I never paid much attention to what many consider to be the most important Latin american rock band ever. Growing up in Mexico, there really was no reason why I shouldn’t have been influenced by them. I know I listened to them a couple of times on the radio, I knew who they were but for some reason my perception of them was linked entirely to 2 or 3 songs that I thought were kind of catchy and somewhat memorable. I am referring of course to Argentina’s Soda Stereo.

During high school, one of my best friends was a huge fan of both Soda Stereo and of the lead singer Gustavo Cerati. Cerati  had pursued a solo carrier after Soda disbanded in the late 90’s. I was equally as big of a fan of other mythical characters in the realm of  Spanish speaking rock bands, most of whom had followed the same path as Soda Stereo’s disbanding and solo career trajectories by their lead singers. My lack of attention towards Soda Stereo and Cerati  changed when I heard that Cerati had fallen into a drug induced coma roughly 10 years after I graduated from high school.

When I read the news I thought it was unfortunate and I remembered what I liked about him. I revisited some of the songs I was familiar with but  did not venture beyond the albums i was comfortable listening to. A couple of years later for some reason I decided to check on the status of the singer, I was sure that he had passed away yet I was surprised to discover he was still in a hospital bed trapped inside his own head. My curiosity grew exponentially.

What was the big deal? Was this man truly such a great composer, worthy of the thousands of lamenting messages urging him to please wake up?

After listening to every single song he ever composed I can honestly say…Yes.

It took for one of the best singer/songwriters/composers I have ever heard to fall into a coma for me to finally pay attention to him and to listen to what he wrote.

After compiling a best of list of Cerati/Soda Stereo songs, I listen to them with a certain sadness and guilt that makes me wish I hadn’t been so deaf. Because I did not listen to his songs in their present time and because there are no links between the music and my memories, I have no other option but to listen to his songs in hindsight and interpret his lyrics as ominous warnings he wrote to himself regarding his own fate.

 

from hombre al agua or man overboard

“quiero descanzar de todo ayer”

I want to rest of every yesterday.

“amanecio, abre los ojos, me ire con estas olas”

dawn broke, open your eyes, i’ll depart with these waves.

from engaña or deceive

“recuerdo el mar, soñe estar aqui y no recuerdo despertar”

I remember the sea, I dreamed I was here and I don’t remember waking up.

from un millon de años luz or one million light years

“no vuelvas sin razon, yo estare a un millon de años luz de casa”

don’t come back without a reason, i’ll be one million light years away from home.

from secuencia inical or initial sequence

“resbale quede flotando asi, sin tocar el suelo”

I slipped and remained floating like this, without touching the ground

“mojate los labios y sueña”

moisten your lips and dream

from vuelta por el universo or journey around the universe

“nuestras almas al flotar son las nubes mas brillantes, turbulencias, vuelta por el universo, cada vez mas lejos”

our floating souls are the brightest clouds, turbulence,  journey around the universe, each time even further.

from ella uso mi cabeza como un revolver or she used my head like a revolver

“despues de un baño cerebral estaba listo para ser amado”

after a cerebral bath I was ready to be loved

“pasa el tiempo y ahora creo que el vacio es un lugar normal”

as time goes on I now believe that emptiness is a normal place.

from  naci para esto or  born for this

“pensandolo bien, se que siempre supe el desenlace”

when i think about it, i know i always knew the outcome.

“lo terrible del mar es morir de sed”

the terrible thing about the sea is dying of thirst

from toma la ruta or take the path

“despues de tanto andar estas en el mismo lugar”

after so much trekking you’re in the same place

from perdonar es divino or forgiveness is divine

“a mi me es facil olvidar”

to me it is easy to forget or it is easy to forget me

from beautiful

“estoy rodeado de bellos instrumentos, bebiendo la pereza de soñar”

i am surrounded by fine instruments,  imbibing the bore of dreaming.

from magia or magic

“todo me sirve, nada se pierde, yo lo transformo , nunca falla, el universo esta a mi favor”

everything works for me, nothing is lost, i transform it, it never fails, the universe is in my favor.