Portuguese vocalist Ana Moura, whose soulful and riveting interpretation of… Read Full Bio ↴Portuguese vocalist Ana Moura, whose soulful and riveting interpretation of her land's captivating fado style has made her a star in Europe.

Ana Moura has become a leading exponent of this poetic, deeply expressive idiom which personifies the Portuguese psyche as it explores such universal themes as lost love, separation, and longing.

As Ana explains, "It's very special because it's all about emotions and feelings. It needs no translation."

Ana was born in 1980, in Santarém, the bustling capital of the Ribatejo province in the center of Portugal's heartland on the Tejo River northeast of Lisbon.

The city of half a million souls is also one of Portugal's most historic cities -- an ideal place to develop an appreciation for fado. "I've been singing fado since I was little, because grew up listening to it at home," she recalls of her early home life. "My parents sang well, and at family gatherings, we all would sing."

Like young people everywhere, she soon developed an appreciation for other styles of music. The lure of singing fado, however, never waned. In her late teens, while sing pop and rock music with a local band, Ana always included at least one fado in each performance. Then, one night on a whim, about five years ago, she and some friends went to one of Lisbon's storied fado houses -- small performance venues where singers, guitarists and aficionados gather to worship the affecting style that's become Portugal's most important music export.

At the urging of her companions, she sang. "People liked me," she recalls of her first foray into a venerated bastion of the fado culture. Later that year, at a Christmas party that was attended by a lot of fadistas (fado singers) and guitarists, she sang again and, as fate would have it, noted fado vocalist Maria de Fe was in the audience and was duly impressed. "She asked me to sing at her fado house," Ana recalls of the fortuitous moment that launched her career.

"My life changed when I began going to the fado houses," Ana states today. "There's no microphone -- it's very intimate. New singers learn through a kind of apprenticeship, learning the intricacies of the style from the older, more established singers."

Before long, word of Ana's rich contralto, stunning looks and innate affinity for the demanding style spread, winning airtime on local television programs devoted to fado and rave reviews in Lisbon newspapers.

Ana has emerged as a leading voice of traditional fado just as the venerable idiom is enjoying a renaissance of popularity. "Today," she explains, "there's a new generation that sings lyrics related to our time. There are some older fado songs that we, the younger singers, cannot perform, because the lyrics are about a time and themes we don't identify with. We don't feel it, and fado is all about feelings. We must feel what we sing, and there are many older fados that don't belong to our generation. Younger singers use lyrics that speak of today, so young people have begun to get more interested in the music again."

As with jazz and country music in the U.S., tango in Argentina, samba in Brazil, fado sprang from the culture of working class people. And, as with the aforementioned examples, over the years the style evolved from humble origins to win broad appeal. Today, as Ana proudly proclaims, "In Portugal, fado is for everyone."

Like virtually every aspiring fadista, Ana drew early inspiration from the example of Amalia Rodrigues, the revered singer who most personified the style. "It was her soul and her voice," she comments of the late vocalist's singular imprint on the music. "She had everything in her. Some singers have a great voice by no soul, no intensity. Others have feeling but not a suitable voice. She had it all, and, she was a very good improviser."

Improvising is an under-appreciated part of the fado tradition. One technique, which Ana uses to great effect on the song "Lavava no rio lavava" (I Went to the River to Wash), is what the Portuguese term vocalisos -- the expression of words and effects through use of vocal trills. The practice is believed to have been absorbed over centuries of exposure to Spanish flamenco and Moorish styles.

A key track from her album exquisitely sums up the magnetic pull fado has exerted on Ana. "Sou do fado, sou fadista" (I belong to fado, I am a fadista) by her mentor and primary collaborator, guitarist Jorge Fernando, eloquently explains Ana's total surrender to the style:

"I know my soul has surrendered, taken my voice in hand, twisted in my chest and shown it to the world. And I have closed my eyes in a wistful longing to sing, to sing. And a voice sings to me softly, and a voice enchants me softly, I belong to fado, I belong to fado, I am a fadista."

Today, Ana Moura still thinks of how and where it all began, and of the importance of keeping those vital ties alive. "Before," she muses, "I used to sing in the fado house every day. Today, because of my concert schedule and travel, it's impossible. But, when time permits, I like to return. Sometimes I feel that I must go there. I need that."

(Adapted from a text by Cindy Byram)

Thank You
Ana Moura Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Thank you
For telling me lies
Thank you
For making me cry

Now I know I've got a heart
I've got a big bloody heart
I know

'Cause you sold it
And you broke it
And I thank you

Thank you
For leading me astray
And thank you
For every miserable day

Now you know I've got a heart
you've got a big bloody heart
I know
'Cause you gave it
And you took it away
And I thank you

I used to give the bum a dime
Now I tip ten bucks
I used to be a man of God
I wore him round my neck
Now I believe in
Good time and good luck
'Cause you were so bad
So thank you
For driving me mad

Now I know I've got a heart
I've got a big bloody heart
I know
'Cause you sold it
And you broke it
And I thank you

Thank You
Thank You
Thank You
Thank You

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ana Moura's "Thank You" express a sense of gratitude towards someone who has caused the singer great pain and hurt. The repetition of "thank you" throughout the song seems ironic at first, but upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the singer is expressing gratitude for the lessons learned and the newfound sense of self that arose from the experience of heartbreak. The lyrics "For telling me lies / For making me cry / Now I know I've got a heart" suggest that the pain caused by the other person ultimately helped the singer learn more about herself and her capacity for love.

The chorus, which consists of the repeated line "Now you know I've got a heart / you've got a big bloody heart / I know / 'cause you gave it / and you took it away / and I thank you," can be interpreted as a recognition that both the singer and the person who caused the pain are human beings capable of great love and great hurt. By acknowledging this, the singer is able to move on and find a new perspective on life.

Overall, Ana Moura's "Thank You" is a powerful and emotional ode to the transformative power of heartache. It encourages listeners to embrace the pain of heartbreak as an essential part of the human experience, and to find strength and growth in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

Thank you
Grateful acknowledgement of the experiences gained from the person being addressed.

For telling me lies
Acknowledgement of the deceitful behavior of the person being addressed, which led to the gain of knowledge and growth.

For making me cry
Acceptance of emotional pain resulting from the actions of the person being addressed, which has helped in recognizing the capacity to feel and empathize.

Now I know I've got a heart
Increased self-awareness of one's emotional capacity and sensitivity resulting from the experiences gained.

I've got a big bloody heart
Amplified understanding of the significant force of emotions within one's being, which has been revealed through the experiences gained.

I know
Self-realization of the emotional strength within oneself due to the experiences gained.

'Cause you sold it
Acknowledgment of the destructive effect of the person being addressed's actions on one's emotions.

And you broke it
Realization of the pain resulting from the person being addressed's actions, which had a devastating effect on one's emotional state.

And I thank you
Gratitude expressed for the painful experiences gained, which led to an increased understanding of one's emotional state.

For leading me astray
Acknowledgement of being misled by the person being addressed, which led to the eventual gain of knowledge and self-awareness.

And thank you
Grateful acknowledgement of the experiences that have been gained as a result of the person being addressed's actions.

For every miserable day
Acknowledgement of the emotional suffering endured due to the person being addressed's actions, which in turn led to the eventual gain of knowledge and growth.

You've got a big bloody heart
Acknowledgment of the strong emotional capacity of the person being addressed that affected their actions towards the singer.

'Cause you gave it
Acknowledgment of the power of the person being addressed's emotional capacity that led to the singer being affected.

And you took it away
Realization of the destruction caused by the person being addressed's emotional capacity, which led to emotional pain and loss.

I used to give the bum a dime
Recollection of past charitable behavior for those in need.

Now I tip ten bucks
Change in behavior due to the experiences gained, resulting in the singer increasing the amount of charitable giving.

I used to be a man of God
Recollection of past religious beliefs.

I wore him round my neck
Acknowledgment of open display of religious beliefs.

Now I believe in
Change in belief system due to the experiences gained, resulting in a new perspective on life and priorities.

Good time and good luck
Newfound belief in enjoying positive experiences and hoping for future success.

'Cause you were so bad
Attribution of the positive change in perspective to the person being addressed's negative actions, which led to the experiences gained.

So thank you
Grateful acknowledgment of the positive transformation in perspective achieved due to the person being addressed's negative actions.

For driving me mad
Acknowledgment of the mental stress experienced due to the person being addressed's negative actions that led to the eventual gain of knowledge and growth.

Thank You
Closing expression of gratitude.