Lost In The Paradise
Gal Costa Lyrics
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Cannot fly very high
I find you so far from my sight
I'm lost in my old green light
Don't help me my love
My brother, my girl
Just tell me your name
Just let me say who am I
Don't help me my love
My brother, my girl
Just tell me your name
Just let me say who am I
A big white plastic finger
Surrounds my dark green hair
But it's not your unknown caress
It's not from your unknown right hand
Oh oh
Don't help me my love
My brother, my girl
Just tell me your name
Just let me say who am I
Don't help me my love
My brother, my girl
Just tell me your name
Just let me say who am I
I am the sun, the darkness, my name is green wave
Death, salt South America is my name
World is my name, my size
And under my name here am I
My little grasshopper airplane
Cannot fly very high
The lyrics of “Lost in the Paradise,” by Brazilian singer Gal Costa, present a surreal narrative in which the singer experiences a sense of disorientation and alienation that prevents her from recognizing even the basic aspects of her surroundings. The opening lines - “My little grasshopper airplane / Cannot fly very high / I find you so far from my sight / I'm lost in my old green light” - imply that the singer is traveling by plane over a vast, green landscape, but her vehicle cannot provide the necessary perspective to locate herself. She experiences a sense of nostalgia, represented by the “old green light,” but it only deepens her feeling of disconnection.
Amidst this turmoil, the singer seeks guidance from her loved ones, asking them to tell her their names so she can “just let [her] say who am I.” Most intriguing is the way the singer identifies herself with a variety of natural and geographical elements, ranging from the sun and the darkness to the “salt South America.” The final lines, “And under my name here am I / My little grasshopper airplane / Cannot fly very high,” suggest a cyclical nature to the singer's confusion; she is lost, but always, again, and on the verge of returning to her starting point without having made any progress.
Line by Line Meaning
My little grasshopper airplane
My small and humble airplane cannot ascend to great heights
Cannot fly very high
My airplane lacks the abilities required to fly at a greater altitude
I find you so far from my sight
You seem so distant and out of my reach
I'm lost in my old green light
I am consumed by memories of the past, of a simpler time
Don't help me my love
Please do not aid me, my beloved
My brother, my girl
My siblings and loved ones cannot assist me either
Just tell me your name
However, please do tell me who you are
Just let me say who am I
For it is important that I know myself and understand my own identity
A big white plastic finger
An illusionary symbol of control hovers over me
Surrounds my dark green hair
It is a reflection of my thoughts, memories, and characteristics
But it's not your unknown caress
This symbol does not represent your unknown touch or influence
It's not from your unknown right hand
It is not something that was created or given to me by you
Oh oh
An expression of frustration or confusion
I am the sun, the darkness, my name is green wave
I embody various forces of nature and the universe, and my name is an expression of movement and change
Death, salt South America is my name
I express the concept of death and decay, as well as the saltiness and ferocity of South America
World is my name, my size
I represent the vastness and complexity of the world and its inhabitants
And under my name here am I
Amidst all of these grand concepts, I still exist as an individual
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Caetano Emmanuel Viana Teles Veloso
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind