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Song for the solo traveler: "Oleada"

by Brenda Yun on Dec 3rd 2008 at 4:30PM

A good friend of mine sent along this great song by Julieta Venegas, a rising songstress from Mexico, called "Oleada" a few months back that I loved initially for superficial reasons: I love the melody, and he said the song/video reminded him of me. The melody is fantastic, but I was too lazy to translate the Spanish; and I assumed the video reminded him of me because it has a pug in it that looks just like mine.

Now, several months later, I've given this song and video some fresh and deserved attention. Now, I understand why my friend sent it along to me.

It has a lot to do with the loneliness that I wrote about earlier, but much more than this, this song really encapsulates the combination of fear and excitement that every solo traveler feels when entering the "mundo abierto."

For those of you who can't understand Spanish, I've translated the "Oleada" lyrics into English below.

Big Wave
I don't want to get off
This big wave I'm riding
To where, where I don't know
Only that I'm moving with it

And no one will know me
And I'll recognize no one
But I'm not afraid

I don't want to get off
This big wave I'm riding

CHORUS:
And everything I've already lived
I'll continue carrying
I carry it deep inside of me
I have never forgotten it
I feel it so close to me
I carry it deep inside of me

I'm going to look for a place
In this open world
Where I can stay
And begin anew

And no one will know me
And I'll recognize no one
But I'm not afraid

I don't want to get off
This big wave I'm riding

REPEAT CHORUS X 2

Filed under: Learning, Photos, Stories, Mexico, United States, Video

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Marilyn Terrell Dec 5th 2008 2:31AM

Ah! I love Julieta Venegas-- I saw her in concert at the Kennedy Center last month and she was amazing. Thanks for translating this song. But I must disagree with you on one point: your pug's cuter.