Francisco Buarque de Hollanda, better know as Chico Buarque, is a Brazilian… Read Full Bio ↴Francisco Buarque de Hollanda, better know as Chico Buarque, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer, playwright, writer and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, economic and cultural reflections on Brazil.

The firstborn son of Sérgio Buarque de Hollanda, Buarque lived at several locations throughout his childhood, though mostly in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Rome. He wrote and studied literature as a child and found music through the bossa nova compositions of Tom Jobim and João Gilberto. He performed as a singer and guitarist in the 1960s as well as writing a play that was deemed dangerous by the Brazilian military dictatorship of the time. Buarque, along with several Tropicalist and MPB musicians, was threatened by the Brazilian military government and eventually left Brazil for Italy in 1969. However, he came back to Brazil in 1970, and continued to record, perform, and write, though much of his material was suppressed by government censors. He released several more albums in the 1980s and published three novels in the 1990s and 2000s.

In 2019, Buarque was awarded the Camões Prize, the most important prize for literature in the Portuguese language.

Filosofia
Chico Buarque Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

O mundo me condena, e ninguém tem pena
Falando sempre mal do meu nome
Deixando de saber se eu vou morrer de sede
Ou se vou morrer de fome
Mas a filosofia hoje me auxilia
A viver indiferente assim
Nesta prontidão sem fim
Vou fingindo que sou rico

Pra ninguém zombar de mim
Não me incomodo que você me diga
Que a sociedade é minha inimiga
Pois cantando neste mundo
Vivo escravo do meu samba, muito embora vagabundo
Quanto a você da aristocracia
Que tem dinheiro, mas não compra alegria

Há de viver eternamente sendo escrava dessa gente
Que cultiva hipocrisia

Overall Meaning

In Chico Buarque's song Filosofia, the singer expresses the feeling of being condemned by the world and not receiving any pity from anyone. They comment on the way people talk badly about them, without knowing whether they will die of thirst or hunger. In the face of this, the singer finds comfort in philosophy, which helps them to live indifferently, always ready to pretend they are rich so that nobody will make fun of them. Despite being mocked by society, the singer states that they are a slave to their samba, even though they are a vagabond.

The song portrays the struggle of the less privileged in society who are marginalized and ridiculed. It touches on the issues of poverty, hunger, and social inequality, which create a sense of inferiority and a lack of self-worth. The singer, however, finds solace in philosophy and their passion for samba, which represents a form of resistance against the oppressors. The song's lyrics further suggest a sense of hopelessness that some may feel when facing societal obstacles, but also imply strength in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

O mundo me condena, e ninguém tem pena
I feel like the world judges me harshly without any compassion

Falando sempre mal do meu nome
People are always speaking ill of me

Deixando de saber se eu vou morrer de sede
They don't care if I die of thirst

Ou se vou morrer de fome
Or if I die of hunger

Mas a filosofia hoje me auxilia
However, philosophy helps me cope

A viver indiferente assim
And live apathetically

Nesta prontidão sem fim
In this never-ending readiness

Vou fingindo que sou rico
I pretend to be wealthy

Pra ninguém zombar de mim
So that no one will make fun of me

Não me incomodo que você me diga
I don't mind if you tell me

Que a sociedade é minha inimiga
That society is against me