Yo Era Feliz

Victor Manuel's song 'Yo Era Feliz' delves into the concept of perceived happiness and the illusions we create to maintain it. The lyrics paint a picture of a simple, content life filled with small joys and mundane possessions, such as a white cat, a toothbrush, and a game of Parcheesi. These items symbolize the protagonist's attempt to find happiness in the little things, despite underlying struggles. The mention of watching girls in the garden and the cyclical nature of flowers blooming and dying suggests a fleeting, transient happiness that is tied to the passage of time and the inevitability of change.

The second verse introduces a more profound layer of meaning, revealing that the protagonist's happiness is built on a fragile foundation. Selling books and renting a future indicates a life of economic struggle, where even misery is compartmentalized and managed. The line 'El seguro pagaba el entierro para poder morir' (The insurance paid for the burial to be able to die) underscores the bleak reality that even death is a financial transaction. This verse highlights the contrast between the protagonist's constructed world of happiness and the harsh truths of their existence.

The final verse shifts to a more introspective tone, comparing the protagonist to a puppet controlled by fate and a kite pushed by any wind. This imagery conveys a sense of powerlessness and surrender to external forces. The ascent to a cloud symbolizes an escape from reality, where nothing matters except the pursuit of happiness, even at the cost of self-surrender and metaphorical death. The song ultimately questions the authenticity of happiness and the lengths to which one will go to maintain the illusion of a content life.