Spoliarium

Spoliarium is a song by the Eraserheads from their fifth studio album Sticker Happy. Penned by vocalist Ely Buendia, the title of the song is a reference to Filipino painter Juan Luna's magnum opus finished in 1884.

Pepsi Paloma's Rape Case
While lyrically Spoliarium tells an abstract and nihilistic scene from a first-person perspective, the song has long been associated to the alleged rape and later suicide of Pepsi Paloma, a teenage "bold star" from the 1980s. According to the urban legend, the lyrics of the song alludes to the Paloma's rape case filed against comedians Vic "Enteng" Sotto, Joey de Leon, and Richie D'Horsie in 1982, including the apartment in which the crime took place, and the subsequent affidavit she was forced to sign by Vic's brother, future senator Tito Sotto. Composer Ely Buendia, a film major in UP Diliman, allegedly became aware of Pepsi Paloma while studying at the university. However, Buendia has declined to acknowledge about the true meaning of the song and even commented that he will "take this secret to the grave". The band had previously been in a legal struggle against Tito Sotto over the banning of their song Alapaap three years prior.

Music video
A video for the song was shot in 1997 and features a woman in black who walks around the halls of the Philippine International Convention Center. Directed by Matthew Rosen, the entire video is in black and white.

Cover versions
The song was covered by Imago for the tribute album Ultraelectromagneticjam!: The Music Of The Eraserheads.

Lyrics
Dumilim ang paligid

May tumawag sa pangalan ko

Labing isang palapag

Tinanong kung okay lang ako

Sabay abot ng baso

May naghihintay

At bakit ba 'pag nagsawa na ako

Biglang ayoko na

At ngayon

'Di pa rin alam

Kung ba't tayo nandito

Pwede bang itigil muna

Ang pag-ikot ng mundo

Lumiwanag ang buwan

San Juan

'Di ko na nasasakyan

Ang lahat ng bagay ay

Gumuguhit na lang

Sa 'king lalamunan

Ewan mo at ewan natin

Sinong may pakana

At bakit ba

Tumilapon ang

Gintong alak diyan sa paligid mo

At ngayon

Di pa rin alam

Kung ba't tayo nandito

Puwede bang itigil muna

Ang pag-ikot ng mundo

Umiyak ang umaga

Anong sinulat ni Enteng at Joey diyan

Sa pintong salamin

'Di ko na mabasa

'Pagkat merong nagbura

Ewan mo at ewan natin

Sinong nagpakana

At bakit ba tumilapon ang spoliarium

Diyan sa paligid mo

At ngayon

Di pa rin alam

Kung ba't tayo nandito

Pwede bang itigil muna

Ang pag-ikot ng mundo