This is the song that was written for democratic socialist Salvador Allende's campaign for President of Chile in 1970.
As Chilean society broke down in the months before the coup, 'Venceremos' became the unofficial national anthem.
The great Chilean folk singer Victor Jara wrote different lyrics for the song referring directly to Allende's 'Unidad Popular' coalition.
After days of brutal torture and just before he was murdered in cold blood by the soldiers of fascist dictator Augusto Pinochet, who had imprisoned him and thousands of others in a stadium turned into a concentration camp for the 1973 coup against Allende, Victor Jara sang 'Venceremos' as a last act of defiance.
As such, this rendition of the song is dedicated to Victor Jara and to all who died under fascism, to all who fought fascism, to all victims of capitalism.
Hasta la victoria, siempre.
lyrics
Desde el hondo crisol de la tierra
se levanta el clamor popular.
Ya se anuncia la nueva alborada,
todo el mundo comienza a cantar.
Recordando al soldado valiente,
cuyo ejemplo lo hiciera inmortal,
enfrentemos primero a la muerte,
traicionar al pueblo jamás.
Venceremos, venceremos,
mil cadenas habrá que romper,
venceremos, venceremos,
el fascismo sabremos vencer.
Venceremos, venceremos,
mil cadenas habrá que romper,
venceremos, venceremos,
el fascismo sabremos vencer.
Campesinos, soldados, mineros,
las mujeres del mundo también,
estudiantes, empleados y obreros,
cumpliremos con nuestro deber.
Sembraremos las tierras de gloria,
socialista será el porvenir.
Todos juntos seremos la historia,
A cumplir, A cumplir, A cumplir.
Venceremos, venceremos,
mil cadenas habrá que romper,
venceremos, venceremos,
la miseria sabremos vencer.
Venceremos, venceremos,
mil cadenas habrá que romper,
venceremos, venceremos,
la miseria sabremos vencer.
English:
From the deep crucible of the world,
the people's voices rise up.
A new dawn comes over the horizon.
All the world breaks out in song.
In remembrance of the courageous warrior
whose example has made him immortal,
we shall confront death
before we would betray our people.
We shall overcome, we shall overcome!
A thousand chains we'll have to break, but
we shall overcome, we shall overcome!
We know we can overcome fascism.
We shall overcome, we shall overcome!
A thousand chains we'll have to break, but
we shall overcome, we shall overcome!
We know we can overcome fascism.
Peasants, soldiers, miners,
and the women of the world as well,
students, workers, white-collar and blue,
we will do our duty.
We'll sow the land with glory.
Socialism will be our future.
With all together, history
we shall fulfil, we shall fulfil, we shall fulfil.
We shall overcome, we shall overcome!
A thousand chains we'll have to break, but
we shall overcome, we shall overcome!
We know we can overcome suffering.
We shall overcome, we shall overcome!
A thousand chains we'll have to break, but
we shall overcome, we shall overcome!
We know we can overcome suffering.
credits
from The Idols Have Been Cast Down and Rent,
released April 30, 2018
• Evangeline Sutherland
——vocals, production, guitar, modified lyrics, modified translation
• Claudio Iturra
——original lyrics
• Sergio Ortega
——composition
• Élise Hendrick
——original English translation
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