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.

Samba de Orly
Chico Buarque Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Vai, meu irmão
Pega esse avião
Você tem razão
De correr assim desse frio
Mas beija meu Rio de Janeiro
Antes que um aventureiro
Lance mão

Pede perdão
Pela duração dessa temporada
Mas não diga nada que me viu chorando
E pros da pesada diz que eu vou levando
Vê como é que anda aquela vida à toa
E se puder me manda uma notícia boa

Vai, meu irmão
Pega esse avião
Você tem razão
De correr assim desse frio
Mas beija meu Rio de Janeiro
Antes que um aventureiro
Lance mão

Pede perdão
Pela duração dessa temporada
Mas não diga nada que me viu chorando
E pros da pesada diz que eu vou levando
Vê como é que anda aquela vida à toa
E se puder me manda uma notícia boa

Vai, meu irmão
Pega esse avião
Você tem razão
Olha não diga nada que me viu chorando
E pros da pesada diz que eu vou levando

Pede perdão
Pela duração dessa temporada

Pra ver como é que anda aquela vida à toa
E se puder me manda uma notícia boa

Overall Meaning

The song "Samba De Orly" by Chico Buarque is a touching tribute to the city of Rio de Janeiro, which the singer is bidding farewell to a loved one who is leaving for an unknown destination. The lyrics convey feelings of sadness and longing for a city that is always close to his heart. The singer pleads with his brother to take care of himself and to embrace the warmth of the city, expressing his fear that someone else might take his place as the city's lover. His brother is urged to seek forgiveness for the length of their visit and to avoid mentioning the singer's tears. Instead, he is to report back to the "pros da pesada" (heavy hitters) how the city is faring while also sharing some good news with the singer.

The lyrics reflect the deep affection that Brazilians have for their country's largest city, Rio de Janeiro. The writer, Chico Buarque, is considered one of Brazil's greatest songwriters and has penned many songs that address sensitive issues such as social inequality, human rights, and political oppression. "Samba De Orly" is just one of his many compositions, but it remains a fan favorite and an essential part of Brazil's musical legacy.

Line by Line Meaning

Vai, meu irmão
Go, my brother

Pega esse avião
Catch that plane

Você tem razão
You are right

De correr assim desse frio
To run away from this cold

Mas beija meu Rio de Janeiro
But kiss my Rio de Janeiro

Antes que um aventureiro
Before a adventurer

Lance mão
Seize it

Pede perdão
Ask for forgiveness

Pela duração dessa temporada
For the duration of this season

Mas não diga nada que me viu chorando
But don't say you saw me crying

E pros da pesada diz que eu vou levando
And tell the heavy weights that I'm carrying on