Los Dinosaurios

Barrio means neighborhood, but it carries more emotional weight in Spanish and it's doesn't just mean a geographic area, but a community where people know each other personally.

Desaparecer means "to disappear. Thousands of people were desaparecidos; they were abducted and "disappeared" by the state. The word desaparecer is not used metaphorically in this song but rather directly references the political terror.

Cantores is a more formal word for singers than the more common word cantantes. Calling someone a cantor (instead of cantante) can emphasize a singer’s popular / folk style. By saying cantores de radio, Charly might not be talking about sleek pop stars, but instead the humble voices that speak for the people and were vulnerable to censorship or disappearance.

The structure pueden desaparecer shows possibility, that by saying "can disappear," it suggests that even famous radio personalities aren't immune to disappearing.

Los que is a common way of saying "those who" or "the ones who", and it's a way to talk about a group of people without naming them.

Diarios means "newspapers", and this is a standard term in most Spanish-speaking countries, though you might sometimes also hear periódicos.

The line continues the pattern of showing that even people who seem permanent, like those featured in the news, can also disappear.

Amas comes from amar and means to love deeply or romantically. which is stronger than querer.

The song is shifting from talking about public figures to something deeply personal. This line hits hardest because it moves from distant celebrities to a more intimate loss, and shows that no one is safe from disappearing.

Están en el aire literally means "to be in the air", but it's used as an idiom that means "on the air" (referring to radio or TV personalities).

By repeating the phrase en el aire, it creates some wordplay, that those who are "on the air" can literally disappear "into thin air". This shows how Spanish can use the same phrase "en el aire" for both being broadcast and for vanishing completely.

Estar en la calle means "to be on the street" and refers to people who are visible in public spaces. In other words, just everyday people going about their lives.

The repetition of en la calle creates the same wordplay from earlier, that those who are "on the street" can disappear "on the street," and so innocent passerbys who are just out and about can be "disappeared."

Pero gives some contrast, and after listing all these people who "can" disappear, now we are shifting to something that definitely will disappear.

Los dinosaurios (the dinosaurs) here refers to the oppressive, authoritarian regime.

The phrase van a desaparecer uses the near future tense, which is more certain than the pueden we've been hearing. It's saying that it's not just a possibility anymore, but an inevitability. They "are going to disappear," just like how dinosaurs went extinct.

Tranquilo means "calm" and is related to the English word "tranquil."

Mi amor (my love) gives off a conversational tone since the singer is addressing someone close to them.

Hoy es sábado a la noche literally means "today is Saturday at night," or in more natural English, "it's Saturday night." Notice how Spanish says a la noche (at the night) rather than just "at night" like in English.

Cana is slang for jail or prison, and is much more informal than the standard cárcel. It gives the line a more colloquial feel.

The line sets up a big contrast, that Saturday night should be a time for relaxation, but instead there's anxiety because a friend is locked up.

Desaparece el mundo means the world disappears, and it's saying that everyone and everything is being disappeared by the regime.

Pesados literally means "heavy ones", but here it's used as slang for oppressive people or those in power. It refers to a person who throws their weight around, literally or figuratively. We have similar concepts in English; for example, we might say “a heavy-handed cop.”

Llevan todo ese montón de equipaje means "are carrying all that baggage." The word montón refers to a pile or heap of baggage, or literally "a mountain" of baggage.

En la mano means "in the hand." They are literally "carrying baggage in their hands."

This line creates a metaphor, to say that los pesados have to carry the burden of their actions.

Quiero estar liviano means "I want to be light" which is also metaphorical. He is rejecting the emotional and moral weight that los pesados carry from the violence and complicity of repression and expressing a desire to be free from guilt, to not be weighed down by the regime.

Tira para abajo means "pulls down." Notice how Spanish uses tirar (to pull) with para abajo (downward) to create this image of the world dragging one down. This phrase could also be translated along the lines of "when the world is falling apart" or "when the world is coming down".

Es mejor no estar atado a nada means "it's better to not be tied to anything." This connects to the earlier line about wanting to be liviano (light), and that the solution to the world's downward pull is to avoid attachments.

Imaginen is a command form, as he is asking us to picture something. It's the plural imperative and addresses everyone listening.

In a los dinosaurios, Spanish uses the preposition a before direct objects that refer to people or personified things, where "the dinosaurs" refer to those in the regime.

En la cama means "in the bed," so he is telling us to imagine the oppressors in bed.

There are a few interpretations as to what this means, but it's possible that he is talking about the dinosaurs being "laid to rest", like a death bed. This ties back to the dinosaurs themselves going extinct, that they will one day be vulnerable and powerless.