Uruguayan singer and songwriter Jorge Drexler won the Oscar for the best song, "Al otro lado del río", On the other side of the sea, from the Motorcycles Diaries (which I still haven't seen). Apparently Drexler was not allowed to sing the song at the Oscars, which made him not too happy. Instead, Carlos Santana and Antonio Banderas performed the song onstage (he should be thanksful that it wasn't Beyonce, who sang pretty much everything else). According to Drexler, he got the support of Banderas who contacted him - though he didn't hear anything from Santana. Drexler's "revenge" came when he accepted the Oscar: he sang the first stanza from his song.
Here are the lyrics in my free translation.
I nail my oar in the water
I carry your oarn in mine
I think I've seen a light on the other side of the river.
Little by little the day will conquer the cold
I think I've seen al ight on the other side of the river
Above everything I think that not everything is lost
So many tears, so many tears and I am an empty vessel
I hear a voice that calls me almost as a sigh
Row, row, rowwww. Row, row, rowww.
In this side of the world that which isn't a dam is empty
I think I've seen a light on the other side of the river
Very serious I row, smiling deep inside
I think I've seen a light on the other side of the river
Above everything I think that not everything is lost
So many tears, so many tears and I am an empty vessel
I hear a voice that calls me almost as a sigh
Row, row, rowwww. Row, row, rowww.
I nail my oar in the water
I carry your oarn in mine
I think I've seen a light on the other side of the river.
I'm not sure about the verse which I translate as "That which isn't a dam". The word "presa" can mean many things in Spanish (prisoner, prey, dam) and I don't know which one Drexler meant here.
Clavo mi remo en el agua
Llevo tu remo en el mío
Creo que he visto una luz al otro lado del río
El día le irá pudiendo poco a poco al frío
Creo que he visto una luz al otro lado del río
Sobre todo creo que no todo está perdido
Tanta lágrima, tanta lágrima y yo, soy un vaso vacío
Oigo una voz que me llama casi un suspiro
Rema, rema, rema-a Rema, rema, rema-a
En esta orilla del mundo lo que no es presa es baldío
Creo que he visto una luz al otro lado del río
Yo muy serio voy remando muy adentro sonrío
Creo que he visto una luz al otro lado del río
Sobre todo creo que no todo está perdido
Tanta lágrima, tanta lágrima y yo, soy un vaso vacío
Oigo una voz que me llama casi un suspiro
Rema, rema, rema-a Rema, rema, rema-a
Clavo mi remo en el agua
Llevo tu remo en el mío
Creo que he visto una luz al otro lado del río