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.
Romance
Chico Buarque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vou te reter pra sempre
Na minha idéia
No teu lugar, talvez
Fique alguma tonta, uma dublê
Uma mulher alheia
Na minha idéia
És a pessoa
Com todas as canções
Os momentos bons
E as horas más
Que a memória coa
Nas horas à toa
As vezes ando a cismar
Serei eu mesmo
Este cantor confuso
Que te rodeia
Ou estarei feliz
Sendo eternamente o que já fui
Dentro da tua idéia
The lyrics of Chico Buarque's song "Romance" explore the idea of capturing someone in one's mind and preserving their memory forever. The first stanza begins with the line "Te sequestrei" which translates to "I kidnapped you" in English. This line sets a tone of possession and control, reflecting the idea of capturing someone's essence in one's own mind. The lyrics go on to say that the singer intends to keep this person in their thoughts forever, and that in this person's place, there may be someone else, but they will never replace the original.
The second stanza continues with this idea and expands upon it. The singer says that in their mind, this person lives fully, as if they were still alive and present in their life. They are the focus of the singer's attention, and everything they do and say is imbued with meaning and significance. The singer remembers not only the good times but also the bad, because they believe that all of these moments define this person's character and personality. The final stanza is introspective and contemplative. The singer wonders whether they will always be the same confused and uncertain person who is writing this song, or whether they will find happiness in being forever captured in this person's mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Te sequestrei
I have kidnapped you
Vou te reter pra sempre
I will keep you forever
Na minha idéia
In my mind
No teu lugar, talvez
In your place, maybe
Fique alguma tonta, uma dublê
Someone else, a stand-in
Uma mulher alheia
A woman who is not you
Vives plenamente
You live fully
És a pessoa
You are the person
Com todas as canções
With all the songs
Os momentos bons
The good moments
E as horas más
And the bad hours
Que a memória coa
That memory sifts through
Nas horas à toa
In idle moments
As vezes ando a cismar
Sometimes I think
Serei eu mesmo
Will I be myself?
Este cantor confuso
This confused singer
Que te rodeia
Who surrounds you
Ou estarei feliz
Or will I be happy
Sendo eternamente o que já fui
Being forever who I once was
Dentro da tua idéia
Inside your mind
Contributed by Adam L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Poeta das Calçadas
Te sequestrei
Vou te reter pra sempre
Na minha ideia
No teu lugar, talvez
Fique alguma tonta, uma dublê
Uma mulher alheia
Na minha ideia
Vives plenamente
És a pessoa
Com todas as canções
Os momentos bons
E as horas más
Que a memória coa
Nas horas à toa
Às vezes ando a cismar
Serei eu mesmo
Este cantor confuso
Que te rodeia
Ou estarei feliz
Sendo eternamente o que já fui
Dentro da tua ideia
Poeta das Calçadas
Uma das favoritas de toda vida ❤️
Abel Alencar
Disco de letras mais metafísicas de Chico
venussmoderna
Eu amei tanto essa música 💓😍
Poeta das Calçadas
😍❤️
Poeta das Calçadas
Quanta lindeza! <3
venussmoderna
Poesia pura💞
Poeta das Calçadas
<3