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.

Televisão
Chico Buarque Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

O homem da rua Fica só por teimosia Não encontra companhia
Mas pra casa não vai não Em casa a roda
Já mudou, que a moda muda A roda é triste, a roda é muda
Em volta lá da televisão
No céu a lua surge grande e muito proas
Dá uma volta graciosa pra chamar as atenções
O homem da rua Que da lua está distante
Por ser nego bem-falante Fala só com seus botões

O homem da rua Com seu tamborim calado Já pode esperar sentado
Sua escola não vem não A sua gente
Está aprendendo humildemente um batuque diferente
Que vem lá da televisão
No céu a lua que não estava no programa
Cheia e nua, chega e chama pra mostrar evoluções
O homem da rua Não percebe o seu chamego
E por falta d nego samba só com seus botões

Os namorados Já dispensam seu namoro Quem quer riso, quem quer choro
Não faz mais esforço não e a própria vida
Ainda vai sentar sentida vendo a vida mais vivida
Que vem lá da televisão
O homem da rua Por ser nego conformado
Deixa a lua ali de lado e vai ligar os seus botões

No céu a lua encabulada e já minguando numa nuvem se ocultando
Vai de volta pros sertões

Overall Meaning

In "Televisão," Brazilian musician and writer Chico Buarque explores the impact of television on the people of the streets. The first stanza describes how people on the streets, who are usually isolated and seeking company, find themselves gathered around televisions inside their homes. The image of a silent drum in the second stanza represents the diminishing voice of those who are not part of the new cultural trends. These people are unable to keep up with the new music or find a partner who shares their desire for something more meaningful than the shallow emotions portrayed on TV. The image of the moon in the third stanza serves as a metaphor for those who are left out of the cultural change, while the image of the switch being turned off at the end of the song signifies the end of their dreams, passions, and the little hope they previously had for their own lives.

Overall, "Televisão" is a poignant commentary on the cultural shift brought about by the rise of television in the 1970s, and its impact on society. It emphasizes the homogenization of culture and the loss of real connection between people. Through its lyrics, "Televisão" presents a critique of the power of media in shaping culture and our personal desires.

Line by Line Meaning

O homem da rua Fica só por teimosia Não encontra companhia
The man on the street stubbornly stays alone, unable to find company

Mas pra casa não vai não Em casa a roda Já mudou, que a moda muda A roda é triste, a roda é muda Em volta lá da televisão
But he won't go home, the social circle at his house has already changed and trends change quickly. The circle is sad and silent around the television

No céu a lua surge grande e muito proas Dá uma volta graciosa pra chamar as atenções
The moon appears large in the sky and elegantly moves to gain attention

O homem da rua Que da lua está distante Por ser nego bem-falante Fala só com seus botões
The man on the street is distant from the moon and because he is well-spoken to himself, he talks to his buttons instead

O homem da rua Com seu tamborim calado Já pode esperar sentado Sua escola não vem não A sua gente Está aprendendo humildemente um batuque diferente Que vem lá da televisão
The man on the street, with his drum silenced, can wait sitting as his school or people won't come. They are humbly learning a different drumbeat from the television

No céu a lua que não estava no programa Cheia e nua, chega e chama pra mostrar evoluções
The moon, not in the program, arrives full and naked, and calls attention to show progress

O homem da rua Não percebe o seu chamego E por falta d nego samba só com seus botões
The man on the street doesn't notice the moon's attraction and dances only with his buttons due to lack of people

Os namorados Já dispensam seu namoro Quem quer riso, quem quer choro Não faz mais esforço não e a própria vida Ainda vai sentar sentida vendo a vida mais vivida Que vem lá da televisão
Couples are already dismissing their love, choosing between entertainment and drama. They no longer make the effort, it's just life. They sit feeling nostalgic watching a more vivid life on television

O homem da rua Por ser nego conformado Deixa a lua ali de lado e vai ligar os seus botões No céu a lua encabulada e já minguando numa nuvem se ocultando Vai de volta pros sertões
The man on the street, being a conformist, leaves the moon aside and turns on his buttons. The shy moon wanes and hides in a cloud, returning to the country

Contributed by Maya T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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