Soulfly incorporates many styles of metal with Brazilian tribal and world music. All of their first six studio albums debuted on the United States Billboard 200, with a peak position at number 32 for their second album, Primitive. Soulfly has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The band has gone through numerous line-up changes, with Cavalera being the only constant member. In an interview with Max in 2015, it is revealed that the band's name was taken from the song "Headup" by Deftones, a song that Max collaborated on.
Studio albums
Soulfly (1998)
Primitive (2000)
3 (2002)
Prophecy (2004)
Dark Ages (2005)
Conquer (2008)
Omen (2010)
Enslaved (2012)
Savages (2013)
Archangel (2015)
Ritual (2018)
Totem (2022)
Plata O Plomo
Soulfly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Criou emperio de drogas e mentiras
Matava gente - la na rua
O Padriho, seu apelido
Fora da lei desde menino
En Medellin ele cresceu
Era diabo ou filho de deus
Plata O Plomo (Caralho)
Plata O Plomo
Plata O Plomo (Pinche cabrón)
Pablo Escobar, señor de la coca
Reino de miedo, terror, violencia
Control del mundo desde Medellín
Obedece, o ves tu fin
Tuvo el poder dando mordidas,
Comprando jueces y chota sucia
Plata O Plomo, así es la ley
Te haces rico o mueres wey
O cartel de Medellin
Finalmente chegou ao fim
Sequestro e tortura
Matava todos - filhas da puta
Narco Pablo - Amado Odiado
Narco Pablo - Amado Odiado
Pablo Escobar, hombre de la gente
Con lana sucia quería ser presidente
Pinche gobierno lo rechazó
Venganza suya, empezó el terror
Narco Pablo - Amando Odiado
Narco Pablo - Amando Odiado
No telhado ele morreu
Chuva de balas o chao tremeu
Emboscada se meteu
E sem saida se fudeu
A policia filha de puta
Se deu melhor nessa luta
Mas seu nome continua
Acendem velas na sua sepultura
Plata O Plomo
Plata O Plomo (Porra)
Plata O Plomo
Plata O Plomo (Culero)
Rico O Muerto
Plata O Plomo
The lyrics of Soulfly's song "Plata O Plomo" explore the life and legacy of Pablo Escobar, once known as the "King of Cocaine." The song begins by referencing the empire of drugs and lies that he created, and his penchant for killing people in the streets. Escobar was known as "El Padriho," which means "The Godfather" in Spanish, and he had been an outlaw since he was a boy growing up in Medellin. The lyrics question whether he was more devil than human, or whether he might have had some divine qualities.
The refrain of the song is "Plata O Plomo," which is a phrase that translates to "silver or lead" in English. In the context of the song, it means that you either take the money and live, or you resist and die. Escobar was known for using this phrase to intimidate and control people, offering them the choice of either accepting bribes or facing assassination. The rest of the lyrics explore Escobar's power and influence in Medellin, as well as his political ambitions and the eventual downfall of his cartel.
Line by Line Meaning
Pablo Escobar, rei da Cocaina
Pablo Escobar, king of cocaine
Criou emperio de drogas e mentiras
Created an empire of drugs and lies
Matava gente - la na rua
Killed people on the street
O Padriho, seu apelido
The Godfather, his nickname
Fora da lei desde menino
Outlaw since childhood
En Medellin ele cresceu
He grew up in Medellin
Era diabo ou filho de deus
He was either a devil or a son of God
Plata O Plomo
Silver or lead
Plata O Plomo (Caralho)
Silver or lead (Damn)
Plata O Plomo
Silver or lead
Plata O Plomo (Pinche cabrón)
Silver or lead (Damn bastard)
Pablo Escobar, señor de la coca
Pablo Escobar, lord of cocaine
Reino de miedo, terror, violencia
Kingdom of fear, terror, violence
Control del mundo desde Medellín
Control of the world from Medellin
Obedece, o ves tu fin
Obey or see your end
Tuvo el poder dando mordidas,
He had power by giving bribes
Comprando jueces y chota sucia
Buying judges and dirty cops
Plata O Plomo, así es la ley
Silver or lead, that's the law
Te haces rico o mueres wey
You get rich or you die, dude
O cartel de Medellin
The Medellin cartel
Finalmente chegou ao fim
Finally came to an end
Sequestro e tortura
Kidnapping and torture
Matava todos - filhas da puta
Killed everyone - bitches
Narco Pablo - Amado Odiado
Narco Pablo - loved and hated
Narco Pablo - Amado Odiado
Narco Pablo - loved and hated
Pablo Escobar, hombre de la gente
Pablo Escobar, man of the people
Con lana sucia quería ser presidente
He wanted to be president with dirty money
Pinche gobierno lo rechazó
The damn government rejected him
Venganza suya, empezó el terror
His revenge, the terror began
No telhado ele morreu
He died on the rooftop
Chuva de balas o chao tremeu
Rain of bullets shook the ground
Emboscada se meteu
Got into an ambush
E sem saida se fudeu
And fucked without a way out
A policia filha de puta
The damn police
Se deu melhor nessa luta
They fared better in this fight
Mas seu nome continua
But his name lives on
Acendem velas na sua sepultura
They light candles at his grave
Plata O Plomo
Silver or lead
Plata O Plomo (Porra)
Silver or lead (Damn)
Plata O Plomo
Silver or lead
Plata O Plomo (Culero)
Silver or lead (Asshole)
Rico O Muerto
Rich or dead
Plata O Plomo
Silver or lead
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MASSIMILIANO CAVALERA, MASSIMILIANO A CAVALERA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Demitri EgGe Mackoy
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