Amy’s Blast From the Past: Sexo Compro, Sexo Vendo

It’s been around longer than I’ve been living in this world, yet Los Prisioneros’ single titled Sexo, which was still heavily played in the early 2000s in regular radio alongside other of their singles, accusing the commercial value of sex in the world and its consumers seems to be more relevant now more than ever before.

The song has an array of live versions with ad-lib lyrics courtesy of Jorge González that, for example, criticized the “little priest” preaching on television, followed by commercials of beer that have girls showing their butts or operated breasts, at the same time that they condone condom commercials, making it seem like want everyone to die of AIDS. Denouncing commercialism all in what used to be Chile’s key music festival, Festival de Viña del Mar. ;P

Though the lyrics seem simple enough, the last verse “Gamulan [1][2] que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente. Tangente de 45.” is what seems impossible to translate.

The best commercial hook appeals to your liberalism,
it touches your animal instinct,
brushing onto your brutality.
You find it pasted onto a wall,
in a liquor ad pasted on a counter,
screaming at you full color.

Chorus:
Sex I buy, sex I sell,
Sex I rent, sex I offer…

There’s no need to blush,
it’s a thing of every day, you see,
now virginity is a medieval thing.
It’s your ID to maturity,
your passport to adulthood-
She’s not a woman to love,
but an enemy to bend over.

The printing press
has just started editing more naked women,
and you have the face of an easy costumer.
You buy for a promise of sex,
you open your mouth
and they put their finger in it,
and you play along,
and you give them your money,
and you feel like a man,
and I laugh at your face of your stupidity.

The best commercial hook appeals to your stupidity,
it treats you like an animal, showcasing your brutality.
It’s a trophy, the illusion that you break during,
you’re giving me the chance to yell at you with reason.

Gamulan* that snoozes loses. Tangent of 45.

As per Los Prisioneros traditions, the Spanish lyrics and ad-libs may contain profanities, as well as religious/political talk. If you aren’t bother by it, go ahead.

You can also check the hour and a half performance Los Prisioneros did at the 2003 Festival de Viña del Mar.