madalena
Brazzaville Lyrics


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Walking through the streets of Amsterdam
Half a pack of kreteks in my hand
The rain smells like a woman
That I knew long ago
And I hope she's happy
Hope she's doin' grand

The cyclones never seem to get this far
They die out off the shores of Zanzibar
And at night I watch the storm clouds
Lighting up the sea
And I wonder if she ever thinks of me

Madalena
There's something in the way you held me
But there's not much left
To hold onto anymore

I'm older now
My hair is turning gray
A fixture at this crumbling cafй
And I'm haunted by the memories
Of the man I used to be
'Cause he took your love
And threw it all away





And Madalena...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Madalena" by Brazzaville describe the thoughts and feelings of a person walking through the streets of Amsterdam with half a pack of kreteks in hand. The rain reminds the singer of a woman from his past, and he hopes that she is doing well. The song also touches on the idea of nature's power and how storms seem to die out before reaching certain areas like Zanzibar. The singer watches the storm clouds light up the sea at night and wonders if his former lover ever thinks of him. The chorus mentions Madalena, and how there was something in the way she held him, but there is not much left to hold onto anymore. The singer has aged and seems to frequent a crumbling cafe where he is haunted by memories of the man he used to be. This man took Madalena's love and threw it all away.


The lyrics of "Madalena" evoke a sense of melancholy and reflection, with the singer contemplating his past mistakes and lost love. The song touches on themes of regret, aging, and the passage of time. The use of vivid imagery, such as the rain smelling like a woman and the storm clouds lighting up the sea, adds to the emotional depth of the song. The chorus, with its repetition of Madalena's name, emphasizes the singer's longing for his past love, while the final verse highlights the sense of guilt and remorse that he feels over his past actions.


Line by Line Meaning

Walking through the streets of Amsterdam
The singer is roaming the streets of Amsterdam.


Half a pack of kreteks in my hand
He has a pack of Kreteks, a type of cigarette, in his hand.


The rain smells like a woman
The scent of the rain reminds him of a woman.


That I knew long ago
He knew this woman a long time ago.


And I hope she's happy
He wishes that the woman is happy in life.


Hope she's doin' grand
He hopes that the woman is doing well in life.


The cyclones never seem to get this far
Cyclones do not reach Amsterdam.


They die out off the shores of Zanzibar
Cyclones die out near the shores of Zanzibar.


And at night I watch the storm clouds
He watches the storm clouds at night.


Lighting up the sea
The storm clouds light up the sea.


And I wonder if she ever thinks of me
He is curious if the woman he is reminiscing ever thinks of him too.


Madalena
The name of the woman he is thinking of is Madalena.


There's something in the way you held me
The way Madalena held him left a lasting impression on him.


But there's not much left
Time has passed and the feelings have faded.


To hold onto anymore
There is nothing left to hold onto from their past relationship.


I'm older now
The singer is older now.


My hair is turning gray
He is getting older, graying hair being a sign of it.


A fixture at this crumbling cafй
He is a regular at a café which is slowly deteriorating.


And I'm haunted by the memories
His memories of Madalena keep haunting him.


Of the man I used to be
He recalls the person he was when he was with Madalena.


'Cause he took your love
He acknowledges that he was the reason their relationship failed.


And threw it all away
He threw away their love and relationship and now regrets it.




Contributed by Levi M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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