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
Minha Mãe
Djavan Lyrics
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E eu de esperar
Tava morta
Com jeito de agonia
Eu me encostava na porta
A disfarçar a barriga
Dos risos da fantasia
Nos meus olhos
Um sol que nunca podia
Via passar procissões
E os velhos nos caramanchões
Ê, ê
Via passar esses dias
Como se fossem dobrados
Ardia em mim
Esse filho
Como se fosse pecado
Filho do pecado
The lyrics of Minha Mãe by Djavan are a tribute to the singer's mother and an expression of the singer's inner turmoil. The song starts with the description of a desolate landscape, which reflects the emptiness and despair the singer feels inside. He is waiting for something or someone, but he feels dead and hopeless. The way he leans on the door suggests that he is seeking comfort and support from an external source.
As the song progresses, the singer reveals that he is hiding something: the consequences of his own actions. He refers to his laughter and fantasies that have led to a pregnancy, which he is ashamed of. The phrase "Fingindo ter / Nos meus olhos / Um sol que nunca podia" suggests that he is pretending to be happy and optimistic, but deep inside, he knows that he has made a mistake that will have consequences.
The chorus of the song reflects the passing of time and the weight of the singer's burden. He sees processions and elderly people sitting under the shade, and he feels as if his own life is passing by like a folded cloth. The last line of the chorus "Filho do pecado" is a powerful statement that reveals the core of the singer's struggle. He feels like his child is a symbol of his own wrongdoing and that he is carrying the burden of a sin that cannot be undone.
Line by Line Meaning
O descampado se via
I could see the open field
E eu de esperar
And I waiting
Tava morta
I was feeling dead
Com jeito de agonia
With a certain agony
Eu me encostava na porta
I leaned against the door
A disfarçar a barriga
Trying to hide my belly
Dos risos da fantasia
From the laughter of my fantasies
Fingindo ter
Pretending to have
Nos meus olhos
In my eyes
Um sol que nunca podia
A sun that I could never have
Via passar procissões
I saw the processions pass by
E os velhos nos caramanchões
And the old men in the shelters
Ê, ê
Hey, hey
Via passar esses dias
I saw those days pass by
Como se fossem dobrados
As if they were folded
Ardia em mim
It burned within me
Esse filho
This child
Como se fosse pecado
As if it was a sin
Filho do pecado
A child born of sin
Contributed by Callie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.