ANG HULING EL BIMBO

This post is soooo long overdue, but I want it to be sort of a tribute to the Eraserheads. And I thought I won’t have the chance to write anything about them anymore, so I want to exert a little bit more effort and make it special.




Eraserheads has been the band which truly defined the ‘90s. Every teenager grew up with them, who didn’t? Who wouldn’t relate to their songs. Their songs tell a story, which every individual teenager or adult could relate to. Their songs reach every individual from all walks of life.

Mapa-anong klaseng tao ka man, mahirap, mayaman, payat, mataba, suicidal, bading, tibo, sawi sa pag-ibig, torpe, best friend, syota o asawa. Mag-isa ka man kasama ang iyong gitara. Ka-jamming mo man ang barkada kasabay ng ilang shot ng beer. Hindi mawawala ang songhits o lyric-chords ng mga kanta ng eraserheads. Mga kanta ng eraserheads na sapul-sapol, swak na swak, tamang-tama sa kung anu mang nararamdaman mo sa isang partikular na sitwasyon. Ang sarap tugtugin, ang sarap kantahin, ang sarap pakinggan ng mga kanta ng Eraserheads. Parang habang kinakanta, tinutugtog or pinapakinggan mo, part ka nung MTV na nag-peplay sa utak mo. Ang sarap ng feeling, parang ginawa talaga para sayo yung partikular na kantang yun!




It was my elementary days when I first had the taste of E-heads sounds. My cousin and some of her male friends are jamming in our grandma’s house. The song was “Pare Ko”. I was kind of hesitant to hear it at first because I just can’t relate to it, and I can hear some cursing in the song. But that didn’t prevent me from hearing other E-heads songs. I saw an Eraserheads cassette tape in my cousin’s room and started playing it. The album was ‘Cutterpillow’. I just played it all over and over again until I memorized some of the lyrics. The album featured, I think their most popular song ‘El Bimbo. The songs also featured in the album, ‘Huwag Mo Nang Itanong’ and ‘Torpedo’ truly hit me.



Sinong teenager ang hindi makaka-relate sa song na ‘Huwag mo nang itanong’? Sinong teenager ang hindi naka-experience na magkulong sa kuwarto at pansamantalang iwanan ang ingay ng mundo. Sinong teenager ang hindi nakaranas ng problema na minsan gusto nalang nating sarilinin.

Kahit gaano ka siguro kaguwapo. Kahit gaano ka ka-simpatiko. Kahit gaano ka kalapit sa mga chicks. Tatamaan ka pa din ng pagka-TORPE pag nagsimula ka ng manligaw. “TORPEDO” truly made those young gentlemen sing their hearts out when they hear the song. Intro pa lang ng song, pambihira na. “Pasensya na, kung ako ay di nagsasalita… Di ko kayang sabihin ang aking nadarama..” O diba? A torpe guy who can’t even express his feelings, is now expressing his feelings through this song when he sings it!

I now officially became a fan. I’ve found out that the first album I was playing was the third album so I tried to get the first album, well not really, I borrowed again from someone. Ultra-electro magnetic top was the first album of Eheads which featured the song ‘Pare Ko’, ‘Ligaya’ and Toyang.



I learned to appreciate the songs ‘Pare Ko’ and ‘Ligaya’ when I was in College. I guess it’s only when you get to experience love that you can relate to these songs. I proclaimed that ‘Pare Ko’ and ‘Ligaya’ were truly made for me. Literal talaga! The line, ‘Gagawin ko ang lahat pati ang thesis mo’ was given life in the 3 chapters of the thesis of the girl I am courting.

‘Sabi nya, ayaw nya munang magka-syota, dehins ako naniwala.. Bakit ba ang labo nya di ko maipinta, hanggang kelan ako maghihintay ako ay nabuburat na.. Pero minamahal ko sya, di biro TL ako sa kanya.. O Diyos ko ano ba naman ito diba Tang-ina! Nagmukha akong tanga…” Here are some of the lines of the song ‘Pare Ko’. Diba Tang-ina talaga?! Lahat yan na-feel ko during those times na akala ko the girl I’ve loved so much would give back all I ever did to her. But it just didn’t work out the way I wanted. Anyway, just read my previous post na lang “Suntok sa Buwan”. Hehe!!



The second album Circus was another favorite of mine. I was glad that my cousin had a copy. The song featured the controversial song ‘Alapaap’, which made them appear in the Senate I think because Senator Sotto attacked the lyrics of the song. It likewise featured the songs, ‘Minsan’, ‘Magasin’, ‘With A Smile’, ‘Sembreak’ and ‘Hey Jay’.


The song ‘Minsan’ made me appreciate more friendship. Dati I must admit I was a little bit a loner, a little anti-social. ‘Minsan’ made an impact on me. It changed my perspective towards the people I meet. I learned to share myself to others. ‘Minsan’ is an inspiring song to all the ‘barkadas’ out there. The lines, ‘Sa ilalim ng iisang bubong, mga sikretong ibinubulong… Sana'y huwag kalimutan ang ating mga pinagsamahan at kung sakaling gipitin ay laging iisipin na minsan tayo ay nagging tunay na magkaibigan..”, are brilliant! Whenever I hear those lines, I just can’t help but reminisce the times I had with my Kanlungan Family. The experiences I had with them under the same roof are irreplaceable and priceless.

‘Sembreak’ was a little bit naughty and some pun in the lyrics. It was funny yet the message is true. The bum in all of us when sembreak comes are highlighted in the song! Walang pera kasi walang baon, tambay sa kanto, at basketbol sa banyo! Haha!!!

‘Hey Jay’ signifies that Eraserheads is not homophobic. Can you think of any band which has any song about gays or homos? Wala ako maisip. Yeah you heard me right! The song is about a gay named Jay who is always beaten up by his dad. These are some of the lines in the song: “Bakit ba sila ganyan puno ng galit ang isipan, ba't ba tayo ganito, walang galang sa kapwa tao.. Alam mo namang may iba ka pang magagawa. Alam mo namang ang mahalaga ay nabubuhay ka. Jay what you are and wherever you go. Isip-isipin mo na lang na may nagmamahal sa'yo..”

After the third album, came the Christmas Album, ‘Fruitcake’ in 1996, and then ‘Sticker Happy in 1997, Banana Type in 1997, Aloha Milky Way (1998), ‘Natin99’, The Singles (2000) and their last album ‘Carbon Stereoxide’ in 2001. I don’t know what happened. After the third album, I kind of took a hiatus as an Eheads Fan. I don’t know if its because I just cant relate anymore with their songs or that I was just into something else. But I guess when you’re a fan you’re a fan all the way. Despite my so-called hiatus, I still make sure that when I get the chance, I hear their songs.


Here's a list of their album and the tracks in it:



POP-U!
Indie Release
Released: 1991

TRACK LISTING
1. Amen!
2. Dying Slow
3. Wishing Wells
4. Scorpio Rising
5. Sori
6. One Last Angry Look
7. The Fifth Moon
8. Tindahan Ni Aling Nena
9. Pare Ko
10. Milk And Money
11. Venus In The Country
12. Toyang



Ultraelectromagnetic Pop
Released: 1993

TRACK LISTING

1. Easy Ka Lang
2. Maling Akala
3. Pare Ko
4. Shake Yer Head
5. Ganjazz
6. Toyang
7. Ligaya
8. Tindahan Ni Aling Nena
9. Honky-Toinks Granny
10. Shirley
11. Walang Hiyang Pare Ko
12. Combo On The Run



Circus
Released: 1994

TRACK LISTING

1. Bato
2. Sembreak
3. Alapaap
4. Hey, Jay
5. Minsan
6. Punk Zappa
7. Insomya
8. With A Smile
9. Alkohol
10. Wishing Wells
11. Kailan
12. No Royalty Album Filler No. 9
13. Magasin
14. Butterscotch
15. Sa Wakas
16. Prof. Banlaoi’s Transcendental Medication After Every 6 Months or Punk Zappa 3
17. Waiting
18. Kailan Lounge



Cutterpillow
Released: 1995

TRACK LISTING

1. Superproxy
2. Back2Me
3. Waiting For The Bus
4. Finetime
5. Kamasupra
6. Overdrive
7. Slo Mo
8. Torpedo
9. Huwag Mo Nang Itanong
10. Paru-parong Ningning
11. Walang Nagbago
12. Poorman’s Grave
13. Yoko
14. Fill Her
15. Ang Huling El Bimbo



Fruitcake
Released: 1996


TRACK LISTING
1. Fruitcake
2. Shadow
3. Flat Tire
4. Shadow Boxes Accountants
5. Gatekeeper
6. Old Fashioned Christmas Carol
7. Styrosnow
8. Trip to Jerusalem
9. Shadow Reads The News Today, Oh Boy
10. Fruit Fairy
11. The Fabulous Baker Boy
12. Lord Of The Rhum
13. Lightyears
14. Christmas Ball
15. Mono Virus
16. Shadow@buttholesrufs.com
17. Rise and Shine
18. Santa Ain’t Comin’ No Mo’
19. Christmas Party
20. Hitchin’ A Ride
21. Christmas Morning
22. Merry Christmas Everybody Happy New Year Too
23. Christmas Alphabet



Bananatype
Released: 1997


TRACK LISTING
1. I Can’t Remember You
2. Bananatype
3. Harana
4. Policewoman
5. Tikman



Stickerhappy
Released: 1997

1.Prologue
2. Futuristic
3. Kaliwete
4. Milk And Money
5. Bogchi Hokbu
6. Maalalahanin
7. Balikbayan Box
8. Andalusian Dog
9. Ha Ha Ha
10. Downtown
11. Kananete
12. Hard To Believe
13. Everything They Say
14. Spoliarium
15. Ambi Dextrose
16. Para Sa Masa
17. Sticker Happy
18. Tapsilogue




Aloha Milkyway
Released: 1998

1. Julie Tearjerky
2. Tamagotchi Baby
3. Saturn Return
4. Scorpio Rising
5. Milk and Money
6. Downtown
7. Trip to Jerusalem
8. Andalusian Dog
9. Hard to Believe
10. Fruitcake
11. Small Room
12. Ambi Dextrose
13. With A Smile
14. Ang Huling El Bimbo



Natin99
Released: 1999

TRACK LISTING

1. Sinturong Pangkaligtasan
2. Dahan Dahan
3. Kahit Ano
4. Sino Sa Atin
5. Maselang Bahaghari
6. Tama Ka
7. May Sumasayaw
8. Peace It Together
9. Salamin
10. Popmachine
11. Kilala
12. Huwag Kang Matakot
13. Southsuperhiway
14. 68 Dr Sixto Antonio Ave.
15. Game! Tama Na!




The Singles
Released: 2001

TRACK LISTING
1. Overdrive
2. Alapaap
3. Ang Huling El Bimbo
4. Ligaya
5. With A Smile
6. Harana
7. Kailan
8. Magasin
9. Pare Ko
10. Torpedo
11. Toyang
12. Minsan
13. Huwag Mo Nang Itanong
14. Fruitcake
15. Tuwing Umuulan At Kapiling Ka




CarbonStereoxide
Released: 2001

TRACK LISTING
1. Ultrasound
2. Maskara
3. How Far Will U Go
4. Bloodtest
5. Wala
6. Hula
7. Photo Synth
8. Palamig
9. Out Of Sight
10. Super
11. Vision
12. Paintstripper
13. Escalator
14. Alligator
15. Playground
16. Omnesia
17. Ok Comprende
18. Pula
19. Outside
20. Acid Eyes





August 30, 2008. Tang-ina! Reunion Concert ng Eraserheads. Pero nasaan ako? I’m at the house, taking a rest from a very stressful Saturday because of WILLS (my subject in school). Taking a rest so I’ll have the energy to read for CIVIL PROCEDURE the following day. O diba? How loser can I be?! Eraserheads once-in-a-lifetime-never-na-mauulit-for-the-rest-of-your-life-major-regret Moment! Too bad, the concert has to be cut-short because of Ely’s ailing condition.



March 7, 2009. Tang-ina! Eheads the final set! Sabi ko sa sarili ko, witnessed by a friend and yeah she did swear too!, that we’re gonna kill ourselves if we miss this concert! So as OC as we could be, we bought tickets as early as a month I think before the concert. We even invited some of our friends to join us.




The concert was unexpected for me, because Ely’s a little bit different on stage. He’s not that lively as what I am expecting. Nonetheless, the show was great. I understood perfectly why it has to be that way. I’m glad that the other members, like Marcus and Raimund had the chance to show how versatile they are and show their talent. Marcus’ reggae version of ‘Huwag mo nang itanong’ was unbelievable and the arrangement’s fantastic. Hats off to you Marcus! Raimund shows how good he really is. The man was amazing! He can really rap his heart out!










Singing ‘Super Proxy’ and a line from ‘Kaleidoscope World’ to pay tribute to Francis M, gave me goosebumps. I wondered at that moment how cool the show could get when Francis M got the chance to perform with the E-heads that night!



When Ely said the words, ‘Eto na, ang Huling El Bimbo..”, the fans get a little bit emo, and me too I must admit. The confetti then started to fall down the stage, which made me feel something I can't explain. Truly one magical moment!





The Final Set truly set free all the regrets I had when I didn’t watch the concert last August 30, 2008. It marked a closure for the Eraserheads and for the fans as well. A closure which I really felt when Ely started to put on fire the old piano as can be seen in the cover in their album ‘Sticker Happy’. A closure which only reminds us that nothing is permanent in this world. The show must come to an end. And when something or someone leaves, everything else is history. A history which one cannot put into existence again, but could only be re-told and cherished for the rest of our lives. I’m glad somehow I became part of the lives of four men who made us grow with them through their songs; Ely Buendia, Raimund Marasigan, Marcus Adoro and Buddy Zabala. I am so grateful I was part of the history they made and the legacy they left, that was the Eraserheads.



Want to know how THE ERASERHEADS started? Click HERE

Thanks to www.pinoymusiclyrics.com for the track listings.