José Gervasio Viera Rodríguez (27 February 1948 – 28 October 1990), also simply known as Gervasio, was an Uruguayan singer who achieved popularity in Chile in 1983, when he won the international competition of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival, with the song "Alma, Corazón y Pan". One of Gervasio's most famous compositions is "Con Una Pala y Un Sombrero", which he wrote in honour of his father, who died of lung cancer.
José Gervasio was born in Cerro Largo, Uruguay, on 27 February 1948. During his first years of life, he stayed in a children's home, and left school at 9 years old. His first public appearance as singer was in 1965, and "he did not leave music anymore, because through it he could interact with people from the upper class of Uruguay," Canal 13 reported.
Gervasio emigrated to Santiago de Chile in 1967, participating in Mario Kreutzberger's TV show Sábados Gigantes. Shortly afterwards, he already had some radio hits in Chile: "La Mujer Esdrújula" (which he performed in Sábados Gigantes), and "La Azafata". Gervasio left Chile for some time, and in Argentina he formed the band Los Náufragos, with which he had hits such as "Linda Chiquilina."
Born blind in the winter with an empty head
The snow covered up the Camry the whole house slept
Drawing pictures in the bed
Waking up and racing down the stairs trying to catch my breath
It's so simple, superman, trick or treat, wet socks
Bike rides in the summer to the best spots
Coulda sworn I was king of the best odds
Runnin round with the dogs in the back yard
Growin never knowin what the past done
Livin life like the mystery of packed lunch
Getting whooped in the playground slashed up
Comin home after school on the last bus
Back then it was all about last
Hit the corner store for the new Fleer packs
Mom was a religion and happiness was a fact
It's a shame how the time goes past
Movin so fast
Its like im movin at lightspeed
Slow down
You need to slow down
Every once in a while sometimes
You'll see how the world goes round
You need to slow down every once in a whiiiiiile
Cuz you don't know you don't know
You don't need to goooo so fast
Things changed in the pop shop got an offer
Packed up moved out down to Colorado
Sunshine clean air not a lot of problems
And that's when I discovered pogs and tamagachi
Time past and the friends found punk yah
Oh whatever man a lot of it was junk
But we loved it made us feel cool little dumb kids
Runnin round just for fun doin dumb shit
I was lightin all my candles on both ends
Warren lake getting drunk wit the friends
I was tryin to stay positive even though I pretended it
It helped cause at home I was lackin a happy ending
For all, saw a lot of tall trees fall
In the name of an addiction my sister taught me to follow
I cracked cleaned up and got the backpack
I swore that I would never go back
Movin so fast
Its like im movin at lightspeed
Slow down
You need to slow down
Every once in a while sometimes
You'll see how the world goes round
You need to slow down every once in a whiiiiiile
Cause you don't know you don't know
You don't need to goooo so fast
Eighteen I decided I was done with it
Hit Seattle with a head full of drum rhythms
Falling in and out of love with these young women
Thinkin they could make a change of the blood given
Nah I was too young too face it
Workin two jobs still thinking I could make it
Local all star still singin from his basement
Finally got a shot and ive been workin everyday since
Found love in a city where the angels fly
Put a record out with josh one made out clime
Came home after two years and playin out rhymes
Just to find my little angel was no more mine
Parted ways with a friend was not easy
Made a leap to the future it got queasy
Started workin on the things that had lost reason
Now im sittin with a pad Movin so fast
Its like im movin at lightspeed
Slow down
You need to slow down
Every once in a while sometimes
You'll see how the world goes round
You need to slow down every once in a whiiiiiile
Cause you don't know you don't know