La pesadilla

La Guardia Hereje's song 'La pesadilla' is a vivid and surreal exploration of a series of nightmarish dreams that blend humor, social commentary, and cultural references. The lyrics paint a chaotic picture where beloved figures and traditions are subverted in bizarre and unsettling ways. The song opens with the image of Santa Claus crashing his sleigh and then heading to a cabaret for Christmas, a stark contrast to the jolly, gift-giving figure we know. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, where familiar icons are placed in absurd and often troubling scenarios.

The song continues with the Three Wise Men fighting over a woman and abandoning their camels, and Saint Anthony, weary of granting favors, drowning his sorrows in gin. These images serve as metaphors for disillusionment and the loss of innocence, suggesting that even the most revered figures are not immune to human flaws and vices. The recurring refrain, 'Ay, ay, ay, ay, qué pesadilla, mamá, no me dejes solo!' underscores the sense of fear and helplessness that pervades the narrator's dreams.

Further into the song, the nightmares take on a more personal and societal dimension. The narrator dreams of going to a soccer match only to find no choripanes (a popular Argentine street food), and of Maradona being expelled from the World Cup by four old men. These dreams reflect anxieties about cultural identity and the erosion of cherished traditions. The mention of 300 crosses on islands alludes to the Falklands War, a painful chapter in Argentine history, while the image of a cold Baby Jesus and a Vatican filled with gold and silver critiques the disparity between religious teachings and the opulence of religious institutions. The song concludes with the haunting image of the 'man with the bag' coming to take the narrator away, and the high cost of meat in a country known for its beef, highlighting economic struggles and fears of scarcity.

'La pesadilla' is a rich tapestry of surreal imagery and biting social commentary, capturing the anxieties and disillusionments of contemporary life through the lens of a nightmarish dreamscape. The song's blend of humor and horror invites listeners to reflect on the absurdities and injustices of the world around them.