Encadenado Al Ànima

Luis Alberto Spinetta, a legendary figure in Argentine rock, is known for his poetic and often enigmatic lyrics. 'Encadenado Al Ànima' is a prime example of his ability to weave complex imagery and profound themes into his music. The song's title, which translates to 'Chained to the Soul,' sets the tone for a deeply introspective and surreal exploration of memory, time, and existence.

The lyrics open with a reference to the 'old portal of heaven,' suggesting a gateway between the physical and metaphysical realms. This portal has the power to 'cool the bodies of today and yesterday,' indicating a timeless space where past and present converge. The refusal of memory to remain 'sane' and its subsequent burning at the city's gates evoke a sense of loss and transformation. The city, which 'howls without being seen,' represents an unseen force or presence that influences the narrator's reality.

Spinetta's use of celestial imagery, such as planets that 'spin without knowing it,' parallels the unconscious persistence of memories. The song's surreal elements, like shadows driving away smoke and dolls burning in the 'red and burning dawn of madness,' create a dreamlike atmosphere. Faces appearing at windows and furniture seemingly speaking to the narrator add to the hallucinatory quality, blurring the lines between reality and imagination.

The night is personified with an 'arrogant manner,' moving freely and affecting the environment. The imagery of servants' clothes walking through the house and the possibility of time ceasing to exist tomorrow further emphasize the surreal and transient nature of existence. The song concludes with vivid and haunting images, such as dogs flying in the night and a faceless woman wandering the house, symbolizing the elusive and often unsettling aspects of the human psyche. The final line, 'The distance is a flow of eternity crouched on the back of a lion,' encapsulates the song's overarching theme of the eternal and the ephemeral coexisting in a continuous, enigmatic dance.