El niño que volaba
Victor Manuel Lyrics
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Y él se remontaba a las nubes más altas,
Crecieron sus alas, menguaron los brazos
Y fue construyendo su nido en un árbol.
Vaya sorpresa en las caras
Cuando una mañana por la chimenea
Se fue de la casa y al ver cielo abierto
En el aire volaba.
Fueron muy sabios doctores
Los que le pidieron la pluma de un ala
Para analizarla pero al separarla
La oyeron quejarse convertida en agua.
Pronto se fue de la escuela
Porque distraía la clase y al dar la lección
Se subía a la araña del techo y sin ser necesario
Salía al recreo revoloteando.
Le visitaron museos de todos los mundos,
La jaula de oro le ofrecen algunos,
Fortunas inmensas maltratan su orgullo
Y un jeque le quiso hacer novio suyo.
Todo su afán consistía
En sentirse muy libre, romper las amarras,
Beberse la vida, pasar de ataduras
De casa y familia y sólo regirse
Por leyes no escritas.
La fundación rockefeller
Son sus propietarios porque le cazaron
Remontando el tajo y todo manhattan
Respira aliviado, al fin consiguieron
El niño tan raro.
The song El niño que volaba by Víctor Manuel tells the story of a boy who had wings and could fly in the sky, but also suffered from the pressure of society and was ultimately captured by the Rockefeller Foundation. The song's lyrics contrast the boy's freedom and joy of flying with the restrictions and limitations imposed by those around him. The opening lines describe how everyone else flew low, while the boy soared high into the clouds, building his nest in a tree. The boy's ability to fly is seen as both a wonder and a threat by those around him, and he faces a great deal of scrutiny and judgement for his difference.
The song also examines the boy's struggle to be accepted and to find a place in a world that does not understand him. Despite his intelligence and curiosity, he is forced to leave school because he is seen as a distraction, and he is offered vast fortunes and even marriage proposals, all of which he rejects. The boy's desire for freedom and his refusal to be tied down by conventions or obligations is central to the lyrics, and the verse "Todo su afán consistía / En sentirse muy libre, romper las amarras" ("All he wanted was to feel free, to break the ties") sums up his worldview.
The final verse is a poignant one, as it describes how the Rockefeller Foundation ultimately captures and owns the boy, using him for their own purposes. The line "al fin consiguieron / El niño tan raro" ("they finally got the strange boy") underscores the sense of loss and tragedy that permeates the song. The boy's flight was not just a physical act, but a symbol of his quest for independence and self-expression, and the fact that it was taken away from him represents a failure of society to embrace and nurture uniqueness.
Line by Line Meaning
Todos volaban tan bajo
Everyone was conforming to expectations, but not him
Y él se remontaba a las nubes más altas
He refused to stay grounded and aimed for the highest goals
Crecieron sus alas, menguaron los brazos
As his spirit soared, his physical limitations diminished
Y fue construyendo su nido en un árbol
He established himself in a place where he felt safe and free to be himself
Vaya sorpresa en las caras
People were shocked by his actions and choices
Cuando una mañana por la chimenea
He left unexpectedly, to start a new journey
Se fue de la casa y al ver cielo abierto
He embraced the open sky as a metaphor for unlimited opportunities
Extendiendo las alas como mariposa
He felt a sense of freedom by opening his wings, like a butterfly ready to fly
En el aire volaba
He flew with ease and grace, unencumbered by earthly concerns
Fueron muy sabios doctores
Even experts were curious about his unique abilities
Los que le pidieron la pluma de un ala
They wanted to study the source of his powers in detail
Para analizarla pero al separarla
But when they tried to take a part of him apart, they realized they were harming him
La oyeron quejarse convertida en agua
His soulful pain could not be expressed in words, and was transformed into tears
Pronto se fue de la escuela
He didn't fit into conventional systems, like school
Porque distraía la clase y al dar la lección
He was too disruptive for the classroom, and preferred to learn in his own way
Se subía a la araña del techo y sin ser necesario
He climbed to the highest point of a room, just because he could
Salía al recreo revoloteando
He found joy in flapping his wings and feeling the wind on his face, even during break time
Le visitaron museos de todos los mundos
He explored the world and all its wonders
La jaula de oro le ofrecen algunos
Some people tried to bribe him with offers of wealth and status
Fortunas inmensas maltratan su orgullo
But he valued his own pride and dignity more than any amount of money
Y un jeque le quiso hacer novio suyo
Even a powerful ruler tried to make him his own, but he refused to be owned by anyone
Todo su afán consistía
His sole ambition was
En sentirse muy libre, romper las amarras
To feel truly free, to break free from any constraints
Beberse la vida, pasar de ataduras
To savor every moment of life, without any obligations
De casa y familia y sólo regirse
He didn't want to be bound by traditional family or societal roles
Por leyes no escritas
He followed his own personal philosophy and intuition, rather than societal norms
La fundación rockefeller
The institutional forces of power and control
Son sus propietarios porque le cazaron
Managed to capture him, like a wild animal, in order to study and exploit him
Remontando el tajo y todo manhattan
Despite his rare talents, he was still overpowered by the mechanical structures and urbanization of society
Respira aliviado, al fin consiguieron
His captors were relieved to have achieved their goal
El niño tan raro.
But they failed to understand, appreciate, and respect the unique individuality of the boy who could fly
Contributed by Alyssa N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.