A Hymn for This Generation

That’s how the weekend press here described the song “Parva que Sou” (“What an idiot I am!) which was introduced on the stages of Lisbon and Porto last week, by the relatively new band Deolinda. In the last couple of years Deolinda have established quite a following through taking the old “fado” folk music tradition of Portugal and popularising it for today’s generation

"A Hymn for this Generation". Meaning, of course, the under 30’s, struggling through the present economic crisis, with graduate unemployment, still living at home, paying off debts. We live among them! They’re our friends. The song’s reception, on the stage of the Porto Coliseu, as you can hear in the youtube video, was nothing, if not enthusiastic. It has obviously struck a lot of chords with people. Not a new radical politic, or a fresh idealism, but a somewhat fatalistic acceptance of this is the way things are, so let’s get on with it, have a drink and have a bit of a laugh at ourselves.

I’ll try and roughly translate the lyrics (rather badly) here, though it may lose a lot of the poetry. (I love the first line)

I am of the generation without remuneration

neither does it bother me that much

What an idiot I am

Well, this bad state of affairs may go on, but

At least i got lucky and got a “estagio” (unpaid work experience post)

What an idiot I am

And I am thinking the world’s so stupid too

Where you have to study to become a slave.

I am of the generation that stays at home with Mum and Dad

If i’ve got everything there, why should I want more

What an idiot I am

Children, husband, I’ll keep putting them off

While still waiting to pay off the car

What an idiot I am

And I am thinking the world’s so stupid too

Where you have to study to become a slave.

I am of the generation : “why should I complain”

There’s always someone worse than me on TV

What an idiot I am

I am of the generation : “What’s the point of doing anything”

This kind of situation has been going on since forever

What an idiot I am

And I am thinking the world’s so stupid too

Where you have to study to become a slave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8lo82tXbWU