Brazilian Girls' music incorporates bits of reggae, electronica, jazz, boss… Read Full Bio ↴Brazilian Girls' music incorporates bits of reggae, electronica, jazz, bossa nova, and various other influences. Despite their name, no one in the band is Brazilian.

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.

ships in the
Brazilian Girls Lyrics

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Now that your leave is over
Let's down our drinks and say goodnight
To this illusion
Bell-bottom Casanova
The silhouettes that pass us by
Are ships in the night
Ships in the night, in the night, in the night

When you alight, mein Lieber
Whether its Hamburg or New york
I'll still be sleeping
Look in your wallet all you'll find
A little note I've left behind
Oh, I hope you don't mind
We're Ships in the night

Ships in the night
Ships in the night

Overall Meaning

The song "Ships in the Night" by Brazilian Girls tells the story of two people who are enjoying each other's company for a brief moment in time. The lyrics paint a picture of a fleeting connection between two individuals who must part ways. The phrase "Ships in the night" is used as a metaphor for this passing encounter, where two people cross paths for a moment, but ultimately continue their journeys separately.

The first verse describes how the evening is coming to an end and how the two people must say goodbye to each other. The phrase "Bell-bottom Casanova" suggests that the singer is addressing someone who is a bit of a ladies' man or a smooth talker. The second verse refers to the fact that the two people will soon be separated by distance, with one person alighting in Hamburg or New York. The line "I'll still be sleeping" suggests that the singer is not bothered by this fact and sees the encounter as just a fleeting moment in time. The use of the phrase "Ships in the night" ties these two verses together, emphasizing the idea that this is a brief and passing encounter.

Overall, "Ships in the Night" is a song about enjoying the moment and not getting too attached to people or situations. It speaks to the impermanence of life and relationships, and the importance of living in the present.

Line by Line Meaning

Now that your leave is over
As your time with me comes to an end

Let's down our drinks and say goodnight
Let's finish our drinks and bid a farewell

To this illusion
To this temporary joy we shared

Bell-bottom Casanova
Referring to a man who is a smooth talker and dresses flamboyantly

The silhouettes that pass us by
The people who walk past us, whose identities we don't know

Are ships in the night
They are strangers, just like us passing by

When you alight, mein Lieber
When you depart, my dear

Whether its Hamburg or New york
No matter where you go

I'll still be sleeping
I'll be oblivious to your departure

Look in your wallet all you'll find
If you search your wallet, there's something left behind by me

A little note I've left behind
A small message from me