Lyrics for Gracias a la Vida (Written by V. Parra, Chile)

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me dio dos luceros que cuando los abro
Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco
Y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado
Y en las multitudes el hombre que yo amo

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado el oído que en todo su ancho
Graba noche y día grillos y canarios
Martirios, turbinas, ladridos, chubascos
Y la voz tan tierna de mi bien amado

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado el sonido y el abecedario
Con él, las palabras que pienso y declaro
Madre, amigo, hermano
Y luz alumbrando la ruta del alma del que estoy amando

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados
Con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos
Playas y desiertos, montañas y llanos
Y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me dio el corazón que agita su marco
Cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano
Cuando miro el bueno tan lejos del malo
Cuando miro el fondo de tus ojos claros

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto

Me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto
Así yo distingo dicha de quebranto
Los dos materiales que forman mi canto
Y el canto de ustedes que es el mismo canto
Y el canto de todos que es mi propio canto

Gracias a la vida, gracias a la vida

Translation: Gracias a la Vida = Thanks to Life

The joy of life and all its experiences both good and bad. A journey as only music can express. The sentiment of this song is encapsulated in this verse: Thanks to life that has given me so much / It’s given me both laughter and tears / That’s how I know joy from loss / Both are integral to my song / And all of your songs which is of one song / And the song of all which is my only song

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
it gave me two bright eyes and when I open them
I distinguish perfectly the black from the white
and in the high sky its starred bottom
and in the crowd the man i love

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
it gave me ears open wide
they record night and day, crickets and canaries
hammers, turbines, barks, and rain showers
and my lover's tender voice

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
it gave me sound and a voice
with it the words I'm thinking and declaring
father, friend, brother and a light illuminating
the path of the soul that I am loving

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
it has given me the march of my tired feet
with them I've crossed cities and puddles
beaches and desserts, mountains and planes
and your house, your street and your courtyard

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
it gave me my heart that flutters in its cage
when I see the fruit of the Human brain
when I see the good so far from the bad
when I see inside your clear eyes

Thanks to the life that has given me so much
it gave the laughter and the crying
so I can distinguish happiness from sadness
both materials that form my song
and your song that is mine too

And the song of all which is my own song
thanks to the life that has given me so much

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.