Barco Negro
Amαlia Rodrigues Lyrics

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De manhã, que medo, que me achasses feia!
Acordei, tremendo, deitada n'areia
Mas logo os teus olhos disseram que não
E o sol penetrou no meu coração

Mas logo os teus olhos disseram que não
E o sol penetrou no meu coração

Vi depois, numa rocha, uma cruz
E o teu barco negro dançava na luz
Vi teu braço acenando, entre as velas já soltas
Dizem as velhas da praia, que não voltas

São louca
São loucas

Eu sei, meu amor
Que nem chegaste a partir
Pois tudo, em meu redor
Me diz qu'estás sempre comigo

Eu sei, meu amor
Que nem chegaste a partir
Pois tudo, em meu redor
Me diz qu'estás sempre comigo

No vento que lança areia nos vidros
Na água que canta, no fogo mortiço
No calor do leito, nos bancos vazios
Dentro do meu peito, estás sempre comigo

No calor do leito, nos bancos vazios
Dentro do meu peito, estás sempre comigo

Ah ah ah

Eu sei, meu amor
Que nem chegaste a partir
Pois tudo, em meu redor
Me diz qu'estás sempre comigo

Eu sei, meu amor
Que nem chegaste a partir
Pois tudo, em meu redor

Me diz qu'estás sempre
Comigo

Overall Meaning

The song "Barco Negro" by Amália Rodrigues tells a poignant tale of love and loss, with hauntingly beautiful lyrics that speak to the enduring nature of true love. The song is written as a narrative, with the singer describing her emotions and thoughts as she waits for her lover's return. The opening verses describe the singer's fear of being seen as unattractive by her lover when he returns, but her fears quickly dissipate upon seeing his kind eyes and feeling his warm embrace. The following verses paint a picture of the singer's despair as she watches her lover's boat disappear into the distance, never to return. The chorus repeats the refrain that he is still with her in spirit and that their love endures despite his physical absence.

The theme of loss and longing pervades the lyrics of the song. The image of the black boat is a metaphor for death or for the end of a relationship, which never returns. The image of the cross on the rock also implies a sense of mourning, suggesting that the singer's lover has passed away. The final verses of the song suggest that the memory of her lover lives on, and that he is still present in everything she sees and hears.

Line by Line Meaning

De manhã, que medo, que me achasses feia!
In the morning, I was afraid that you would find me ugly!

Acordei, tremendo, deitada n'areia
I woke up, shaking, lying on the sand

Mas logo os teus olhos disseram que não
But then your eyes told me otherwise

E o sol penetrou no meu coração
And the sun penetrated my heart

Vi depois, numa rocha, uma cruz
Later, I saw a cross on a rock

E o teu barco negro dançava na luz
And your black boat danced in the light

Vi teu braço acenando, entre as velas já soltas
I saw your arm waving, between the already loose sails

Dizem as velhas da praia, que não voltas
The old women on the beach say that you won't return

São louca
They are crazy

São loucas
They are crazy

Eu sei, meu amor Que nem chegaste a partir
I know, my love, that you didn't even leave