Lyrics for Solo Le Pido A Dios (Written by L. Gieco, Argentina)

Solo le pido a Dios
Que el dolor no me sea indiferente
Que la reseca muerte no me encuentre
Vacio y solo sin haber echo lo suficiente

Solo le pido a Dios
Que lo injusto no me sea indiferente
Que no me abofeteen la otra mejia
Despues que una garra me arane esta frente

Solo le pido a Dios
Que la guerra no me sea indiferente
Es un monstro grande y pisa fuerte
Toda la pobre inocencia de la gente
Es un monstro grande y pisa fuerte
Toda la pobre inocencia de la gente

Solo le pido a Dios
Que el engano no me sea indiferente
Si un traidor puede mas que unos quantos
Que esos quantos no lo olviden facilmente

Solo le pido a Dios
Que el futuro no me sea indiferente
Deshauciado esta el que tiene que marchar
A vivir una cultura diferente

Translation: Solo Le Pido A Dios = I Only Ask of God

The lyrics are intended to shake people of their apathy. A summary translation of the sentiment of this song could be: I only ask of God that I not be indifferent to the pain, the injustice, the war, and the deception. I only ask of God that I not be indifferent to the future for hopeless is he who must march to live in a foreign land.

I only ask of God
that I am not indifferent to the pain,
that the dry death won’t find me
empty and alone, without having done anything

I only ask of God
that i won’t be indifferent to the injustice
that they won’t slap my other cheek,
after a claw (or talon) has scratched this destiny (luck) of mine

I only ask of God
that i am not indifferent to the battle,
it’s a big monster with a heavy step
all the poor innocence of the people.

I only ask of God
that i am not indifferent to deceit,
if a traitor can do more than a bunch of people,
then let not those people forget him easily.

I only ask of God
that I am not indifferent to the future,
hopeless is he who has to go away
to live a different culture.

I only ask of God
that i am not indifferent to the battle,
it’s a big monster with a heavy step
all the poor innocence of the people.

While living in South America we spent much of our free time playing music with friends, learning local standards and sharing songs that we loved. We were fascinated by the variety and quality of music that came from there, inspiring us to weave the melodies into our own style. A few years after returning to the States and pursuing our musical career, the Argentine legend Mercedes Sosa passed away, prompting us to release this EP in honor of the talented musicians of the era who fought for social justice and created some of the most amazing music of the period. Some of the songs on this record we first heard while in South America years ago but they have been dormant, while others we have included in regular rotation at our performances. Each song independently represents the significance of Nueva Canción: altruism, solidarity and respect for humanity.

Nueva Canción was a musically driven social movement that emerged during the late 1950's. Originating in Chile and Argentina, the Nueva Canción movement combined traditional folk music with socially and politically charged lyrics. Nueva Canción arrived during a period of great upheaval in South America. Many people who had become disenfranchised throughout all of Latin America ardently adopted this new style of music as their own; and as the political situation in many of these countries worsened, the Nueva Canción movement came to define people's resistance to the increasingly despotic tendencies of their respective nations. At the height of unrest several coups were staged installing military dictatorships where there were previously democracies. With the outlawing of the Nueva Canción movement, many musicians and activists were arrested, murdered or forced into exile. In spite of the political oppression, the movement continued to grow and develop with new artists using Nueva Canción as a means of affecting social change.