The sexy/quirky/mysterious Brazilian Girls were three men -- Didi Gutman (from Argentina) on keyboards and computers, Jesse Murphy on bass, and Aaron Johnston on drums -- and one woman, Sabina Sciubba, the vocalist. Sciubba often enjoys wearing lacy eye masks on-stage and sings in no fewer than five different languages. She was born in Rome but grew up in Nice and Munich before settling in Brooklyn, NY. She first came to record buyers' attention when she recorded two jazz albums -- You Don't Know What Love Is with pianist Chris Anderson and Meet Me in London with guitarist Antonio Forcione -- for the English audiophile label Naim. She described her meeting with the men of Brazilian Girls as "love at first sight and it moved as fast as the Autobahn." Falling into the new, playful downtown scene that was revolving around the Nublu club helped speed the band's success.
Like-minded bands like Wax Poetic and the Nublu Orchestra had made the club the hip spot 2004 for adventurous pop fans and Brazilian Girls' freeform, bouncy kind of jamming fit right in. Soon they had the Saturday night slot at Nublu, and the East Village press had fallen in love with them. Murphy and Johnston made appearances on John Zorn's 2003 album Voices in the Wilderness and every Brazilian Girl contributed to Wax Poetic's sophomore release, the Nublu Sessions, the same year. The Verve Company became interested in the band around this time, thinking them perfect for the more pop and progressive imprint Verve Forecast. In 2004 the label released the Lazy Lover (EP), which included the title track -- a chillout room favorite -- in its original form and in a remix by the quirky house producer Herbert. The group's self-titled, full-length debut Brazilian Girls hit the streets in early 2005. (allmusic.com, 02/06) The band's second album, Talk to La Bomb, was released in September 2006 by Verve Forecast, to mixed reviews.
In 2008, the band released a third album "New York City" - also to mixed reviews. In the interim, singer Sciubba returned to France and had a child. Unfortunately, the band announced in January 2011 that they had broken up.
Tourist Trap
Brazilian Girls Lyrics
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Peeing into the ocean
Lalallalallala (Passing out in the disco)
Peeling off.
Losing at the casino
Drinking wine and tequila
Lallallallaaaala (Losing at the Casino)
Drop the kids off at school
Putting on after-lotion
Lallallaalala (Sending for a martini)
Dozing off.
Waking up in a daze
Argueing with mosquitos
Lallallaalalalaaa
Pissed off.
Tourist Trap
Save the dollar, mama
Take the picture and run
Losen the collar, papa
This could be so much fun
Trickle trickle dollar
Take the picture and run
Platinum and golden
Burn your skin in the sun
Lallallalaala
Here we are
Lallalalalala
Like the stars
The song "Tourist Trap" by Brazilian Girls is a commentary on the hedonistic vacationing culture that exists in many popular tourist destinations. The song is broken up into different verses that describe different activities that tourists engage in, such as piling up at the pool, losing at the casino, and drinking wine and tequila. The chorus of the song, "Save the dollar, mama, take the picture and run," encourages tourists to prioritize capturing the moment instead of truly experiencing it. The repetition of the phrase "lalalala" throughout the song creates a sense of carefree, reckless abandon.
The lyrics of the song criticize the superficiality of vacationing culture and the way that tourists often prioritize partying and material possessions over deeper experiences. The line "burn your skin in the sun" suggests that tourists will do whatever it takes to have a good time, even if it means purposely harming their bodies. The final line of the song, "Like the stars," suggests that tourists see themselves as glamorous and powerful, even though they are simply passing through and leaving a temporary mark.
Overall, "Tourist Trap" is a commentary on the way that consumerism and instant gratification have infiltrated the vacationing experience. The song encourages listeners to think critically about what they prioritize when they travel and to consider ways to engage more deeply with the local culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Piling up at the pool
Crowding together beside the swimming pool
Peeing into the ocean
Urinating in the sea
Lalallalallala (Passing out in the disco)
Becoming unconscious in the nightclub
Peeling off.
Taking off clothes or sunburned skin
Losing at the casino
Failing to win money in the gambling premises
Drinking wine and tequila
Consuming alcoholic beverages made from grapes and agave
Lallallallaaaala (Losing at the Casino)
Singing while losing at the casino
Throwing up.
Vomiting due to excessive alcohol or physical distress
Drop the kids off at school
Dropping off children at school
Putting on after-lotion
Applying lotion after exposure to sunlight
Lallallaalala (Sending for a martini)
Ordering a martini in a song
Dozing off.
Falling asleep
Waking up in a daze
Regaining consciousness in a confused state
Argueing with mosquitos
Having an argument with mosquitoes buzzing around
Lallallaalalalaaa
Singing joyously without pronouncing words
Pissed off.
Angry or annoyed
Save the dollar, mama
Saving the money earned with difficulty
Take the picture and run
Quickly taking photos and departing
Losen the collar, papa
Relaxing and letting the guard down
This could be so much fun
This has the potential to become highly enjoyable
Trickle trickle dollar
Slow, steady stream of money or spending
Platinum and golden
Precious metals and shiny colors
Burn your skin in the sun
Suffering sunburn or heatstroke due to excess exposure to sunlight
Lallallalaala
Singing merrily
Here we are
We have arrived at our destination
Lallalalalala
Singing joyously without meaning
Like the stars
Radiant and sparkling like heavenly bodies
Lyrics Š Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: AARON JOHNSTON, BARRY REYNOLDS, DIDI GUTMAN, JESSE YUSEF MURPHY, SABINA SCIUBBA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind