Corcovado
Antônio Carlos Jobim and Elis Regina Lyrics
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Este amor, uma canção
Pra fazer feliz a quem se ama
Muita calma pra pensar
E ter tempo pra sonhar
Da janela vê-se o Corcovado
Quero a vida sempre assim com você perto de mim
Até o apagar da velha chama
E eu que era triste
Descrente deste mundo
Ao encontrar você eu conheci
O que é felicidade meu amor
O que é felicidade, o que é felicidade
The lyrics to Antonio Carlos Jobim's song Corcovado evoke a sense of romance and contentment. The first two lines, "Um cantinho e um violão / Este amor, uma canção," suggest a simple, intimate setting of just a guitar and the singer's love, who is being serenaded. The lyrics go on to express the desire to make the loved one happy, with the line "Pra fazer feliz a quem se ama" translating to "To make the one we love happy."
The chorus continues with "Muita calma pra pensar / E ter tempo pra sonhar," which means "Much calm to think / And have time to dream." This idea of taking things slow and enjoying the present moment is reinforced in the line "Quero a vida sempre assim com você perto de mim," meaning "I want life always like this with you near me."
The section about seeing the Corcovado mountain and the Christ the Redeemer statue, "Da janela vê-se o Corcovado / O Redentor que lindo," provides a beautiful backdrop to the couple's love story. The final lines express the transformative power of love, with the singer admitting that before meeting the beloved, they were "triste / Descrente deste mundo," or sad and disbelieving in the world. However, "Ao encontrar você eu conheci / O que é felicidade meu amor" translates to "Upon finding you, I learned / What happiness, my love, really is."
Overall, the lyrics to Corcovado are a celebration of love and the simple pleasures in life. The song is often regarded as a quintessential example of Brazilian bossa nova, and its gentle melody and poetic lyrics have made it a beloved classic around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Um cantinho e um violão
A peaceful place with a guitar
Este amor, uma canção
Our love is a beautiful song
Pra fazer feliz a quem se ama
To make the one we love happy
Muita calma pra pensar
We need calm to think
E ter tempo pra sonhar
And time to dream
Da janela vê-se o Corcovado
From the window, we can see the Corcovado
O Redentor que lindo
The beautiful Redeemer statue
Quero a vida sempre assim com você perto de mim
I want to spend my life with you close to me
Até o apagar da velha chama
Until the flame of our love fades
E eu que era triste
I was so sad
Descrente deste mundo
With no faith in this world
Ao encontrar você eu conheci
But when I met you, I found
O que é felicidade meu amor
What true happiness is, my love
O que é felicidade, o que é felicidade
What true happiness is, what true happiness is
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTONIO CARLOS BRASILEIRO DE A JOBIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind