He has performed with musicians such as Luiz Gonzaga, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa (with whom he toured in Midem), Zé Ramalho, Toquinho, and Maria Bethânia. Some of his hits were recorded by Bethânia, Gil, Chico Buarque, Elba Ramalho, and Fagner. In 1997 Dominguinhos wrote the soundtrack of the film O Cangaceiro.
A Banda
Dominguinhos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
O meu amor me chamou
Pra ver a banda passar
Cantando coisas de amor
A minha gente sofrida
Despediu-se da dor
Pra ver a banda passar
O homem sério que contava dinheiro parou
O faroleiro que contava vantagem parou
A namorada que contava as estrelas parou
Para ver, ouvir e dar passagem
A moça triste que vivia calada sorriu
A rosa triste que vivia fechada se abriu
E a meninada toda se assanhou
Pra ver a banda passar
Cantando coisas de amor
Estava à toa na vida
O meu amor me chamou
Pra ver a banda passar
Cantando coisas de amor
Minha gente sofrida
Despediu-se da dor
Pra ver a banda passar
Cantando coisas de amor
O velho fraco se esqueceu do cansaço e pensou
Que ainda era moço pra sair no terraço e dançou
A moça feia debruçou na janela
Pensando que a banda tocava pra ela
A marcha alegre se espalhou na avenida e insistiu
A lua cheia que vivia escondida surgiu
Minha cidade toda se enfeitou
Pra ver a banda passar cantando coisas de amor
Mas para meu desencanto
O que era doce acabou
Tudo tomou seu lugar
Depois que a banda passou
E cada qual no seu canto
Em cada canto uma dor
Depois da banda passar
Cantando coisas de amor
Depois da banda passar
Cantando coisas de amor
Depois da banda passar
Cantando coisas de amor
Depois da banda passar
Cantando coisas de amor
The song "A Banda" by Dominguinhos tells the story of a person living a aimless life until their love comes and invites them to witness a passing band. The band sings songs of love, which brings joy and upliftment to the people who have been suffering.
As the band passes by, the serious man who was counting money stops, the boastful lighthouse keeper halts his boasting, and the girlfriend who used to count the stars pauses, all to see, hear, and make way for the band. The sad girl who always stayed quiet starts to smile, the closed-up rose blooms, and the children all get excited to see the band singing songs of love.
The repetition of "Estava à toa na vida" at the beginning of each verse emphasizes the aimlessness and dullness of the singer's life before the band comes. Their love brings purpose and joy into their life.
As the band continues to pass by, the old man forgets his tiredness and dancing on the terrace, feeling young again. The ugly girl leans on the window, thinking that the band is playing for her. The cheerful march spreads through the avenue, and even the hidden full moon appears. The whole city dresses up to celebrate and enjoy the band singing songs of love.
However, to the singer's disappointment and sadness, once the band has passed, everything returns to its place. Each person retreats into their own corner, carrying their own pains. The sweetness and happiness that the band brought disappear, leaving behind a feeling of emptiness.
The repeated chorus at the end of the song reinforces this bittersweet sentiment, acknowledging that after the band passes, people are left with their individual sorrows and the memories of the band singing songs of love. The lyrics evoke both the fleeting joy and the eventual return to reality after experiencing something beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
Estava à toa na vida
I was idle in life
O meu amor me chamou
My love called me
Pra ver a banda passar
To see the band pass by
Cantando coisas de amor
Singing about love
A minha gente sofrida
My suffering people
Despediu-se da dor
Bade farewell to pain
Pra ver a banda passar
To see the band pass by
Cantando coisas de amor
Singing about love
O homem sério que contava dinheiro parou
The serious man who counted money stopped
O faroleiro que contava vantagem parou
The lighthouse keeper who boasted stopped
A namorada que contava as estrelas parou
The girlfriend who counted the stars stopped
Para ver, ouvir e dar passagem
To see, hear, and make way
A moça triste que vivia calada sorriu
The sad girl who lived in silence smiled
A rosa triste que vivia fechada se abriu
The sad rose that was closed opened
E a meninada toda se assanhou
And all the children got excited
Pra ver a banda passar
To see the band pass by
Cantando coisas de amor
Singing about love
Estava à toa na vida
I was idle in life
O meu amor me chamou
My love called me
Pra ver a banda passar
To see the band pass by
Cantando coisas de amor
Singing about love
Minha gente sofrida
My suffering people
Despediu-se da dor
Bade farewell to pain
Pra ver a banda passar
To see the band pass by
Cantando coisas de amor
Singing about love
O velho fraco se esqueceu do cansaço e pensou
The weak old man forgot about tiredness and thought
Que ainda era moço pra sair no terraço e dançou
That he was still young enough to go out on the terrace and dance
A moça feia debruçou na janela
The ugly girl leaned on the window
Pensando que a banda tocava pra ela
Thinking that the band was playing for her
A marcha alegre se espalhou na avenida e insistiu
The cheerful march spread on the avenue and persisted
A lua cheia que vivia escondida surgiu
The full moon that was hidden appeared
Minha cidade toda se enfeitou
My whole city dressed up
Pra ver a banda passar cantando coisas de amor
To see the band pass by singing about love
Mas para meu desencanto
But to my disappointment
O que era doce acabou
What was sweet ended
Tudo tomou seu lugar
Everything took its place
Depois que a banda passou
After the band passed by
E cada qual no seu canto
And each in their own corner
Em cada canto uma dor
In every corner, a pain
Depois da banda passar
After the band passed by
Cantando coisas de amor
Singing about love
Depois da banda passar
After the band passed by
Cantando coisas de amor
Singing about love
Depois da banda passar
After the band passed by
Cantando coisas de amor
Singing about love
Depois da banda passar
After the band passed by
Cantando coisas de amor
Singing about love
Lyrics © Editora e Importadora Musical Fermata do Brasil Ltda.
Written by: Chico Buarque De Hollanda
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rivania Correia
Músico perfeito!!!
Jeferson Dutra
Um gênio!!!
SAM MONTEIRO
Adoooooooooooooooooro ;) , cresci ouvindo com minhas titias rs , musica boooooaaaaaa, qualidade!
Etelvino José de oliveira
L
Barrerito
Cristina Jatobå
Perfeito 👍🏻
Almir Lima
Cabra bom!!!!
Rosie Burnham
✅👍😊