Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: guitar
Song Meaning of “Cinco Canciones Populares Catalanas: Cançò del Lladre” by Miguel Llobet Solés
This beautiful Catalan folk song by Miguel Llobet Solés paints an intimate picture of a thief who had no choice but to resort to stealing in the face of poverty and desperation. His language is sorrowful and remorseful, and his plea can be heard through every protestation of innocence.
The thief sings of his daily conflict between his conscience and his need for survival, as he can find no other way to feed his family. He expresses the lack of fairness in his situation, since others can be privileged enough to leave a life of crime, but he is denied that opportunity. Instead, the thief must live with the guilt of knowing he is a thief, unable to escape a life of crime unless someone comes to his aid.
The use of poetic language and imagery further amplifies the thief’s pain– as he mentions how even the birds overhead are more fortunate than him, and describes his poor luck as a “dark sun” that gives him no hope of a better life. The melody of this song is also quite tender, and when combined with the anguished words, a powerful and heartbreaking story is told.