When you think of rock n' roll, there are many fantastical stories about pacts with evil forces to achieve success. In "Ladrão de Vidas" (Thief of Lives), the independent band Besouro da Lua from offers a more realistic reflection: worse than any deal with the devil is the relentless work ethic of capitalist society.
The track is part of the EP Idiocracia , the debut project of the independent group, and features the "horrifying experiences" of singer, instrumentalist, composer and producer Santino in the conservative job market, bringing in the sound and attitude the references of post-punk and hardcore.
Narrating the entire process of becoming ill due to high work demands, which views workers as machines instead of complex human beings, the track "Ladrão de Vidas" (Thief of Lives) is a critique of this system through the first-person account of the oppressive force itself.
"Your life is over, our pact lasts until the end.
I will accept no answer other than yes.
Your sweat will enrich me, and the rest is yours."
Right from the first verse, the song presents the market as a lifelong pact in which the working class has no practical and realistic alternative options, leaving only the pact that will enrich only the wealthiest classes while the rest are deluded by the idea of meritocracy.
"You chose to trade your life for a mausoleum
, and the latest car is already in the garage.
And this will be the life you always dreamed of.
I just forgot to tell you, it's over."
Even among those who manage to rise socially, material achievements still consume all of a person's time, leaving no possibility of truly living, since this person "has completely sold themselves to a company, seeking only money and material gain, in exchange for their own mental and physical health," as Santino explains to Wikimetal . "In a way, it's a pact with an entity called the Thief of Lives: 'in exchange for your soul, I will grant you whatever you wish'."
"Your breathing has changed, but it must be your imagination.
Every lie you tell is another zero on your account.
The truth is, no one will remember who you are.
You lack the courage to admit that your existence is worth nothing.
I prefer to be than to have.
I am the thief of lives."
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Based on his own experience of battling depression after several years working with the very "thief of lives"—be it banks, industries, or multinational corporations—Santino cites symptoms of various mental disorders caused by overwork under conditions of high stress and pressure.
At one of the companies he worked for before creating Moon Beetle, the artist learned from a nurse that, every day, one to three employees presented with heart problems related to the stress of their routine. "Money makes everyone go crazy, they start showing the worst side of you," he observes.
In these environments, in addition to the lack of humanity in dealing with employees, there is also little room for diversity and expression. “I see the beginning of an awareness [in the job market] aimed at well-being and diversity in employment, but there are still many people turning up their noses, extremely conservative people who judge your gender, your color, your hair, your tattoos, your accent, your clothes,” says Santino. “I believe that, despite all the difficulties and prejudice, we need to increasingly occupy these spaces and prepare the ground for those who come after; the fight is only just beginning.”.
This struggle is also aligned with the essence of rock as a lifestyle of protest: it's necessary to create ways to change the mentality that everything is about money and to give people the opportunity to live with quality. "Just do what you love and take care of yourself and the people around you," the musician summarizes.
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