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.
Sonhos Sonhos S
Chico Buarque Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sonhei que a neve fervia
Sonhei que ela corava
Quando me via
Sonhei que ao meio-dia
Havia intenso luar
E o povo se embevecia
Se empetecava João
Doentes do coração
Dançavam na enfermaria
E a beleza não fenecia
Belo e sereno era o som
Que lá no morro se ouvia
Eu sei que o sonho era bom
Porque ela sorria
Até quando chovia
Guris inertes no chão
Falavam de astronomia
E me jurava o diabo
Que Deus existia
De mão em mão o ladrão
Relógios distribuía
E a polícia já não batia
De noite raiava o sol
Que todo mundo aplaudia
Maconha só se comprava
Na tabacaria
Drogas na drogaria
Um passarinho espanhol
Cantava esta melodia
E com sotaque esta letra
De sua autoria
Sonhei que o fogo gelou
Sonhei que a neve fervia
E por sonhar o impossível, ai
Sonhei que tu me querias
Soñé que el fuego heló
Soñé que la nieve ardia
Why por soñar lo impossible, ay, ay
Soñe que tu me querias.
In Chico Buarque's song "Outros sonhos" (Other Dreams), the singer describes a series of surreal dreams he had. He dreamed that fire froze, that snow boiled, and that the woman he loved blushed when she saw him. He also imagined a world where the moon shone brightly at noon and people were enthralled by its beauty. The sick danced in the infirmary, and love never faded away. He heard the beautiful and serene sound of music from the hill, and everything felt perfect. Even when it rained, the girl smiled. In his dream, he talked to lifeless children about astronomy, and the devil swore to him that God existed. The dreams were so vivid that he dreamed that the impossible was possible, and she loved him.
Buarque's lyrics are poetic and enigmatic, leaving much to interpretation. Some interpret these dreams as a form of escapism, a way of dealing with the harsh realities of life by conjuring up a world where everything is beautiful and perfect. Others view it as a reflection of the singer's love and longing for a woman who is unattainable. The imagery in the song is vivid and surreal, evoking a sense of wonder and curiosity. The lyrics also speak to the power of dreams and imagination as a means of coping with life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Sonhei que o fogo gelou
I dreamed that fire froze
Sonhei que a neve fervia
I dreamed that snow boiled
Sonhei que ela corava
Quando me via
I dreamed that she blushed
When she saw me
Sonhei que ao meio-dia
Havia intenso luar
E o povo se embevecia
I dreamed that at noon
There was intense moonlight
And the people were entranced
Se empetecava João
Se impiriquitava Maria
Doentes do coração
Dançavam na enfermaria
E a beleza não fenecia
Joao spruced himself up
Maria decked herself out
People with heart disease
danced in the hospital
And beauty never faded
Belo e sereno era o som
Que lá no morro se ouvia
Eu sei que o sonho era bom
Porque ela sorria
Beautiful and serene was the sound
That was heard up there in the hill
I know the dream was good
Because she smiled
Até quando chovia
Guris inertes no chão
Falavam de astronomia
E me jurava o diabo
Que Deus existia
Even when it rained
Inert kids on the ground
Talked about astronomy
And the devil swore to me
That God existed
De mão em mão o ladrão
Relógios distribuía
E a polícia já não batia
From hand to hand the thief
Distributed watches
And the police no longer busted
De noite raiava o sol
Que todo mundo aplaudia
Maconha só se comprava
Na tabacaria
Drogas na drogaria
At night the sun was rising
And everyone applauded
Marijuana was only bought
At the tobacco shop
Drugs at the pharmacy
Um passarinho espanhol
Cantava esta melodia
E com sotaque esta letra
De sua autoria
A Spanish bird
Sang this melody
And with an accent, these lyrics
Of his own making
Sonhei que tu me querias
I dreamed that you wanted me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Poeta das Calçadas
Negras nuvens
Mordes meu ombro em plena turbulência
Aeromoça nervosa pede calma
Aliso teus seios e toco
Exaltado coração
Então despes a luva para eu ler-te a mão
E não tem linhas tua palma
Sei que é sonho
Incomodado estou, num corpo estranho
Com governantes da América Latina
Notando meu olhar ardente
Em longínqua direção
Julgam todos que avisto alguma salvação
Mas não, é a ti que vejo na colina
Qual esquina dobrei às cegas
E caí no Cairo, ou Lima, ou Calcutá
Que língua é essa em que despejo pragas
E a muralha ecoa
Em Lisboa
Faz algazarra a malta em meu castelo
Pálidos economistas pedem calma
Conduzo tua lisa mão
Por uma escada espiral
E no alto da torre exibo-te o varal
Onde balança ao léu minh'alma
Em Macau, Maputo, Meca, Bogotá
Que sonho é esse de que não se sai
E em que se vai trocando as pernas
E se cai e se levanta noutro sonho
Sei que é sonho
Não porque da varanda atiro pérolas
E a legião de famintos se engalfinha
Não porque voa nosso jato
Roçando catedrais
Mas porque na verdade não me queres mais
Aliás, nunca na vida foste minha
Stella SP
Duvido alguém amar essa música mais do que eu!
Stella SP
Não tem como, posso afirmar!
Tassio Freire
Eu. Faaaaaacil
Guilherme Lamas
kkkkkk
Odair Pinhal Junior
Eu!
Andre Martins
Letra fantástica, o Mestre Maior e sua poesia!
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