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.
Rubato
Chico Buarque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Venha, Aurora, ouvir agora
A nossa música
Depressa, antes que um outro compositor
Me roube e toque e troque as notas no song book
E estrague tudo e exponha na televisão
O nosso amor
A nossa íntima canção
Nos trinados de um ladrão
Que vai cantando sem pudor
A minha última canção
Venha, meu amor, venha ouvir, Aurora
A nossa música
Mas só se for agora
Venha ouvir sem mais demora
A nossa música
Que estou roubando de outro compositor
E já retoco os versos com maior talento
Dou um polimento e exponho na televisão
O nosso amor
A nossa íntima canção
As nossas mais tórridas confidências
Para audiências mundo afora
E vai lançar seu nome, Amora
A minha última canção
Venha, meu amor, venha ouvir, Amora
A nossa música
O nosso amor
A nossa íntima canção
Com nossos segredos, os mais picantes
Nos rompantes de um tenor
Que vai cantando com tremor
A minha última canção
Venha, meu amor, venha ouvir, Teodora
A nossa música
In Chico Buarque's song "Rubato," the singer pleads with his lover, “Aurora,” to listen to their song before another composer steals it, plays it, and ruins it on television. The singer frets over the exposure of their intimate love affair and secrets to the world. He wants their love to remain a secret but cannot help the urge to share it with the world. In the second verse, the singer confesses to the theft of another composer's song, but with his own additions, he exposes their lurid confidences to the world. The singer gives the new piece the name "Amora" and longs for his lover's, now called "Teodora," approval of the new production.
As the title suggests, “Rubato,” is a musical term that means the displacement of strict time played with a certain degree of freedom. The lyrics of Chico Buarque's song play with the theme of the title. The composer's dilemma between creating something new versus borrowing and changing what already exists is expressed beautifully through the lingo of the musical concept "rubato."
Interestingly, the name "Aurora" is derived from the Roman goddess of dawn. The name has become symbolic of the beginning, the dawn of things, and the first light of a new day. In the song, Aurora represents a new and fresh start, an opportunity to create something beautiful, but there is a sense that this opportunity might be missed if he does not act fast.
Line by Line Meaning
Aurora, eu fiz agora
Addressing someone named Aurora, I have just finished creating something
Venha, Aurora, ouvir agora
Come, Aurora, listen now
A nossa música
Our music
Depressa, antes que um outro compositor
Quickly, before another composer
Me roube e toque e troque as notas no song book
Steals from me and plays and changes the notes in the songbook
E estrague tudo e exponha na televisão
And ruins everything and exposes it on television
O nosso amor
Our love
A nossa íntima canção
Our intimate song
Os nossos segredos escancarados
Our secrets out in the open
Nos trinados de um ladrão
In the trills of a thief
Que vai cantando sem pudor
Who sings shamelessly
A minha última canção
My last song
Venha, meu amor, venha ouvir, Aurora
Come, my love, come listen, Aurora
Mas só se for agora
But only if it's now
Venha ouvir sem mais demora
Come listen without delay
Que estou roubando de outro compositor
That I am stealing from another composer
E já retoco os versos com maior talento
And already touching up the verses with greater skill
Dou um polimento e exponho na televisão
Give it a polish and expose it on television
As nossas mais tórridas confidências
Our most scorching confidences
Para audiências mundo afora
For audiences around the world
E vai lançar seu nome, Amora
And launch your name, Amora
Venha, meu amor, venha ouvir, Amora
Come, my love, come listen, Amora
Com nossos segredos, os mais picantes
With our spiciest secrets
Nos rompantes de um tenor
In the outbursts of a tenor
Que vai cantando com tremor
Who sings with a tremor
Venha, meu amor, venha ouvir, Teodora
Come, my love, come listen, Teodora
Contributed by Jeremiah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Joubert1963
Jorge Helder compôs a música e Chico colocou a letra. Quando dois talentos se encontram!!!!
@abcr456rtrsds
Todos ficam elogiando o Chico, O cara que fez os arranjos e os músicos merecem metade dos elogios !!! Muito Foda !!
@lucifle
E principalmente o cara que fez a música:Jorge Hélder, também merece ser creditado( além de ser o contrabaixista).
@Bachloverable
De la même facture que le merveilleux Bolero Blues. Belle collaboration avec Mister Helder, j'adore!
@TheValeriedc
cada vez paixão de infância cresce!!! Amo Chico
@fernandoforni2717
Que arranjo lindo!
@guisccp99
A sonoridade dessa letra é uma perfeição
@sab1623
Linda música ...e Chico lindo como sempre !!!!!
@joseozenandasilva9382
Genial, Ela foi roubada e cada compositor colocou o nome da sua amada. 👏🏼👏🏼
@ppjs1
Quem é esse violonista??? Que maravilha de música!!!!