Instrucciones Para Ser Un Pequeño Burgues

Alberto Cortez's song 'Instrucciones Para Ser Un Pequeño Burgués' serves as a satirical guide on how to become a petit bourgeois, critiquing the middle-class aspirations and behaviors in a humorous yet incisive manner. The lyrics outline a series of superficial and materialistic requirements such as learning a bit of English, adopting advanced manners, and dreaming of owning luxury items like a Mercedes. These elements are portrayed as essential to achieving a certain social status, highlighting the shallow nature of societal values where status and material wealth are prioritized over genuine personal development.

The song also delves into the personal lives of the middle class, suggesting that to maintain appearances, a bourgeois woman must seek an affair to cope with the stress her husband causes. This reflects on the dysfunctional relationships and the facade of happiness maintained in such societal structures. The mention of children studying abroad and the need for a well-decorated office space further underscores the importance placed on appearances and external validation rather than on meaningful personal or ethical development.

Cortez cleverly uses irony and exaggeration to critique the hypocrisy and opportunism inherent in middle-class society. By advising listeners on how to be a 'pequeño burgués,' he not only mocks the lifestyle but also invites reflection on the emptiness and dissatisfaction that often accompanies such a life. The song is a call to question societal norms and values, urging a reevaluation of what truly constitutes success and fulfillment.