injured
And I though, what a pointless oblation!
He was only a child.
What will say the ones that loved him?
What will say his mates
That will know that when seeing himself dying
He kept believing?
They will tell him he was the next,
They will tell him he was a brave one,
They will tell him it was the only way,
They will tell him it was his fate,
But who will say with me
If he still has any friend
Now that they see me all crying?
He was only a child.
They will tell him he was a brave one,
They will tell him it was his fate,
They will tell him seeing me crying now.
He was only a child.
They will tell him he was a brave one,
They will tell him it was his fate,
They will tell him seeing me crying now.
@NecropolisEste_Madrid
Arturo Ruíz García Mari Luz Nájera Abogados de Atocha 24 enero 1977
https://www.grupomocedades.com/canciones/solo-era-un-nino/
Amaya, Izaskum y Estíbaliz
Roberto, Rafael, Sergio, Paco, José , Javier, Carlos
Juan Carlos Calderón
Se marchó a la calle esta mañana
al entierro de su compañero
por la decisión de su mirada
yo sabía que iba al matadero.
Cuando ya hubo anochecido
lo trajeron mal herido
y pensé que inutil oblación
sólo era un niño.
Qué dirán los que mandaban
qué dirán sus compañeros
quién sabrá que al verse morir
siguió creyendo.
Me dirán que fué simiente, me dirán
me dirán que fué todo un valiente
me dirán no hay más camino, me dirán
me dirán que era su destino.
Pero quién dirá conmigo
si le queda algún amigo
ahora que me ven todos llorar
sólo era un niño.
Me dirán que fué valiente
me dirán que fué el destino
quién dirá al verme llorar
sólo era un niño.
@miradas64
NO HAY PALABRAS ....AMAYA Y SU VOZ SON UN MILAGRO QUE DIOS PERMITIO' QUE DISFRUTARAMOS .....
@iskander69
Cuando era yo un niño Mocedades estuvo en mi país; Cuba. Yo ví su concierto en La Habana y es uno de esos momentos inborrables de mi vida (esta canción incluída). Desde entonces al día de hoy la música de Mocedades en todos sus formatos me ha acompañado. Gracias a ellos por existir y hacer música de la mejor, por ir a mi país cuando nadie quería hacerlo, y gracias a los que suben cosas de ellos.
@tomasm7420
Muy lindo comentario !!
@mariapagan9781
Nunca les ví escuchábamos la radio cuando niños recuerdo a mi madre cantando sus canciones cada vez que le escuchó me recuerdo de ella.
@mariapagan9781
Me hubiese gustado mucho verlos en vivo nunca tuve la oportunidad lamentablemente.
@reynamanjarrez8290
Mi grupo favorito de los 80tas sin duda los mejores de esa época unas voces únicas y la de Amaya la mejor! 👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
@mariaelenamoreno5876
Me conmueve tremendamente esta canción.
Hermosas voces!!
Amaya la mejor!!
@quenquita1
Que bella letra y con la hermosa voz de Amaya, que mejor 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🇨🇱🇨🇱🇨🇱
@tomasm7420
Maravillosa versión de una maravillosa canción. Mocedades, gracias.Son Unicos.
@m.betzabethorellanaruiz9281
Que voz más preciosa la de Amaya...llega al alma y ahí se queda...este era el verdadero Mocedades