The youngest of the five children of José Fares, Lebanese immigrant to Brazil, and Dona Francisca, Fagner was born in Fortaleza, the capital of the state of Ceará, although his birth was recorded in Orós.
At the age of five years he won a youth competition at a local radio station. As a teen, he formed vocal and instrumental groups and began to compose his own music. In 1968 he won the Festival de Música Popular do Ceará (Popular Music Festival of Ceará) with his song "Nada Sou" (I am Nothing).
In 1971 he moved to the capital Brasília, taking first place in the Festival de Música Popular do Centro de Estudos Universitários de Brasília (Popular Music Festival of the University Studies Center of Brasília) with his piece "Mucuripe" (with collaborator Belchior), which was later recorded by artist Elis Regina, and became Fagner's first notable success as a composer. He won prizes in other categories with additional pieces, as well.
He has had a distinguished career as a performer, singer, songwriter and composer for over 3 decades, and is also known for his collaborations with other MPB artists such as Caetano Veloso, Roberta Miranda, Chico Buarque and others.
Farinha de comer
Fagner Lyrics
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Nenhuma mandioca, um aipim sequer
Eram cinco bocas numa casa de farinha
E o fogo apagado, nada para moer
Justo a lembrança da maniva é o que se tinha
Saudade tapioca, beijo de querer
A boca dos manos mais a boca da maninha
E a lua iluminava um farelo que sobrou
Farinha comer, farinha comer
De longe enviava um fiapo de amor
Mal via um raio, forno frio, teimava acender
Estrelas, cometas, planetas, promessas e sonhos
Estradas, visagens, viagens e torpor
Eram cinco bocas no fugão do fim da linha
Fogareiro mudo, monco de acender
Eram cinco bocas no fugão do fim da linha
Fumegando a cina de apagar para ver
Resta só o afago congelado na espinha
A chama do gelo na lama do ser
E a alma dos manos pelas bocas se encaminha
Para bocarra boca do infinito céu
E a lua iluminava um farelo que sobrou
Farinha comer, farinha comer
De longe enviava um fiapo de amor
Mal via um raio, forno frio, teimava acender
Estrelas, cometas, planetas, promessas e sonhos
Estradas, visagens, viagens e torpor (2x)
Estrelas, cometas, planetas, promessas e sonhos
Estradas, visagens, viagens, delírios, papoulas e sonhos
The lyrics of Fagner's song "Farinha de comer" express the nostalgia for the past and the longing for something that can no longer be recovered. The song describes a situation in which five people are dependent on the production of cassava flour from a kitchen mill (casa de farinha) but there is no root left to grind. The small village where they live is isolated and deprived of resources, and the feelings that emerge from the characters' mouths are of sorrow and emptiness. The memories of cassava leaves (maniva) and tapioca, the affectionate gestures shared between brothers and sisters, and the warm hope of a beam of love from a distance, are portrayed as small crumbs of comfort in the harsh reality that surrounds them.
Despite the physical hunger depicted in the song, the characters' longings go beyond the mere satiation of their stomachs. The metaphorical hunger is one that feeds on memories, dreams, and desires. The lack of cassava, therefore, becomes a symbol of the loss of tradition, culture, and community. The mouths that once shared the same food now feed on different experiences, and the kitchen fire that once brought them together is now extinguished.
The lyrics are filled with nostalgic imagery, such as the moon shining on the remaining flour, the stars, comets, and planets signaling the promises and dreams that lie beyond the village, and the roads, visions, and journeys that set the characters adrift in their thoughts. The song ultimately suggests that the longing for something that is gone can only be satisfied by the hope and the willingness to keep seeking and dreaming.
Line by Line Meaning
Eram cinco bocas numa casa de farinha
There were five mouths in a flour house
Nenhuma mandioca, um aipim sequer
There was no cassava, not even a single yam
E o fogo apagado, nada para moer
The fire was out, nothing to grind
Justo a lembrança da maniva é o que se tinha
All they had was the memory of the cassava
Saudade tapioca, beijo de querer
Longing for tapioca, a loving kiss
A boca dos manos mais a boca da maninha
The mouths of the siblings, brothers and sisters
As bocarras bocas, banguelas de fé
Their empty mouths, devoid of faith
E a lua iluminava um farelo que sobrou
And the moon lit up the remaining crumbs
Farinha comer, farinha comer
To eat flour, to eat flour
De longe enviava um fiapo de amor
From afar, a thread of love was sent
Mal via um raio, forno frio, teimava acender
Hardly seeing a lightning, the cold oven stubbornly refused to light up
Estrelas, cometas, planetas, promessas e sonhos
Stars, comets, planets, promises, and dreams
Estradas, visagens, viagens e torpor
Roads, hallucinations, voyages, and lethargy
Eram cinco bocas no fugão do fim da linha
There were five mouths at the end of the line on the stove
Fogareiro mudo, monco de acender
A mute stove, a stubborn coal to ignite
Fumegando a cina de apagar para ver
Smoking up the determination to witness extinction
Resta só o afago congelado na espinha
All that remains is the frozen embrace in the spine
A chama do gelo na lama do ser
The flame of ice in the mud of being
E a alma dos manos pelas bocas se encaminha
And the souls of the siblings move towards the mouths
Para bocarra boca do infinito céu
Towards the gaping mouth of the infinite sky
Estrelas, cometas, planetas, promessas e sonhos
Stars, comets, planets, promises, and dreams
Estradas, visagens, viagens e torpor
Roads, hallucinations, voyages, and lethargy
Estrelas, cometas, planetas, promessas e sonhos
Stars, comets, planets, promises, and dreams
Estradas, visagens, viagens, delírios, papoulas e sonhos
Roads, hallucinations, voyages, delirium, poppies, and dreams
Contributed by Colin N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Rafique764
Quem dera que Chico César e Fagner tivesse sido uma parceria mais frequente... que canção!!!
@regianecoelhojaques3211
Linda música realidade do País!!!!
@franciscomoura8575
Linda canção dele e Chico César!
@regianecoelhojaques3211
Que linda!!!
@CALLINGTOCHANGE
Que poesia,☺
muito bela.