Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: salsa
Song Meaning of “El Cobrador” by El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico
El Cobrador is a somber song from El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico that addresses the harsh reality of life for some Puerto Ricans. The song’s narrator laments how they need to turn to unscrupulous means in order to make money. The chorus of the song, with the lines of “el cobrador sin corazón (the heartless collector) hasta el ultimo cinco (even the last five),” is a haunting reminder of the desperate measures that many face in order to make ends meet.
The narrator expresses how they feel like a puppet, being pulled around by a “heartless collector” as they are forced to take any job, no matter how dangerous or horrible, to make the money they need. The use of the metaphor of a “puppet” in the song is a powerful symbol of how we are often moves to meet the demands of our society with little control or power of our own.
The expression of hopelessness and desperation in the song serves as a stark reminder that no matter how hard one works, it sometimes is not enough. It implies that those who have to resort to these income sources, from loan sharks to dangerous occupations, are seen as dehumanized by society, with no choices but to succumb to the system.
Ultimately, El Cobrador is a song that serves as an anthem for those in society who are struggling and feeling hopeless.