Materia Pendiente
Los Nocheros
A Love Unfulfilled: The Passionate Yearning in 'Materia Pendiente'
Los Nocheros, a renowned Argentine folk music group, bring forth a deeply emotional and passionate narrative in their song 'Materia Pendiente.' The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a love that is both intense and unfulfilled, a 'pending matter' between two souls. The song opens with the imagery of love being born under the sun, likened to a field of dreams growing within the singer. This metaphor of a 'trigal' (wheat field) symbolizes fertility, growth, and the potential of love, which the singer wishes to see flourish and ultimately merge, much like a river flowing into the sea.
The second verse delves into the singer's longing to quench his dry shadow in the sweat of his beloved, indicating a deep desire for intimacy and connection. The shadow, representing the singer's incomplete self, seeks fulfillment through the physical and emotional closeness with the beloved. The imagery of the shadow kissing the beloved's fragile and naked body underscores the vulnerability and tenderness inherent in their relationship.
The chorus, with its repeated invocation of 'trigal de pasión' (wheat field of passion), emphasizes the explosive and consuming nature of their love. The phrase 'materia pendiente' (pending matter) suggests that despite the intensity of their feelings, there is something unresolved or unfulfilled between them. The song continues to explore this theme of yearning and unfulfilled desire, with the singer imagining their beloved entangled in the sheets of illusion and shedding petals of love. The repetition of 'estallar en amor' (explode in love) in the final lines reinforces the idea of love as a powerful, almost uncontrollable force that seeks expression and completion.