Elba Ramalho was born in the rural area of Conceição, in Vale do Piancó. In 1962, the family moved to the city of Campina Grande, also in Paraíba. Her father became the owner of the local theater. Daughter of a musician, she became interested in music still as a teenager.
In 1966, she participated, for the first time, in a performance on stage, in the Choir of the Fundação Artística e Cultural Manuel Bandeira, of which she was a member, with "Evocação do Recife". The Manuel Bandeira and Cecília Meireles Talking Choirs gained fame and started to be seen all over the Northeast, and Elba, who made her first presentation on stage together with them, soon became the highlight in the presentations. She starred in the poetic montages of Castro Alves, Thiago de Mello, Lindolfo Bell, Carlos Pena Filho and Figueiredo Agra. He participated in the montages of the plays "Ministro do Supremo" and "Diálogo das Carmelitas."
In 1968, while attending college of Economics and Sociology at the Federal University of Paraíba, she formed the ensemble As Brasas, in which she acted as drummer, which later became a theater group. However, Elba never stopped singing, and performed in several festivals throughout the Northeast.
In 1979, she released her first album, "Ave de Prata", and since then she has consolidated her position as one of the main Brazilian singers in activity. On her father's side, she is a cousin of fellow singer Zé Ramalho.
She has two Latin Grammys for her albums: Qual o Assunto Que Mais Lhe importa?, released in 2008, and Balaio de Amor, 2009, in the category Best Brazilian Roots Album: Regional and Tropical. In over 35 years of career, Elba Ramalho has sold more than 10 million albums. She received from the Art Critics Association of São Paulo the award "Best Show of the Year" on two occasions: in 1989 for the show Popular Brasileira and in 1996 for the show Leão do Norte.
Não Sonho Mais
Elba Ramalho Lyrics
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Tanta desdita, amor
Nem te digo
Tanto castigo
Que eu tava aflita de te contar
Foi um sonho medonho
Desses que às vezes a gente sonha
E se urina toda
E quer sufocar
Meu amor
Vi chegando um trem de candango
Formando um bando
Mas que era um bando de orangotango
Pra te pegar
Vinha nego humilhado
Vinha morto-vivo
Vinha flagelado
De tudo que é lado
Vinha um bom motivo
Pra te esfolar
Quanto mais tu corria
Mais tu ficava
Mais atolava
Mais te sujava
Amor, tu fedia
Empestava o are
Tu, que foi tão valente
Chorou pra gente
Pediu piedade
E olha que maldade
Me deu vontade
De gargalhar
Ao pé da ribanceira
Acabou-se a liça
E escarrei-te inteira
A tua carniça
E tinha justiça
Nesse escarrar
Te rasgamo a carcaça
Descemo a ripa
Viramo as tripa
Comemo os ovo
Ai, e aquele povo
Pôs-se a cantar
Foi um sonho medonho
Desses que às vezes a gente sonha
E baba na fronha
E se urina toda
E já não tem paz
Pois eu sonhei contigo
E caí da cama
Ai, amor, não briga
Ai, não me castiga
Ai, diz que me ama
E eu não sonho mais
The song "Não Sonho Mais" by Elba Ramalho talks about a terrible dream that the singer had about her lover. In the dream, a group of orangutans came to grab and torture her partner. There was no escaping, and the more her lover ran, the more they stuck, and the more they smelt. The singer could stand the dream no more and spat on the remains of her partner. The dreams were so scary that she woke up entirely from her bed, and she begs her lover not to be mad at her for having the dream.
The lyrics express the agony and loneliness of the singer, in addition to the emotional impact the dream had on her. It shows how nightmares can affect one's life, and even after the dream has ended, the traces could persist. The lyrics reveal how the singer is feeling powerless, scared of losing her partner, and how the nightmare has left her shaken.
Line by Line Meaning
Hoje eu sonhei contigo
I dreamed of you today
Tanta desdita, amor
It was a distressing dream, my love
Nem te digo
I can't even tell you
Tanto castigo
It was such a punishment
Que eu tava aflita de te contar
I was anxious to tell you all about it
Foi um sonho medonho
It was a gruesome dream
Desses que às vezes a gente sonha
Just one of those nightmares we sometimes have
E baba na fronha
Where one drools on the pillow
E se urina toda
And ends up wetting the bed
E quer sufocar
Leaving us gasping for air
Meu amor
My love
Vi chegando um trem de candango
I saw a train filled with rough men
Formando um bando
Forming a gang
Mas que era um bando de orangotango
But actually a gang of wild orangutans
Pra te pegar
Coming after you
Vinha nego humilhado
There were downtrodden people among them
Vinha morto-vivo
Walking dead
Vinha flagelado
Whipped and beaten
De tudo que é lado
From all directions
Vinha um bom motivo
They had a good reason
Pra te esfolar
To skin you alive
Quanto mais tu corria
The more you ran
Mais tu ficava
The more you stayed put
Mais atolava
The more you got stuck
Mais te sujava
The more you got dirty
Amor, tu fedia
My love, you stank
Empestava o are
Polluting the air
Tu, que foi tão valente
You, who were once so brave
Chorou pra gente
Cried to us for mercy
Pediu piedade
Begged for forgiveness
E olha que maldade
And you'll see how wicked it was
Me deu vontade
I felt like
De gargalhar
Bursting into laughter
Ao pé da ribanceira
At the foot of the cliff
Acabou-se a liça
The battle was over
E escarrei-te inteira
And I spat on your whole body
A tua carniça
On your dead body
E tinha justiça
It was only fair
Nesse escarrar
To spit on you in that way
Te rasgamo a carcaça
We tore your skin apart
Descemo a ripa
We beat you up
Viramo as tripa
We turned your guts inside out
Comemo os ovo
We ate your eggs
Ai, e aquele povo
And that crowd of people
Pôs-se a cantar
Started singing
Foi um sonho medonho
It was a gruesome dream
Desses que às vezes a gente sonha
Just one of those nightmares we sometimes have
E baba na fronha
Where one drools on the pillow
E se urina toda
And ends up wetting the bed
E já não tem paz
Leaving us restless
Pois eu sonhei contigo
Because I dreamed of you
E caí da cama
And fell out of bed
Ai, amor, não briga
Oh, my love, don't be angry
Ai, não me castiga
Oh, don't punish me
Ai, diz que me ama
Oh, say that you love me
E eu não sonho mais
And I won't dream anymore
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Francisco Buarque
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind