AKALA

There are moments when we just want to drown out everything, the noise, chaos, pain, the whole world. We would look for solace and peace everywhere, yet in the end, it's the company of others we seek. In those moments, we pray that someone will knock on our door and keep us company. Someone, anyone who would care enough to look at us and say: hey, I'm here for you. Nowadays, the only moment we can get people to spend time with us is when cold beers are in the cooler. It became the reason why friends get together after a long time.

Sometimes, a cold one is someone's best friend. After a long and tiring day at work, the bitter taste in one's throat is a welcome reprieve. It's a sign that we can finally rest for the day. When things get rough and we don't want to be with people, when a good night's sleep seems so far away, it's the cold bottle that could put us to bed. And for Pablo's third single, another collaboration with his brother, Josue, they played with the idea of the most famous vice.

The title Akala is a Filipino word that means assumption. It is thinking that something means another or assuming an outcome ie., 'I thought they were my true friends'. In the song, the word Akala is about thinking that problems will go away when you drown them by getting drunk. This is true for many people. Oftentimes, life gets too overwhelming and the only way to somehow release all the pent-up emotions is to drink until you pass out until it becomes a routine, a normal part of your life.

Paabot naman ng alak, pare, tara walwalan

Dami ko na ngang dapat

Na ginagawa na nararapat

Pero please, isa pang shot

Gusto ko pang malasing ng todo para makatakas sa reyalidad

'Lam kong hindi ito ang sagot, nais lang maabot ang alapaap

Bakit ba ang dami-daming taong gustong kunin ang sarili

Tapos 'kaw pa 'tong mali?

'Pag sinabi mo'ng lahat ng 'yan ay makakaya

At lilipas din lahat, halika nga dito, pare

Buhay ay ganyan talaga, mahilig siya manghila pababa

Sakyan mo lang hanggang magsawa

D'yan mo rin naman makukuha

At matututunan kung paano abutin ang mga tala

This part talks about a person's awareness of the negative effects of vices, and the inability to stop, which is true for many people. Even when you know you have work the following day, it's almost impossible to say no. Despite your early schedule tomorrow, when someone invites you to a drinking session, the yes would instantly come out. The question is why? Alcoholism? Maybe, but where does that come from? How does a person turn to alcohol? What makes a person want to get drunk so bad? The answer is life. No matter how stupid it may sound, alcohol often becomes the salvation of a person, even for just a moment. We know it's wrong but who could really blame us?

Oh, pare, tingnan mo

Tuloy ang pag-ikot ng mundo (Yeah)

Kaya itagay mo

Bukas babangon rin naman tayo (Yeah)

Pero 'di lang sa ngayon

Alak, akala ko mawawala

Sa walwal ang lahat

Ng aking problema

Alak, akala ko mawawala

Sa walwal ang lahat

Ng aking problema

This part is an encouragement to everyone who is going through tough times. Those who feel like there's no end to their suffering, this is for you. Tomorrow will always be another day, and keep in mind that it will not always be pain and suffering. Things will get better soon. We may think that alcohol is the answer to our problems, but it's not. It won't make us forget or erase our problems. What we need is to look forward and remain positive. We must hold on to hope because that's all we have in this world.

Unang tikim pa lang, 'di ko na nagustuhan

Kailangan ko pa bang isama 'yan

Sa bagay na dapat ko na matutunan?

Kulang na, kulang pa ang aking kaalaman

Puso'y nanlalaban

'Di ko na nga alam sa'n pa pupuntahan

Siguro nga ito lang ang sagot

Yeah, juice, juice, jusko po

'Di ko na malaman ang gusto niyo

Gusto ko lang subukan na maging ako

Ng walang panghuhusga sa mga mata niyo

'Di inakala, mawawala ang bahala

Buti pa rito may tama

Pare, ibuhos mo, 'yung juice lang

From the moment we begin to understand, we will learn many things, especially the harsh reality of life. We will realize that the rainbows and unicorns we believed in as kids are just fantasies. As we grow older, things will get clearer, and at the same time blurry. The quick pace of life, how fast people change, and how easy it is for good things to turn bad. At some point, we would get tired of fighting life and decide to just give in, but even that doesn't seem enough. So alcohol eventually becomes our solace, our rest from the exhausting world.

Oh, pare, tingnan mo

Tuloy ang pag-ikot ng mundo (Yeah)

Kaya itagay mo

Bukas babangon rin naman tayo (Yeah)

Darating ang panahon

This part is the most hopeful part of the song. Pablo once said that his mother gave an input about turning the song more positive. From the line pero hindi lang sa ngayon, his mother commented that if they want to inspire people, they must turn the song into something inspirational. Something that would help people through life, they changed it in the last into darating ang panahon. Eventually, as long as we keep fighting, the time will come when things get better. Just like no matter how long the night is, the sun will eventually come up to signal a new day. Every beginning has an ending, and it is a cycle that goes on and on.

All in all, Akala is not about enjoying the cold beer as it runs down our throats but the truth behind why we do it. It's about the hidden struggles behind the drunken laughter and inaudible jokes. it's about the desperation to escape reality even for just one night. The reality is that sometimes, instead of drowning in our problems and having our hearts broken into a million tiny pieces, we would rather get drunk and suffer the hangover the next day. Akala is a song that reminds us that life will never be easy, but it will never always be full of dark clouds.