The story of PAPA TOPO begins with Adrià making music from his earliest infancy and Paulita taking chimes and choir classes in Binissalem, a small town in Palma de Mallorca. But the world opens up for them when, at 13, Adrià, thanks to an article in a magazine, becomes interested in indie-pop. Here’s how he describes it in an interview on the Discotraxx web: “I’ve been listening to indie-pop since I was 13 or 14, and I started listening by coincidence: I read an article about independent cinema in the magazine Fotogramas and, since I didn’t really know what indie meant, I Googled it. One of the first groups I found was CAMERA OBSCURA, and that was really important for me: thanks to them I discovered other groups on the Elefant label and when CAMERA OBSCURA played in Mallorca in 2006, that was the first concert I went to without my parents. I think it was one of the concerts I’ve enjoyed most in my life. Since then my musical taste has gone on evolving and I’ve discovered twee pop, which is what I listen to most. Apart from that, I listen to (and am influenced by) other styles like riot grrrl, punk pop and yé-yé. Here on the island there weren’t any other teenagers who were listening to what I was (or at least none that I knew of), but I kept giving my friends music to listen to and now all of the people I hang out with listen to the same kind of stuff.”
While summering, he spends his days listening to CAMERA OBSCURA, LA CASA AZUL and BELLE & SEBASTIAN, among others. At the same time, he listens to a Rough Trade compilation, thanks to which he comes into contact with pop from the 80s/90s (HEAVENLY, BEAT HAPPENING...). His love for this style grew stronger and he starting writing some songs.
Oso Panda
Papa Topo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dime por donde andas
Dime por donde andas
Por favor.
He salido a merendar
Por la selva tropical
Con mi amigo el puercoespín
Oso panda, oso panda
Dime por donde andas
Dime por donde andas
Por favor.
Ha empezado a llover
Sigue sin aparecer
Hay Dios que va a ser de mí
Si no vuelve el puercoespín.
Oso panda, oso panda
Dime por donde andas
Dime por donde andas
Por favor.
Empiezo a pensar
Que no te veré jamás
En la lluvia moriré
Es que yo no se que hacer
X2
Oso panda, oso panda
Yo no quiero morir solo
El estado me espesura
Esta vida es muy dura.
X2
Oso panda, oso panda
Oso panda, oso panda
Dime por donde andas
Yo no quiero morir solo
Dime por donde andas por favor.
Esta vida es muy dura
In Papa Topo's upbeat and playful song "Oso Panda," the lyrics speak of the singer's search for their friend, a panda bear. The song begins with repeating the phrase "Oso panda, oso panda, dime por donde andas" meaning "panda bear, panda bear, tell me where you are" in Spanish. The singer then reveals that they were out snacking in the tropical rainforest with their friend, a hedgehog or "el puercoespín," but now the panda bear is missing. The chorus continues to repeat the request for the panda bear to show up, with increasing urgency seen in the singer's voice as the song progresses.
As the song continues, the weather takes a turn and it starts to rain. The panda bear still hasn't appeared, and the singer is growing more and more worried. They are concerned about their friend and what might happen to them in the harsh conditions of the rainforest. The singer even acknowledges the possibility that they may never find the panda bear and will be left alone to die. It ends with a somber and desperate plea for the panda bear to reveal themselves and for the singer to not be left alone in this tough life.
Overall, "Oso Panda" delivers a simple yet meaningful story that addresses the themes of friendship, trust, and companionship through a catchy and upbeat melody.
Line by Line Meaning
Oso panda, oso panda
The singer calls out to the panda bear repeatedly in desperation
Dime por donde andas
Asking the panda bear to reveal its whereabouts
Dime por donde andas
Repeating the desperate plea for the bear's location
Por favor.
Requesting the bear's assistance with urgency
He salido a merendar
The singer has gone out for a snack
Por la selva tropical
The snack was consumed in a tropical jungle setting
Con mi amigo el puercoespín
The singer's companion during the snack time was a porcupine
Y ahora donde estás.
Asking the panda bear for its location after losing track
Ha empezado a llover
It has started to rain
Sigue sin aparecer
The panda bear hasn't shown up yet
Hay Dios que va a ser de mí
The singer is worried about what will happen to them
Si no vuelve el puercoespín.
Expressing concern for the missing porcupine
Empiezo a pensar
The singer begins to have thoughts
Que no te veré jamás
The singer fears they will never see the panda bear again
En la lluvia moriré
The singer is resigned to potentially dying in the rain
Es que yo no se que hacer
Expressing a feeling of helplessness
Oso panda, oso panda
Repeating the desperate call for the panda bear
Yo no quiero morir solo
The singer doesn't want to die alone
El estado me espesura
The situation becomes increasingly difficult for the singer
Esta vida es muy dura.
The singer reflects on the harshness of life
Dime por donde andas por favor.
Repeated plea for the panda bear's location with urgency
Contributed by Zachary L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.