Pare

Joan Manuel Serrat's song 'Pare' (which translates to 'Father' in English) is a poignant plea and a lamentation about the environmental degradation and the loss of natural beauty due to human actions. The lyrics are a conversation between a child and their father, where the child is seeking answers about the changes happening to the natural world around them. The song's title itself, being a single word that signifies a familial relationship, sets a tone of intimacy and urgency.

The opening lines, 'Pare, digueu-me què li han fet al riu que ja no canta,' translate to 'Father, tell me what they have done to the river that no longer sings,' immediately addressing the silence that has replaced the once vibrant life of the river. The imagery of a river 'slipping like a dead beard under a span of white foam' is a powerful metaphor for pollution and the death of ecosystems. As the song progresses, the child notices the absence of trees in the forest, the lack of firewood for winter, and the absence of places to rest in the summer, painting a bleak picture of environmental destruction.

The song also touches on the consequences of such destruction, suggesting that without natural resources, people will have to burn their boats for warmth and lock themselves away. The mention of 'monsters of flesh with iron worms' could be interpreted as machines and industrialization consuming the earth. Serrat's lyrics are a call to action, a warning of the dire consequences of environmental neglect, and a cry for the preservation of nature. The song ends with a sense of impending doom but also a plea for resistance against the forces that threaten the natural world.