Three Souls was part of a burgeoning Mexican rock movement that had ties to rock's African American roots, the U.S. counterculture, and the then-globalizing recording industry. As rock in Mexico was originally seen as "inauthentic" when sung in Spanish, Three Souls mostly sang covers of American rock and blues songs in English. However, at the Festival de Avándaro, often called "Mexico's Woodstock", they crossed over, singing first in English, then in Spanish. From then on they recorded primarily in Spanish, writing most of their own songs. When asked why they switched to Spanish, Lora replied that it was important for the audience to understand the messages of the songs. While Three Souls had a popular following among the younger generation while singing in English, changing attitudes toward rock pushed the band to perform in the "hoyos fonquis", where the lower classes held semi-chaotic rock shows. Singing in his original language and for a new, energetic, young, and discontented audience, Lora's songs began reflecting more of the reality of the daily lives of average Mexicans, while simultaneously allowing concertgoers to forget those same troubles. Lora gave his own identity to Mexican rock & roll, becoming its emblem.
La Chava de Avandaro
Three Souls in My Mind Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A todo dar
Le gusta mucho
Rocanrolear
Y ella me dice que me quiere
Y que no hay otro como yo
Y ella me confesó que ella es la encuerada de Avándaro
Los que me oigan
Han de pensar
Que estoy tratando
De apantallar
Pero lo que les digo es cierto
Esa nena me tiene loco a mí
Y ya me convencí que ella es la encuerada de Avándaro
De Avándaro
Tengo una nena
A todo dar
Le gusta mucho
Rocanrolear
Y ella me dice que me quiere
Y que no hay otro como yo
Y ella me confesó que ella es la encuerada de Avándaro
De Avándaro
Los que me oigan
Han de pensar
Que estoy tratando
De apantallar
Pero lo que les digo es cierto
Esa nena me tiene loco a mí
Y ya me convencí que ella es la encuerada de Avándaro
De Avándaro, de Avándaro, de Avándaro
The lyrics of "La Chava de Avandaro" by Three Souls in My Mind talk about a girl who loves rock and roll and who the singer is deeply in love with. The singer tells us that this girl is the best thing that ever happened to him, and that she confessed to him that she was the famous "encuerada de Avándaro" (the naked girl of Avándaro). The song insists on the reality of the girl's confession, and how much she means to the singer.
The lyrics are rich in cultural and historical references. Avándaro was a music festival that took place in Mexico in 1971 and was considered the Mexican version of Woodstock. It became legendary for the controversy it caused due to the nudity of some attendees and some performances perceived as provocative. The fact that the girl is referred to as "the naked one of Avándaro" is a nod to this history. The song also makes reference to "rocanrolear," which is a slang term used in Mexico to describe a wild night out with music, dance, and alcohol.
Another interesting feature of this song is the use of the slang "apantallar," which means to impress someone by appearing to be something you are not. The singer makes it clear that he is not trying to impress anyone and that his feelings for the girl are genuine. This use of language adds an element of authenticity to the song and reinforces the idea that it is indeed a true story.
Line by Line Meaning
Tengo una nena
I have a girl
A todo dar
who's amazing
Le gusta mucho
She really enjoys
Rocanrolear
Rocking out
Y ella me dice que me quiere
And she tells me she loves me
Y que no hay otro como yo
And that there's no one else like me
Y ella me confesó que ella es la encuerada de Avándaro
And she confessed to me that she's the one who got naked at Avándaro
De Avándaro
At Avándaro
Los que me oigan
Those who hear me
Han de pensar
Might think
Que estoy tratando
That I'm trying
De apantallar
To show off
Pero lo que les digo es cierto
But what I'm telling you is true
Esa nena me tiene loco a mí
That girl has me crazy
Y ya me convencí que ella es la encuerada de Avándaro
And I'm convinced that she's the one who got naked at Avándaro
De Avándaro, de Avándaro, de Avándaro
At Avándaro
Writer(s): Alejandro Lora Serna
Contributed by Owen K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.