Phrases to think about sung by Silvio Rodríguez

If there is a musician who continues to excite in his concerts over 70 years old, it is Silvio Rodríguez. This Cuban singer-songwriter continues to fill stadiums with lyrics that stimulate thought. His songs, where the voice and guitar predominate, are loaded with allegories and metaphors. The interpretations of his songs, although loaded with political themes, sometimes lend themselves to multiple interpretations.

Silvio Rodríguez is one of the founders of the Nueva Troba. A Cuban music movement that emerged after the Cuban revolution. La Nueva Troba combines traditional popular music with progressive texts loaded with political ideology. The lyrics of this type of music “try to escape from everyday banalities, by concentrating on the ideals of socialism, injustice, sexism, colonialism, racism and other similar themes.”

Although it is difficult, if not impossible, to find Silvio’s best phrases. Author with more than four decades making music and who has more than 500 songs. Below are some of the most striking ones.

The revolution in Silvio Rodríguez

“They say they will drag me over rocks when the revolution collapses, that they will crush my hands and my mouth, that they will tear out my eyes and the clapper. Could it be that foolishness gave birth to me, the foolishness of what seems foolish today: the foolishness of taking on the enemy, the foolishness of living without having a price.

Silvio Rodriguez always defended the Cuban revolution. Which is clear with his lyrics. In this phrase he questions the price of revolution. They know that they have lost a lot with the revolution but also that they will lose more when it ends. He tells us that he accepts his position and defends it with all its consequences.

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On the other hand, it also shows us its rejection of capitalism, which puts a price on everything. He does not care that he is considered a fool because he knows that foolishness changes from one era to another. This is reflected in these two verses: “If knowledge is not a right, it will surely be a left” and “I live to ask, knowing cannot be a luxury.”

Love in Silvio Rodríguez

“The world, day of a year, how many lovers hold hands without seeing distances or fences, or seas, or long years in the face of prejudices, they look beautiful and say that in the end they are never late so that a love can make them happy and “This is how they realize good love.”

Love is present in many of Silvio’s songs. However, it is not so clear that the love he sings about refers to the love of a couple. In the next sentence, “my love does not need borders; like spring, it does not prefer a garden”, seems to refer to a love for humanity or even for his land.

Likewise, what is clear is that he trusts in love as a weapon of creation. For example: “Only love breeds wonder. Only love turns mud into a miracle.” In his lyrics he shows that love can do everything. “Let’s continue loving despite everything. Love is the real power among all powers.” In short, Silvio understands that “love is like a violin. The music may stop now and later, but the strings will remember it forever.”

What Silvio Rodríguez is talking about

“I have preferred to talk about impossible things because too much is known about the possible.”

Silvio doesn’t want to tell us what everyone tells us. He doesn’t want to make songs that reaffirm what everyone “thinks” they know. He wants to make us think, to rethink what we think we know. It also tells us about hope, about thinking about the future as a better place.

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Thus, in one of his best-known stanzas: “I hope that the rain stops being a miracle that runs down your body. Hopefully the moon can raise without you. May the earth not kiss your steps”; Silvio seems to criticize something. This something may well be a leader who has disappointed you or another country on which yours depends. Or who knows, maybe it’s just a lack of love as the singer-songwriter himself stated.

Who is Silvio Rodríguez

“Perhaps it is inappropriate or perhaps delusional. “I am in as many ways as people try to classify me.”

We always tend to label people. To designate and treat them by some characteristic, forgetting that these people are more than a single characteristic. Silvio tries to get away from those labels. With this phrase he shows us that it is everything they call it, but also much more. He tries to get out of the classifications to distinguish himself as someone unique, as a person, another person.

Finally, it is necessary to highlight that these interpretations of Silvio Rodríguez’s verses are only one among all the possible ones. Their songs are lyrics for reflection. Critical lyrics that are only understood in their context but are applicable to other contexts. To conclude with another verse from Silvio, “the most terrible things are learned immediately and the beautiful things cost us our lives.”