His real name is Antonio de la Cuesta and he started playing music in the 80's, when he participated in three different punk bands: Cagando Duro (The Hard Shit), Tijuana in Blue and Kojon Prieto y Los Huajolotes. The last one quickly became famous all over Spain, as they were playing covers of artists such as Al Bano and Raffaella Carra. Through one of their fantastic live appearances they drew the attention of Manu Chao, former leader of Mano Negra.
A few years later, in 2000, he would be the producer in Carotone's first solo album: “E Un Mondo Difficile”. The name that he now uses is a paraphrase of the Italian Carosone, in honour of an eminent Italian singer of the 50's, Renato Carosone (his big hit is “Tu Vuò Fà L'americano”).
His music combines punk with elements from Spanish, Italian, French, even Mexican popular music. It resembles the band Negresses Vertes and the solo works of Manu Chao, while a lot of critics are placing his music somewhere between Adriano Celentano and Tom Waits. The lyrics of his songs are often amusing, ironic or even surreal.
Niños de Papa
Tonino Carotone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and form collective with the eyes so i lose sight
of everything around me
i grab hold tight
and let my heart beat strange in spite
of all the lies around me
my head's not right
and i might lose my life tonight
crawling round on carpeted ground
and losing articles of clothing
seems like particles are growing
you can't turn down or tune it out
it's in my spine my crooked spine
connected to a fragile mind
have to lie down now
can't let the wall that holds your back
be the place they come and find your cold corpse at
covered in a towel
no need in fact
to let these voices scream like stacks
of overdriven marshalls
my ribs could crack
but my head will stay intact
lights they flash, brain cells will smash
and cause a flickerin'
my head will get more sick of it
these veins pump fast, but soon they'll crash
an empty body lacking movement for the party
the bathroom's trashed, it's been a blast
The lyrics of Tonino Carotone's song Niños de Papa are a commentary on the hedonistic and excessive lifestyle of the privileged children (Niños de Papa) of the wealthy elite. The opening lines describe a feeling of suffocation, as if the singer's ability to breathe is being suppressed by the opulence surrounding him. He feels disconnected from the world around him, and there is a sense of desperation in his attempt to cling on to something real. It's almost as if he's trying to force himself to feel something genuine in a world where shallow and superficial experiences are the norm.
The second stanza contains imagery that speaks to the overwhelming nature of this perceived reality. There is a sense that the singer is losing control of himself, shedding his clothes and dropping his guard as he becomes more entrenched in the moment. The reference to a "crooked spine" and "fragile mind" implies a sense of psychological instability, which becomes more pronounced as the song progresses. By the end of this section, it's clear that the singer is reaching a point of physical and mental exhaustion, and is forced to retreat from the chaos.
The final stanza appears to serve as a warning about the dangers of living a life of excess, perhaps directed specifically towards the Niños de Papa of the title. The imagery here is violent, with references to broken ribs, smashed brain cells, and an empty body. Even the bathroom has been "trashed", which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the damage done to one's self through drug use or other destructive behaviors. The singer is clearly fed up with the voices in his head and the relentless stimulation of the party, and seems to be saying that there will be consequences for those who continue to live in this manner.
Line by Line Meaning
my lungs can choose to not breath right
I have control over my breathing but I can choose to stop it
and form collective with the eyes so i lose sight
I can connect my breathing with my vision and lose awareness of my surroundings
of everything around me
I become disconnected from my environment
i grab hold tight
I try to hold onto something to feel grounded
and let my heart beat strange in spite
Despite feeling disconnected, I embrace the feeling of an irregular heartbeat
of all the lies around me
I am aware of the falsehoods in my environment
my head's not right
My mental state is unstable
and i might lose my life tonight
I am at risk of death due to my unstable state of mind
crawling round on carpeted ground
I am crawling on the floor
and losing articles of clothing
I am disrobing as I move
seems like particles are growing
I feel like things around me are becoming bigger
you can't turn down or tune it out
I cannot ignore what's happening
it's in my spine my crooked spine
My physical and emotional stress is causing my spine to tense up
connected to a fragile mind
My mental state is fragile and connected to the tension in my spine
have to lie down now
I need to rest and calm down
can't let the wall that holds your back
I cannot allow myself to be trapped in a negative mindset
be the place they come and find your cold corpse at
I cannot let my negative thoughts lead to my demise
covered in a towel
I am using a towel to shield myself
no need in fact
It's unnecessary
to let these voices scream like stacks
I don't need to listen to the negative voices in my head
of overdriven marshalls
My negative thoughts are like loud guitar amplifiers
my ribs could crack
I am experiencing intense physical and emotional pain
but my head will stay intact
Despite the pain, I will not let it break me mentally
lights they flash, brain cells will smash
The bright lights cause my brain to hurt and malfunction
and cause a flickerin'
The lights are causing me to see things that aren't there
my head will get more sick of it
The lights are exacerbating my already fragile mental state
these veins pump fast, but soon they'll crash
My body is operating on adrenaline but will soon crash
an empty body lacking movement for the party
Despite being in a party atmosphere, I feel empty and unmotivated
the bathroom's trashed, it's been a blast
I am at a party and have caused damage to the bathroom
Writer(s): ANTONIO DE LA CUESTA MANRIQUE
Contributed by Eva W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.