Preguntitas sobre dios
Soledad Bravo Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Un día pregunté yo:
¿Abuelo, dónde esta Dios?
Mi abuelo se puso triste,
Y nada me respondió.

Mi abuelo murió en lo campo,
Sin rezo ni confesión.
Y lo enterraron los indios
Flauta de caña y tambor.

Al tiempo pregunté yo:
¿Padre, donde está Dios?
Mi padre se puso serio
Y nada me respondió.

Mi padre murió en la mina
Sin doctor ni confeción.
¡Sudor de sangre minera
Tiene el oro del patrón!
Y lo enterraron los indios
Flauta de caña y tambor.

Mi hermano vive en los montes
Y no conoce una flor.
Sudor, malaria, serpiente,
La vida del leñador.

Y que nadie le pregunte
Si sabe dónde está Dios:
Por su casa no ha pasado
Tan importante señor.

Yo canto cuando estoy libre
Y cuando estoy en presión
Siento la rosa del pueblo
Que canta mejor que yo.

Hay una asunto en la tierra
Más importante que Dios
Y es que nadie escupa sangre
Pa′ que otro viva mejor.

¿Qué Dios vela por los pobres?
Tal vez sí, y tal vez no.




Pero es seguro que almuerza
En la mesa del patrón.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Soledad Bravo's song Preguntitas sobre dios convey a deep sense of disillusionment and skepticism towards religion and the concept of God. The singer of the song, a young child, asks their grandfather and father where God is, only to receive no answer. Both the grandfather and father have died under unfavorable circumstances, and their deaths highlight the sense of injustice and suffering that exists in the world.


The fact that the grandfather and father are buried with a flute and drum played by indigenous people suggests that they were marginalized and oppressed. The mention of the brother who lives in the mountains and knows nothing of flowers reinforces the idea that there is a significant level of poverty and hardship. The brother's life as a lumberjack is challenging, and he does not have the luxury to wonder about God's whereabouts.


The song's protagonist concludes that there are more critical issues on Earth than the existence of God. The line, "Hay un asunto en la tierra más importante que Dios," suggests that there are significant social injustices that need to be addressed, and the reference to blood being spat out so that others can live better highlights the human cost of these issues. The final line, "Pero es seguro que almuerza en la mesa del patrón," indicates that the power dynamics are such that the wealthy elite are the ones ultimately benefiting, even if there is a God who watches over the poor.


Overall, Soledad Bravo's Preguntitas sobre dios is a poignant commentary on the human condition and the dichotomy between the powerful and the powerless. It raises questions about religion's role in addressing social inequality and whether God is indeed on the side of the oppressed or simply absent.


Line by Line Meaning

Un día pregunté yo:
I once asked:


¿Abuelo, dónde esta Dios?
Where is God, grandpa?


Mi abuelo se puso triste,
Grandpa became sad,


Y nada me respondió.
And didn't respond.


Mi abuelo murió en lo campo,
Grandpa died in the countryside,


Sin rezo ni confesión.
Without prayer or confession.


Y lo enterraron los indios
And the Indians buried him


Flauta de caña y tambor.
With bamboo flute and drum.


Al tiempo pregunté yo:
Later, I asked:


¿Padre, donde está Dios?
Where is God, dad?


Mi padre se puso serio
Dad became serious


Y nada me respondió.
And didn't respond.


Mi padre murió en la mina
Dad died in the mine


Sin doctor ni confeción.
Without a doctor or confession.


¡Sudor de sangre minera
Sweat of mining blood,


Tiene el oro del patrón!
Making the boss's gold!


Y lo enterraron los indios
And the Indians buried him


Flauta de caña y tambor.
With bamboo flute and drum.


Mi hermano vive en los montes
My brother lives in the mountains


Y no conoce una flor.
And doesn't know a flower.


Sudor, malaria, serpiente,
Sweat, malaria, snakes,


La vida del leñador.
The life of the lumberjack.


Y que nadie le pregunte
And let no one ask him


Si sabe dónde está Dios:
If he knows where God is:


Por su casa no ha pasado
God has not visited his house


Tan importante señor.
Such an important lord.


Yo canto cuando estoy libre
I sing when I'm free


Y cuando estoy en presión
And when I'm under pressure


Siento la rosa del pueblo
I feel the rose of the people


Que canta mejor que yo.
That sings better than me.


Hay una asunto en la tierra
There's an issue on earth


Más importante que Dios
More important than God


Y es que nadie escupa sangre
And that's no one spits blood


Pa′ que otro viva mejor.
So that another can live better.


¿Qué Dios vela por los pobres?
Does God watch over the poor?


Tal vez sí, y tal vez no.
Maybe yes, maybe no.


Pero es seguro que almuerza
But it's sure that he has lunch


En la mesa del patrón.
At the boss's table.




Writer(s): Atahualpa Yupanqui

Contributed by Christopher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions