Follow your Path

In 2003, a wonderful Argentine rock and ska group: Los Auténticos Decadentes released their seventh album titled: “Follow your path”. On that album, we find a very special song that gives the album its name.

It was an important album in their career because the different members composed the songs, creating a very diverse album. Today, the band has 38 years behind them, which I find incredible.

That song was composed by Jorge Serrano, known as Perro Viejo, who was the founder of the group, as well as another famous Argentine band: Todos tus muertos. He was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1961, but returned to his parents’ country at the age of 4.

Having grown up in Venezuela and having friends and family in Argentina, I always felt a notable influence from the South American country. At a musical level (speaking of rock), there are two very powerful centers of influence: Mexico and Argentina.

You can learn more if you watch the wonderful documentary: “Break It All: The History of Rock in Latin America” broadcast on Netflix, by producer and musician: Gustavo Santaolalla. A gem of a documentary despite absurd criticisms for being very centered on Santaolalla’s vision.

Nonsense. It’s a very comprehensive documentary worth watching. Some groups are missing, but it’s normal that they had to limit its focus.

In any case, Auténticos Decadentes are one of those glorious bands that brings changing rhythms, originality, and a very personal musical proposal. They are capable of mixing punk, ska, and cumbia in their own rhythm that entertains and makes anyone dance.

Serrano started at twenty in a record label (family inheritance) and his story is narrated in this interesting interview from Revista Coolt: Jorge Serrano, the rocker who flees from clichés.

When asked about authors who nurtured him (in his compositions and lyrics), he points out:

I have a tendency to connect totally separate ideas and things. I think at a musical level, I break Spotify‘s algorithms with the mixes I make, I also usually jump from cumbia to rock and bachata, with the same ease that I change socks.

This song, “Follow your path” I always considered one of the best gems, not for the music itself (which is also great) but for the power of the message in the lyrics.

In fact, it’s far from being their most acclaimed song, but for me, the magic of its lyrics is fascinating because it has a very profound spiritual and philosophical message.

I’ll share it with you:

Of course, you can enjoy the song in the video:

The power of the lyrics and their philosophical message doesn’t go unnoticed even in the YouTube comments, where many people express curious things like:

“Life lesson, things to take into account in life, cheerful song full of truths, motivating lyrics, lifts the spirit”.

Unlike many songs by Argentine groups, which tend to be cryptic, with very poetic lyrics with multiple meanings, see for example the wonderful songs of Patricio Rey y los Redonditos de Ricota (one of my favorite groups), or groups better known outside their borders, with powerful rock anthems like Soda Stereo.

I still remember in my adolescence long conversations that lasted all night over drinks, with friends debating about the true meaning of this or that Soda song.

But reading these lyrics, I can’t help but be surprised by the parallels I find even with Buddhism. It’s a simple logic behind learning to live accepting your reality, but learning to adapt quickly (“you fell into the water (…) it’s better that you learn quickly and that you like it”)

When it points out: “Don’t seek calm, peace doesn’t exist” it fights against those naive thoughts that abound on Instagram (cheap influencers) or the current network that launches hopeful messages in second-long capsules, without any real content.

Aceptando que vivimos en resistencia a la realidad del mundo, siempre queriendo un «objetivo» concreto o un ideal de vida.

As the excellent psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar says, negative emotions are part of life, denying them is denying part of our own humanity.

Tal Ben-Shahar, who when talking about positive psychology points out:

Positive psychology that focuses on the optimal, differs quite a bit from the self-help movement, which generally invites us to imagine a perfect life and aspire to live it. This aspiration, paradoxically, can produce a lot of frustration and unhappiness.

Tal Ben-Shahar, “The Pursuit of Happiness”

The second chorus is a complete lesson in ethics and morality. How much it’s needed in our current society! “use your head as well as your feet, don’t do to others what you wouldn’t want done to you”.

We go on automatic, without reasoning, without critical sense (and the herd runs over us).

Most of our principles and beliefs are based on what we have received from our parents and our environment. With all the biases and gaps they may have.

As the Greek saying goes: “Gine kaliteros anthropos apo ton patera sou” quoted in the science fiction series by J. J. Abrams, Fringe: “be a better version than your father”, in the sense that we are a constant evolution of our entire environment. Note: Thanks to Elli Mouchtari for the correction of the Greek, which in the original series has an error 😉

Our generation has many more emotional and educational tools than those of our grandparents and parents. Improve your own reality, but be aware of it, don’t go on automatic dammit.

But at the same time, let’s be aware of the people around us. We are not isolated entities. We exist on the basis of our own context.

As the saying by Plato goes: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle”.

But “you have to be good, but you don’t have to be a fool”. That last phrase needs no explanation 😉

For me, one of the most powerful phrases is: “Doubt everything you believe, to see things for the first time”.

It’s poetry and a super-powerful aphorism. As said before, we go on automatic in almost everything. We don’t realize our reality. In very real terms, we live in a matrix of our ego, which creates a fictional character of “who I am”.

And the wonderful chorus that gets us dancing, but leaves us with a very deep teaching: “Don’t let life or death matter, nor good or bad luck, that will accompany your walk. Follow your path without looking back”.

Continue on your path and realize that poetry, spirituality, and reflection can be found everywhere. You don’t necessarily need to read great philosophical works of the classics; you can find it in a bar or in a park playing with your child.

Beauty is all around us. We just need to stop being on autopilot and take a moment to enjoy it.

Life can be wonderful, let’s not waste it. Reduce your dopamine dependence and live.

Live long and prosper!