El Empleado Y La Muerte

El Cuarteto de Nos's song "El Empleado Y La Muerte" presents a humorous and satirical dialogue between a character named Barrancas and Death itself. The song opens with Death announcing its arrival to take Barrancas, who immediately responds with disbelief and a series of excuses. This interaction sets the tone for the entire song, where Barrancas continually finds mundane reasons to avoid his inevitable fate. The lyrics cleverly juxtapose the gravity of death with the triviality of everyday tasks, such as paying the gas bill or watching a football match on television.

Barrancas's excuses highlight the absurdity of human nature when faced with the concept of mortality. He mentions needing to pay rent, go to work, and even watch a game on TV, as if these tasks could somehow delay the inevitable. This reflects a common human tendency to focus on the immediate and mundane, often ignoring the larger, more existential questions. The humor in the song lies in the contrast between Death's serious mission and Barrancas's trivial concerns, creating a comedic yet thought-provoking narrative.

The song also touches on the theme of denial and the human reluctance to accept mortality. Barrancas's repeated refusals and attempts to negotiate with Death underscore a deep-seated fear and denial of the end of life. This is further emphasized when Barrancas exclaims about the utility company (UTE) and the lottery number, showing his desperate grasp on life's trivialities even in the face of death. El Cuarteto de Nos uses this humorous approach to explore serious themes, making the song both entertaining and reflective of the human condition.