Vai Passar
Chico Buarque/Cd Perfil Lyrics
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Nessa avenida um samba
Popular
Cada paralelepípedo
Da velha cidade
Essa noite vai
Se arrepiar
Ao lembrar
Sambas imortais
Que aqui sangraram pelos
Nossos pés
Que aqui sambaram
Nossos ancestrais
Num tempo
Página infeliz da nossa
História
Passagem desbotada na
Memória
Das nossas novas
Gerações
Dormia
A nossa pátria mãe tão
Distraída
Sem perceber que era
Subtraída
Em tenebrosas
Transações
Seus filhos
Erravam cegos pelo
Continente
Levavam pedras feito
Penitentes
Erguendo estranhas
Catedrais
E um dia, afinal
Tinham direito a uma
Alegria fugaz
Uma ofegante epidemia
Que se chamava carnaval
O carnaval, o carnaval
(Vai passar)
Palmas pra ala dos
Barões famintos
O bloco dos napoleões
Retintos
E os pigmeus do bulevar
Meu Deus, vem olhar
Vem ver de perto uma
Cidade a cantar
A evolução da liberdade
Até o dia clarear
Ai, que vida boa, olerê
Ai, que vida boa, olará
O estandarte do sanatório
Geral vai passar
Ai, que vida boa, olerê
Ai, que vida boa, olará
O estandarte do sanatório
Geral
Vai passar
The lyrics of Chico Buarque's "Vai Passar" are rich with symbolism about the historical struggles of Brazil, represented by the juxtaposition of the joy and color of Carnival with the dark history of colonization and slavery. The song begins by describing how the streets come alive with a popular samba, reminding us of the many other great sambas that have been played here before. The streets themselves, represented by the "each paving stone" or "parallelpiped of the old city," have seen great pain and fought for freedom, as as sambas have been played and ancestors have danced.
The following verse describes a darker time in Brazilian history, referred to as "an unhappy page of our history" and a "faded memory". Here Buarque alludes to the fact that while their ancestors fought and died for freedom, the current generation's attention to this history is lacking. Colonialism and the horrors of the slave trade are also alluded to, as "their children" wander the continent "carrying stones like penitents" while "erecting strange cathedrals." Then the song makes a shift, referencing the right of the people to take time out from their struggles for a brief moment of joy, represented by the brevity of the carnival.
This is followed by a chorus of celebration, the streets filled with people singing, dancing and waving flags to the sound of samba. The chorus can be described as a tribute to the power of party and dance in bringing people together, and in the history of Brazil, that unity was significant during the struggle for independence.
Overall, the song "Vai Passar" represents the Brazilian people’s hope and their struggle for freedom, using the metaphor of the Carnival to illustrate how even in the darkest of times, the people can come together and celebrate life.
Line by Line Meaning
Vai passar
The difficult times will eventually pass
Nessa avenida um samba
On this street, there will be a lively samba
Popular
Loved by the people
Cada paralelepípedo
Every cobblestone
Da velha cidade
Of this old city
Essa noite vai
Tonight, it will
Se arrepiar
Shiver
Ao lembrar
Remembering
Que aqui passaram
Immortal sambas passed through here
Sambas imortais
Timeless sambas
Que aqui sangraram pelos nossos pés
That bled through our feet
Que aqui sambaram nossos ancestrais
That our ancestors danced to
Num tempo
In a time
Página infeliz da nossa história
An unhappy page of our history
Passagem desbotada na memória
Faded memory passage
Das nossas novas gerações
In our new generations
Dormia
Slept
A nossa pátria mãe tão distraída
Our motherland was so distracted
Sem perceber que era subtraída
Unaware that it was being subtracted
Em tenebrosas transações
In dark transactions
Seus filhos
Her children
Erravam cegos pelo continente
Wandered blindly through the continent
Levavam pedras feito penitentes
Carrying stones like penitents
Erguendo estranhas catedrais
Raising strange cathedrals
E um dia, afinal
And one day, finally
Tinham direito a uma alegria fugaz
They had the right to a fleeting joy
Uma ofegante epidemia que se chamava carnaval
A breathless epidemic called Carnival
O carnaval, o carnaval (Vai passar)
Carnival, Carnival (It will pass)
Palmas pra ala dos barões famintos
Applause for the hungry barons
O bloco dos napoleões retintos
The block of dark-skinned Napoleons
E os pigmeus do bulevar
And the pygmies of the boulevard
Meu Deus, vem olhar
My God, come and look
Vem ver de perto uma cidade a cantar
Come see up close a city singing
A evolução da liberdade
The evolution of freedom
Até o dia clarear
Until the day dawns
Ai, que vida boa, olerê
Oh, what a good life, Olerê
Ai, que vida boa, olará
Oh, what a good life, Olará
O estandarte do sanatório geral vai passar
The banner of the general sanatorium will pass
Ai, que vida boa, olerê
Oh, what a good life, Olerê
Ai, que vida boa, olará
Oh, what a good life, Olará
O estandarte do sanatório geral vai passar
The banner of the general sanatorium will pass
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Chico Buarque, Francis Victor Walter Hime
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alexsouza Souza
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