Iá
Comadre Fulozinha Lyrics

The lyrics of Comadre Fulozinha's song "Iá" seem to express the singer's search for happiness and contentment in the midst of longing for something intangible, which is symbolized by the "rainha do mar." The opening lines imply that the singer is aware of a community of people who sing and invoke this figure, suggesting that the "rainha do mar" has some cultural significance. However, the next line reveals that the singer needs imagination in order to access this feeling of happiness that comes with singing about her. This could imply that the singer is not part of this culture that reveres the "rainha do mar," but rather an outsider fascinated by their practices. The line "Se não ia chorar" -- "if not, I would cry" -- suggests that the singer sees singing about the "rainha do mar" as a source of emotional release and catharsis that they desperately need.

The last stanza reveals more about who the "rainha do mar" is: a princess who has "beauty" and who "derramou" -- spilled, poured -- some kind of essence, perhaps her own blood or tears. The fact that this occurred "Do ar" -- "from the air" -- implies that she is not entirely of this world, and that she is more powerful than a mere mortal. The final lines emphasize the singer's belief in the "rainha do mar" as a real entity: "I go playing and singing / Because I know she comes from the sea."