Born into a poor family in Maceió (capital of Alagoas, Northeast Brazil), Djavan formed the group Luz, Som, Dimensão (LSD - "Light, Sound, Dimension"), playing Beatles covers. In 1973 Djavan moved to Rio de Janeiro and started singing in local nightclubs. After competing in several festivals he gained attention and recorded the album A Voz, o Violão e a Arte de Djavan in 1976. The album included the song "Flor de Lis" which became one of his most memorable hits. Albums that followed included his other musical influence, African music, and additional hits followed like "Açaí", "Sina" and "Samurai", which featured Stevie Wonder's harmonica. His best known compositions are: "Meu Bem Querer", "Oceano", "Faltando um Pedaço", "Esquinas", "Seduzir", "Pétala", "Lilás", "A Ilha", "Fato Consumado", "Álibi", "Azul" and "Serrado".
His songs have been recorded by Al Jarreau, Carmen McRae, The Manhattan Transfer, and, in Brazil by Gal Costa, Dori Caymmi, Nana Caymmi, Lenine, João Bosco, Chico Buarque, Daniela Mercury, Ney Matogrosso, Dominguinhos, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Johnny Alf, and other artists. The 1988 Epic Records single, "Stephen's Kingdom", featured a guest appearance from Stevie Wonder.
In 1999, his live concert double-volume album, Ao Vivo, has sold 1.2 million copies and the song, "Acelerou" became the Best Brazilian song of the year at 2000 Latin Grammy Awards.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djavan
A Rosa
Djavan Lyrics
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Querida, estrela do meu caminho
Espinho cravado em minha garganta
Garganta
A santa às vezes troca meu nome
E some
E some nas altas da madrugada
Artista, é doida pela Portela
Ói ela
Ói ela, vestida de verde e rosa
A Rosa garante que é sempre minha
Quietinha, saiu pra comprar cigarro
Que sarro, trouxe umas coisas do Norte
Que sorte
Que sorte, voltou toda sorridente
Demente, inventa cada carícia
Egípcia, me encontra e me vira a cara
Odara, gravou meu nome na blusa
Abusa, me acusa
Revista os bolsos da calça
A falsa limpou a minha carteira
Maneira, pagou a nossa despesa
Beleza, na hora do bom me deixa, se queixa
A gueixa
Que coisa mais amorosa
A Rosa
Ah, Rosa, e o meu projeto de vida?
Bandida, cadê minha estrela guia
Vadia, me esquece na noite escura
Mas jura
Me jura que um dia volta pra casa
Arrasa o meu projeto de vida
Querida, estrela do meu caminho
Espinho cravado em minha garganta
Garganta
A santa às vezes me chama Alberto
Alberto
Decerto sonhou com alguma novela
Penélope, espera por mim bordando
Suando, ficou de cama com febre
Que febre
A lebre, como é que ela é tão fogosa
A Rosa
A Rosa jurou seu amor eterno
Meu terno ficou na tinturaria
Um dia me trouxe uma roupa justa
Me gusta, me gusta
Cismou de dançar um tango
Meu rango sumiu lá da geladeira
Caseira, seu molho é uma maravilha
Que filha, visita a família em Sampa
Às pampa, às pampa
Voltou toda descascada
A fada, acaba com a minha lira
A gira, esgota a minha laringe
Esfinge, devora a minha pessoa
À toa, a boa
Que coisa mais saborosa
A Rosa
Ah, Rosa, e o meu projeto de vida?
Bandida, cadê minha estrela guia?
Vadia, me esquece na noite escura
Mas jura
Me jura que um dia volta pra casa
The lyrics of Djavan's song A Rosa tell the story of a tumultuous and passionate relationship with a woman named Rosa. The singer is clearly deeply in love with Rosa, but also frustrated and hurt by her behavior. The first verse sets the tone for the whole song, with the singer lamenting that Rosa is "destroying [his] life's plan" and is like a "thorn stuck in [his] throat". He goes on to say that Rosa sometimes confuses his name and disappears in the night, leaving him alone and confused. This paints a picture of a very unstable and unreliable relationship.
The second verse describes how Rosa is a hard-working nurse who loves the Portela samba school. The singer seems to admire her passion for this cultural institution, but also notes that she is unpredictable and possibly a bit crazy. He says that Rosa claims to always be his, but that she disappears to buy cigarettes and comes back with unexpected things from the north. The singer seems both amused and frustrated by Rosa's behavior, and her unpredictability seems to be a big factor in their relationship troubles.
The chorus repeats the opening verse, with the singer once again bemoaning how Rosa has ruined his life plan and is a thorn in his throat. The final verse takes a slightly different turn, with the singer imagining Rosa at home while he is out and about. He wonders if she is watching a soap opera and waiting for him to come home, and muses on her feverish illness. The verse ends with the singer once again frustrated and hurt by Rosa's behavior, but still hoping that she will one day come back to him.
Line by Line Meaning
Arrasa o meu projeto de vida
My life plan is destroyed by her actions
Querida, estrela do meu caminho
She is my beloved and guiding light
Espinho cravado em minha garganta
She is a painful presence in my life
Garganta
Repeat of the previous line for emphasis
A santa às vezes troca meu nome
Sometimes she mistakes my name for someone else's
E some
She disappears into the night
E some nas altas da madrugada
She disappears into the night while it's still early morning
Coitada, trabalha de plantonista
She works hard as a nurse
Artista, é doida pela Portela
She loves the Portela samba school and is a true artist
Ói ela
Look at her
Ói ela, vestida de verde e rosa
She's dressed in green and pink, the colors of Portela
A Rosa garante que é sempre minha
She promises to always be mine
Quietinha, saiu pra comprar cigarro
She left quietly to buy cigarettes
Que sarro, trouxe umas coisas do Norte
She brought some things back from the North, what a joke
Que sorte
What luck
Que sorte, voltou toda sorridente
She came back smiling, how lucky
Demente, inventa cada carícia
She's insane, she makes up every caress
Egípcia, me encontra e me vira a cara
She's like a sphinx, she finds me and turns away
Odara, gravou meu nome na blusa
She wrote my name on her shirt, as a symbol of love
Abusa, me acusa
She takes advantage of me and accuses me at the same time
Revista os bolsos da calça
She searches my pockets
A falsa limpou a minha carteira
The false one emptied my wallet
Maneira, pagou a nossa despesa
In a cool way, she paid for our expenses
Beleza, na hora do bom me deixa, se queixa
She's beautiful, but when it comes down to it, she leaves and complains
A gueixa
She's like a geisha, captivating but unattainable
Que coisa mais amorosa
What a loving thing
A Rosa
Repeat of her name for emphasis
Ah, Rosa, e o meu projeto de vida?
Oh, Rosa, what about my life plan?
Bandida, cadê minha estrela guia
She's a bandit, where is my guiding star?
Vadia, me esquece na noite escura
She's a bitch, she forgets about me in the dark of night
Mas jura
But she swears
Me jura que um dia volta pra casa
She promises to come back home one day
Decerto sonhou com alguma novela
She must have dreamed about some soap opera
Penélope, espera por mim bordando
Like Penelope, she waits for me while sewing
Suando, ficou de cama com febre
She's sweating, lying in bed with a fever
Que febre
What a fever
A lebre, como é que ela é tão fogosa
She's like a hare, how can she be so passionate?
A Rosa jurou seu amor eterno
Rosa swore her eternal love for me
Meu terno ficou na tinturaria
My suit is still at the dry cleaners
Um dia me trouxe uma roupa justa
One day she brought me a tight outfit
Me gusta, me gusta
I like it, I like it
Cismou de dançar um tango
She became obsessed with dancing the tango
Meu rango sumiu lá da geladeira
My food disappeared from the fridge
Caseira, seu molho é uma maravilha
She's good at homemaking, her sauce is wonderful
Que filha
What a daughter
Visita a família em Sampa
She visits her family in São Paulo
Às pampa, às pampa
A slang expression for 'a lot'
Voltou toda descascada
She came back looking beaten
A fada, acaba com a minha lira
She's like a fairy, destroying my lyre
A gira, esgota a minha laringe
She's like a whirlwind, exhausting my voice box
Esfinge, devora a minha pessoa
She's like a sphinx, devouring my being
À toa, a boa
For nothing, the good one
Que coisa mais saborosa
What a delicious thing
A Rosa
Repeat of her name for emphasis
Bandida, cadê minha estrela guia?
She's a bandit, where is my guiding star?
Vadia, me esquece na noite escura
She's a bitch, she forgets about me in the dark of night
Mas jura
But she swears
Me jura que um dia volta pra casa
She promises to come back home one day
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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