Somos cinco mil

Ángel Parra's song "Somos cinco mil" is a poignant adaptation of a fragment from Víctor Jara's poem "Estadio Chile." The lyrics are a powerful testament to the suffering and resilience of political prisoners during the brutal military dictatorship in Chile. The song begins by highlighting the sheer number of people—five thousand—confined in a small part of the city, symbolizing the widespread oppression and the collective struggle of the Chilean people. The repetition of the number emphasizes the magnitude of the human cost, with ten thousand hands that once sowed fields and operated factories now rendered powerless by hunger, fear, and pain.

The song vividly describes the horrors faced by the prisoners, including the loss of six individuals, one of whom was brutally beaten, while others succumbed to despair and attempted suicide. The lyrics starkly portray the dehumanizing effects of fascism, where bloodshed is seen as a badge of honor and mass killings are considered acts of heroism. This grim reality prompts a profound existential question about the purpose of creation and the divine, questioning whether such a world was intended by God.

Despite the overwhelming despair, the song also carries a message of hope and resistance. The consciousness of the narrator is awakened, recognizing the lifeless sea of people and the mechanical pulse of the factories. The call for international solidarity, invoking Mexico, Cuba, and the world to denounce this atrocity, underscores the global dimension of the struggle for justice. The blood of the fallen President, Salvador Allende, is depicted as a powerful force that will inspire renewed resistance, symbolizing the enduring spirit of the Chilean people in their fight against tyranny.