La edad de la mujer
Víctor Jara Lyrics

The lyrics of Victor Jara's song La Edad de la Mujer (The Age of Women) shed light on the cultural expectations and stigmas surrounding women's marital status at different ages. The song starts with the repetition of the same phrase: "The woman who's single at 20 is single because she fell off the rooftop." This line is often interpreted as a metaphor for a woman who has failed to meet societal expectations and is now alone and struggling in life.

The song continues with the same pattern, with Jara singing about women who are single at 30 or 40, and the negative assumptions made about them. At 30, a woman is assumed to be overly independent and unapproachable, while at 40, she is thought to be desperate and unsuccessful. The chorus changes slightly at each repetition, with Jara singing "the woman who's (age) and (stereotype) is (stereotype)".

In the last verse, Jara sings about a woman who wants to be alone at 50, which is seen as something unusual and odd. The reason given for her desire to be alone is that she has lost interest in cooking, which is yet another way of implying that women are supposed to be in the kitchen, not living independent lives.

Overall, the song is a commentary on the societal pressure placed on women to get married and have children, and the negative assumptions made about women who deviate from these expectations. It highlights how women are often judged harshly based on their age and marital status, rather than being appreciated for their individuality and worth.