Hi there!
Here's another post, but now it's something different. I decided to post a music: I think it is also helpful! I will post some musics from now on, with different styles, so you can know more of our culture and learn some Portuguese with it. ;)
Today's music: Seu Jorge - São Gonça
I chose this song, first because it's a nice song, and second because Seu Jorge is a nice example of the Carioca's culture (Carioca - from Rio). He's a great musician and he used to be very poor, and even lived 3 years as a homeless. His first album was released in 1998 with the band Farofa Carioca.
My opinion about his songs/lyrics is that they express the soul of a simple Carioca, they have rhythm, the lyrics are usually about the everyday life.
The context of this music is, apparently, that his girlfriend decided to give a break on the relationship or she's simply mad at him because (apparently) he got home late and didn't call her. So he tries to explain what happened: there was a traffic jam at the bridge (that really exists - it's the bridge that connects Rio de Janeiro to Niterói), and he couldn't call her because the public telephone was not working, but he remarks that he's not forcing her to believe him, it's up to her to believe him or not ("Mas você crê se quiser").
The context of this music is, apparently, that his girlfriend decided to give a break on the relationship or she's simply mad at him because (apparently) he got home late and didn't call her. So he tries to explain what happened: there was a traffic jam at the bridge (that really exists - it's the bridge that connects Rio de Janeiro to Niterói), and he couldn't call her because the public telephone was not working, but he remarks that he's not forcing her to believe him, it's up to her to believe him or not ("Mas você crê se quiser").
So as you see, very simple lyrics, but he found a way of making it a great song! ;)
Ok, enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4X0iZnIvQs
[1997 (mil novecentos e noventa e sete) – Farofa Carioca]
Pretinha[i]
Faço tudo pelo nosso amor
Faço tudo pelo bem do nosso bem (meu bem)
A saudade é minha dor
Que anda arrasando com meu coração
Não duvide que um dia
Eu te darei o céu
Meu amor junto com um anel
Pra gente se casar
No cartório ou na igreja
Se você quiser
Se não quiser, tudo bem (meu bem)
Mas tente compreender
Morando em São Gonçalo você sabe como é
Hoje a tarde a ponte engarrafou
E eu fiquei a pé
Tentei ligar pra você
O orelhão[ii]
da minha rua
Estava escangalhado
Meu cartão tava zerado[iii]
Mas você crê se quiser...
Pretinha
Faço tudo pelo nosso amor
Faço tudo pelo bem do nosso bem (meu bem, neném, aiai – faz
isso comigo não)
A saudade é minha dor
Que anda arrasando com meu coração
Não duvide que um dia
Eu te darei o céu
Meu amor junto com um anel
Pra gente se casar
No cartório ou na igreja
Se você quiser
Se não quiser, tudo bem (meu bem)
Mas tente compreender
Morando em São Gonçalo você sabe como é
Hoje a tarde a ponte engarrafou
E eu fiquei a pé
Tentei ligar pra você
O orelhão da minha rua
Estava escangalhado
Meu cartão tava zerado
Mas você crê se quiser...
Mas tente compreender
Morando em São Paulo você sabe como é
Hoje a tarde a Marginal engarrafou
E eu fiquei a pé
Tentei ligar pra você
O orelhão da minha rua
Estava escangalhado
Meu cartão tava zerado
Mas você crê se quiser...
------------ Translation (attempt) -----------
Blakie (?),
I do
everything for our love
I do
everything for the good of our good [my
love, baby, don’t do that with me]
This
longing is my pain
That is is
messing up with my heart
Don’t doubt
that one day
I will give
you the sky
my love
with a ring
For us to
get married
At the
registry office or at the church
Only if you
feel like
If you
don’t feel like, that’s fine (my love)
But try to
understand
Living in
São Gonçalo, you know how it is
Today there
was a traffic jam at the bridge
And I had
to go by foot*
I tried to
call you
But my
street’s public telephone was broken
My telephone
card was empty
But you believe
me only if you feel like.
* Dear readers,
you know how difficult it is to translate lyrics, and sometimes it’s impossible
to translate the exact same thing, either because my English knowledge is not
broad enough or because it simply can’t be translated. I did it just for you to
have an idea, ok?
[i] Pretinha:
diminutive of black (blakie?); he’s referring to his girlfriend who’s black. So
it’s a loving way to call the girlfriend – if his girlfriend were white (and he
being black) he could also call her “branquinha” (branco = white). However,
don’t start calling every black person you know in Brasil of pretinho/pretinha,
it may also sound as prejudice/racism. So be careful. ;)
[ii] Orelhão:
public telephone – literally it means big
ear, I guess it’s because our public telephones look like big ears.
[iii] Meu cartão tava zerado: My card was
empty – that is, the public telefone card. “Tava” is Estava (was), and zerado
comes from Zero. If you are broke (no Money) you can tell your friend “Estou
zerado” (I’m empty, with ‘zero’ money)
;).
