Arlo Guthrie
Lyric guide

Victor Jara

Read Victor Jara lyrics by Arlo Guthrie on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

Arlo Guthrie visibility1 visits Video on page
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: Arlo Guthrie Canonical path: /guthrie-arlo/victor-jara Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

Victor Jara

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

Victor Jara of Chile

Lived like a shooting star

He fought for the people of Chile

With his songs and his guitar

His hands were gentle, his hands were strong

Victor Jara was a peasant

He worked from a few years old

He sat upon his father's plow

And watched the earth unfold

His hands were gentle, his hands were strong

Now when the neighbors had a wedding

Or one of their children died

His mother sang all night for them

With Victor by her side

His hands were gentle, his hands were strong

He grew up to be a fighter

Against the people's wrongs

He listened to their grief and joy

And turned them into songs

His hands were gentle, his hands were strong

He sang about the copper miners

And those who worked the land

He sang about the factory workers

And they knew he was their man

His hands were gentle, his hands were strong

He campaigned for Allende

Working night and day

He sang "Take hold of your brothers hand

You know the future begins today"

His hands were gentle, his hands were strong

Then the generals seized Chile

They arrested Victor then

They caged him in a stadium

With five-thousand frightened men

His hands were gentle, his hands were strong

Victor stood in the stadium

His voice was brave and strong

And he sang for his fellow prisoners

Till the guards cut short his song

His hands were gentle, his hands were strong

They broke the bones in both his hands

They beat him on the head

They tore him with electric shocks

And then they shot him dead

His hands were gentle, his hands were strong

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "Victor Jara"?

Arlo Guthrie performs "Victor Jara", and this lyric page sits inside the Arlo Guthrie catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Victor Jara"?

Yes. The related section below points to Mr Bojangles and 1913 Massacre with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Arlo Guthrie?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Arlo Guthrie's lyric pages.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on Victor Jara yet.