“No Boy”, 1969
Style: Rock and Roll. This song is in the soundtrack for The Eternaut, a Netflix sci-fi series from Argentina. Not a sponsored post, I just liked the show.
Country: Argentina
Lyrics Translation:
No hay que tener un auto,
Ni relojes de medio millón,
Cuatro empleos bien pagados,
Ser un astro de televisión…
One need not have a car,
Nor watches worth half a million,
Four well paying jobs,
To be an television star…
No, no, no, no, pibe.
…Para que alguien te pueda amar.
Porque, así, solo tendrás
Un negocio más.
No, no, no, no, boy.
…So someone can love you.
Because, like that, you’ll just have
One more business.
No debes cambiar tu origen,
Ni mentir sobre tu identidad.
Es muy triste negar de donde vienes,
Lo importante es adonde vas.
You must not switch your place of origin,
Nor lie about your identity.
It is very sad to deny where you come from,
The important thing is where you’re going.
No, no, no, no, pibe,
No lo hagas, que eso está mal.
Si tu madre te escuchara,
Moriría de llorar.
No, no, no, no, boy,
Don’t do it, because that’s wrong.
If your mother heard you,
She would die from crying.
No hay que viajar a Europa,
Ni estudiar en la universidad,
Tener títulos de nobleza,
O prestigio en la sociedad...
One need not travel to Europe,
Nor study at university,
Have titles of nobility,
Or prestige in society…
No, no, no, no, pibe.
…Para que alguien te pueda amar,
Nada de eso es importante
En amor, ya lo verás.
No, no, no, no, boy.
…So someone can love you,
None of that is important
In love, you shall see.
Translation Notes:
This song was composed by Javier Martinez and sung by Manal. It is about an older person telling a young guy that they don’t need to be rich or famous or upperclass to find love. They just need to be themselves.
pibe, m. noun = child, boy (Argentinean Spanish)
See blog post “The Meaning of ‘Pibe'” for dialect and etymological history.
Porque, así, solo tendrás
Un negocio más.
Because, like that, you’ll just have
One more business.
The wise older person is telling this youth that going after enormous wealth and fortune to feel worthy of love will never feel right. Even if they achieve it, it will become an identity they always need to manage like a business.
No debes cambiar tu origen,
Ni mentir sobre tu identidad.
Es muy triste negar de donde vienes,
Lo importante es adonde vas.
You must not switch your place of origin,
Nor lie about your identity.
It is very sad to deny where you come from,
The important thing is where you’re going.
I know people who come from small rural towns and don’t like to admit it. Instead of giving their real hometown when meeting new people and introducing themselves, they will claim they are from the nearest large city. To them, that seems more prestigious. It is sad that they don’t have pride for their real hometowns.
No hay que viajar a Europa
One need not travel to Europe
This line has a specific Argentinean context. It isn’t just about traveling abroad in general as a sign of wealth. Argentina’s upperclass have historically tried to maintain strong ties to European culture in their society, more intentionally and systematically than any other Latin American country. It was (is?) popular for the Argentinean upperclass to send their children to study abroad in Europe to reinforce this connection.
The wise older person is telling this youth that they don’t need to follow these cultural indicators of wealth and upperclass standing. They can find their own path in life, and find love by being themselves.
The song doesn’t have anything to do with the plot of The Eternaut, but here’s the tv show’s trailer in case you’re interested in a Spanish-language sci-fi series (or its English dub). The show is about a sudden apocalyptic snow storm and the people trying to survive.
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