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Song Info
Genre
Charts
#1,916 today
Peak #25
#1,083 in subgenre
Peak #9
Author
Xavier Panades I Blas
Rights
Xavier Panades I Blas
Uploaded
January 14, 2019
Track Files
MP3
MP3 4.9 MB • 320 kbps • 2:08
Lossless
WAV 21.5 MB
Story behind the song
Rosegar pa (Gnawing bread) is a true story from my village in Catalonia. It is a classical story of faith, kindness, and acceptance in a community which eventually becomes a legendary tale.
It is embellished by an ensemble of Jazz musicians led by the late Dave Dorfman (Xavier Panades i Blas (voice), Dave Dorfman (clarinet), Ed Bateman (bass guitar), Jimmy Cantera (guitar), and Max Ottolang (drums).
A traditional chicken producer from a village in the mountains marries the daughter of the bread maker in my village. A good, friendly, and gregarious man, he is totally accepted in the village despite being very stubborn and possessing a really bad temper.
He becomes the bread maker, but fails to achieve the bread baking quality of his father in law. The bread is uneatable: chewy, soft, and gets harder in two days after production.
However, nobody raises any concerns and keeps buying the bread, to avoid disturbing his temper, shaming the family, and damaging the business.
Villagers decide to buy bread in the village next door until he learns how to make bread. His bread is given to domesticates, the other is consumed by the family.
Lyrics
ROSEGAR PA
Aquest pa és dur ara.
Aquest pa serà tou demà.
O menges pa de roca
o mastegues pa de xiclet.
Qui és el flequer del poble
que barreja de sobte?
Que no s'aixeca d'hora?
Què fa el pa amb sorra?
Amb la filla del flequer
l’immigrant s’hi casà;
i en flequer es convertí
sense res més a dir.
Fa anys que la gent del poble
compra dues racions de pa.
Una del flequer nostre
i l'altra del d'allà.
La primera és per la família.
La segona és pel bestiar.
El primera es menja d'amagat.
La segona és cobertament regalat.
Que pòtols que sou per aquí.
Per què no li dieu clar?
Que els rucs no poden fer pa
sinó tirar del carro i callar.
No li digueu re.
Que té una tempesta tan dolenta
que ningú aixeca el cap
ni per la festa gran.
Aquí tothom calla
sense explicar cap rondalla.
I ell només ens diu:
A rosegar pa i a callar!
CHEWING BREAD
This bread is hard now.
This bread will be soft tomorrow.
You can either eat rock bread
or start chewing gum bread.
Who is the local baker
that hurries to mix?
Who doesn’t rise early?
Who makes bread with sand?
To the baker’s daughter
the immigrant got married;
and he became a baker,
with nothing more to say.
For years the local people
have bought two portions of bread.
One from our baker
the other from beyond.
The first is for the family.
The second for the animals.
The first is eaten in hiding.
The second a gift to confide in.
What a bunch of rogues you are!
Why not tell him loud and clear?
Donkeys cannot make bread
They just pull the cart and adhere.
Don’t say a word to him.
Such a storm rages within him
nobody raises their head
not even for celebration day.
Everyone is silent here,
unable to recount a fable.
And all he tells us is:
Keep chewing bread and adhere!
