Chatarra translates to "junk" or "scrap". While it might seem simple, its repeated use in the song title "Comida Chatarra" (Junk Food) and throughout the lyrics makes it incredibly central and memorable.
In the context of the song, it's used literally to describe unhealthy food, but the band Árbol often uses humor and social commentary. The song satirizes consumerism and societal issues, making "chatarra" a key word that encapsulates the song's critical and somewhat dark humor about what we consume, both literally and figuratively.
"Comida Chatarra" is a fake commercial. Árbol write the whole song in the voice of a cheerful advertiser selling junk food, and the joke is that they never break character. Junk food is "la mejor opción", the best option, for people who decide and stand by their opinion.
The sales pitch keeps getting worse the longer it runs. You can take it away in a magic little box, or in a bin full of flies. It comes in combos that adapt to your lifestyle, in a pretty packet stuffed with cartoons and toys for your kids to collect. The band is listing exactly what fast food actually sells: convenience, colour, and a promise aimed at children.
Then the tone turns. If you cannot afford it, the ad says, come by our restaurants at closing time, once everyone has gone home. We throw out bags of food that wealthier people could not finish. Our portions are the most generous around. It is delivered in the same bright voice as the rest, which is what makes it land.
The last verse drops the mask completely. Junk food is the best option for people who have no other options in life, no house, no bed, not even a plate of cold polenta. What started as a silly jingle ends as a comment on hunger and inequality in Argentina, and the chorus you have been singing along to all song is suddenly much harder to sing.