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.
Pois é
Chico Buarque Lyrics
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Fica o dito e o redito por não dito
E é difícil dizer que foi bonito
É inútil cantar o que perdi
Taí
Nosso mais-que-perfeito está desfeito
E o que me parecia tão direito
Então
Disfarçar minha dor eu não consigo
Dizer: somos sempre bons amigos
É muita mentira para mim
Enfim
Hoje na solidão ainda custo
A entender como o amor foi tão injusto
Pra quem só lhe foi dedicação
Pois é, e então...
The lyrics of Chico Buarque's song "Pois é" convey a sense of disappointment and regret after a romantic relationship has come to an end. The opening lines suggest that there were things left unsaid, and that it's difficult to acknowledge that the relationship was beautiful. Despite the urge to sing about what was lost, the singer concludes that it's pointless to do so. The repetition of "Pois é" throughout the song emphasizes this resignation to the situation.
The second verse reflects on the singer's sense of betrayal as the relationship ended in a way that felt unfair. The use of the "mais-que-perfeito" tense (a grammatical tense in Portuguese representing a past action that has been completed and perfected) implies that the singer believed their love was perfect, but it has now become undone. The phrase "sem perdão" (without forgiveness) suggests that the singer feels wronged and that there is no way to reconcile what has been lost.
The final verse reveals the singer's struggle to move on and come to terms with the end of the relationship. They cannot disguise their pain or claim to be just friends with the person they loved. The word "enfim" (finally) implies that despite the time that has passed, the singer remains heartbroken and is still trying to understand why their love was not reciprocated.
Overall, "Pois é" is a deeply emotional and introspective song that captures the heartache of a failed relationship. The repetition of "Pois é" throughout the song emphasizes the sense of resignation and acceptance of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Pois é
Well, here we are
Fica o dito e o redito por não dito
Words left unsaid are as good as lost
E é difícil dizer que foi bonito
And it's hard to say it was beautiful
É inútil cantar o que perdi
It's no use singing about what I've lost
Taí
There you have it
Nosso mais-que-perfeito está desfeito
Our past perfect is no more
E o que me parecia tão direito
And what seemed so right to me
Caiu desse jeito sem perdão
Fell apart without mercy
Então
So
Disfarçar minha dor eu não consigo
I can't hide my pain
Dizer: somos sempre bons amigos
Saying we're still good friends is a lie
É muita mentira para mim
It's too much of a lie for me
Enfim
Finally
Hoje na solidão ainda custo
Today, in solitude, it still hurts
A entender como o amor foi tão injusto
To understand how love could be so unfair
Pra quem só lhe foi dedicação
To someone who only gave it dedication
Writer(s): Francisco Buarque de Hollanda, Antonio Carlos Jobim Copyright: Cara Nova Ed. Musical Ltda
Contributed by Jordan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.