Raphael were a visual kei band from Japan. Forming in 1997, the members wer… Read Full Bio ↴Raphael were a visual kei band from Japan. Forming in 1997, the members were only 15 when the band was formed. They were signed to a major label in 1999, and their major debut single, "Hanasaku Inochi Aru Kagiri", was a moderate success, reaching number 25 on the Oricon charts. They were known for their impressive style, which had an aggressive, progressive tone, with angelic melodies by frontman Yuki. By the summer of 2000, they were at their career peak, and their albums were selling pretty well for such a young band. However, on Halloween 2000, the guitarist and main songwriter of the band, Kazuki, died at the young age of 19. Soon after that, the band decided it was time to split. The vocalist (Yuki) and the drummer (Kazuhiro) formed Rice later that year, while the bassist (Yukito) embarked on a solo project. The band was resurrected for a short time in 2012 with all remaining members to celebrate Kazuki's 13th memorial.

Gitanos En Caravana
Raphael Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Gitanos por la carreteraQue fatigan tienen que pena me danErrantes sin saber si quieraNi de donde vienen ni pa donde van
Gitanos en caravanaGitano muerto de sedNi piedad samaritanaNi pozo donde beber
Cantando por el mundo enteroCon la voz morena del rey faraonLunares, bronces y panderosY un rosal de pena en el corazon
Ojos de tiniebla, piel aceitunadaCintura delgada de palma y jazminCruzan como sombras ya de madrugadaPor una vereda que no tiene fin
La luna lunera les sale al encuentroPor montes y valles y orillas del marMientras se les clava corazon adentroUn cuchillo en copla que empieza a cantar

Overall Meaning

These lyrics are from the song "Gitanos En Caravana" by Raphael. The lyrics portray the life of gypsies who travel through the roads, living a life of hardship and wandering. The first two lines convey that the gypsies are journeying through the roads, and despite their tiredness, they continue to travel. The singer expresses his sadness about their state of living and how difficult their life must be. The next two lines describe the gypsies as wanderers, who have no knowledge of their destination or their origin.

The next stanza starts with "Gitanos en caravana," which means "gypsies in a caravan." The line "Gitano muerto de sed" translates to "gypsy dead of thirst," which brings to light the difficulties of the journey that these people face. There is no help from anyone along the way, and they have no access to a well to drink from. The gypsies continue to travel along with their instruments, notably the voice of the "king pharaoh," singing for the whole world to hear. Their clothing, music, and language reflect their culture and tradition as they journey.

The last stanza describes the physical appearance of the gypsies, with dark eyes and olive skin, having a slender waist with palm and jasmine flowers. They continue to walk through the path that never ends, and the moon shines on them as they traverse through the mountains and valleys. As they continue walking, a knife pierces through their hearts, and they start singing in despair.

Overall, the song highlights the pain and struggles of the gypsy life, their wandering lifestyle, and their music, which is an expression of their sorrow and joy of living on the road.

Line by Line Meaning

Gitanos por la carretera
This line describes the gypsies who are wandering on the roads.

Que fatigan tienen que pena me dan
The sight of these fatigued gypsies fills the singer with sorrow.

Errantes sin saber si quiera
These gypsies are wandering aimlessly without any particular destination in mind.

Ni de donde vienen ni pa donde van
The singer is not sure where these gypsies are coming from and where they are headed.

Gitanos en caravana
The gypsies are travelling in a caravan.

Gitano muerto de sed
One of the gypsies is dying of thirst.

Ni piedad samaritana
There is no one to show mercy to this thirsty gypsy.

Ni pozo donde beber
There is no source of water nearby where this gypsy can quench their thirst.

Cantando por el mundo entero
The gypsies are singing their songs all over the world.

Con la voz morena del rey faraon
They have a deep, sensual voice similar to a king's.

Lunares, bronces y panderos
The gypsies are surrounded by traditional Spanish instruments like the castanets and tambourines.

Y un rosal de pena en el corazon
Their heart is weighed down with sorrow like a thorn bush.

Ojos de tiniebla, piel aceitunada
The gypsies have dark, mysterious eyes and olive-colored skin.

Cintura delgada de palma y jazmin
Their waists are slender like palm tree trunks and jasmine flowers.

Cruzan como sombras ya de madrugada
These gypsies move silently, like ghosts, even in the early hours of the morning.

Por una vereda que no tiene fin
They continue walking on a path that seems to have no end.

La luna lunera les sale al encuentro
The moon follows them wherever they go.

Por montes y valles y orillas del mar
The gypsies travel through hills, valleys, and along the seashore.

Mientras se les clava corazon adentro
The singer feels a deep sadness inside as he watches them disappear.

Un cuchillo en copla que empieza a cantar
The singer feels like a knife has been plunged into his heart as he listens to the sad songs of these gypsies.

Contributed by Allison E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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