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.
Saudade
Fagner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Só fica quando ela fica não, ai, ai, ai
Quando ela não fica, fica um cheiro
Um cheiro de falta alguém na gente
Que arde e doi bem diferente
Ai, a gente sabe a saudade
Aqui dentro, bem no coração
Ai, ai, ai, bem no coração
Saudade é palavra do Brasil, ai
Complica mais longe a gente vai, ai, ai, ai
Mais longe vai o meu pensamento
Em busca da força do alimento
Morena, bastava ao menos um beijo
Um beijo matava esta saudade
Que aqui dentro do meu peito, ai
Ai, ai, ai, no meu peito
Xôm saudade, sai, me deixa em paz
Vê se vai lá pras bandas do Japão
No Japão chega na beira da ilha
E olha o sol nascer lua por aqui
É que agora cê tá por perto não
E ai vai morrer de ser saudade
E aqui meu amor me deu a mão
Ai, ai, ai, meu amor me deu a mão
The lyrics to Fagner's song Saudade are about the indescribable feeling of saudade, which is a Portuguese word that has no direct translation to English, but essentially means a deep longing, nostalgia, or yearning for someone or something that is absent. The singer asserts that saudade cannot be explained, it simply exists within us when it is present and lingers as a smell of absence when it is not. He sings about how saudade is a common feeling in Brazil and how it can become even more complicated the further we go from the objects of our longing. The lyrics describe the physical and emotional pain that saudade can cause, and the intensity of the feeling when it is present.
The second verse continues to explore the pain of saudade and the search for some way to alleviate it. The singer's thoughts wander to a woman who he longs for and imagines that even a simple kiss from her could cure his saudade. He laments the distance between them and how his thoughts have gone so far as to imagine her presence in a distant land, Japan. Although the memories of his love for her can bring him some comfort, it is clear that nothing can replace the feeling of being with her. In the final lines of the song, the singer reflects on a moment he shared with his love, when she held his hand, and the intensity of his emotion is palpable in the repetition of the phrase "ai, ai, ai".
Line by Line Meaning
Saudade a gente não explica, ai
We can't explain saudade, it just exists
Só fica quando ela fica não, ai, ai, ai
It only stays when the thing/person we miss is not around
Quando ela não fica, fica um cheiro
When the thing/person we miss is not around, there's still a scent left
Um cheiro de falta alguém na gente
A scent that reminds us of someone/something missing in ourselves
Que arde e doi bem diferente
This feeling burns and hurts in a unique way
Ai, a gente sabe a saudade
We know saudade very well
Aqui dentro, bem no coração
It's inside us, deep in our hearts
Saudade é palavra do Brasil, ai
Saudade is a word from Brazil
Complica mais longe a gente vai, ai, ai, ai
The farther we go, the more complicated it becomes
Mais longe vai o meu pensamento
My thoughts go even further
Em busca da força do alimento
In search of the strength to overcome it
Morena, bastava ao menos um beijo
My love, just one kiss would be enough
Um beijo matava esta saudade
A kiss would relieve this feeling
Que aqui dentro do meu peito, ai
That's inside my chest, ai
Xôm saudade, sai, me deixa em paz
Saudade, go away and leave me in peace
Vê se vai lá pras bandas do Japão
Go away to Japan, if you must
No Japão chega na beira da ilha
In Japan, you reach the edge of the island
E olha o sol nascer lua por aqui
And watch the sun rise and the moon set here
É que agora cê tá por perto não
It's just that now you're not around
E ai vai morrer de ser saudade
And I'll die of missing you
E aqui meu amor me deu a mão
And here, my love held my hand
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: Luiz Gonzaga
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alida Souza
Saudade do Brasil,e escutando essa linda musica a saudzde aperta mais ainda,vagner otimo cantor tudo de bom,beijos no coracao
Alida Souza
Linda,muito libda,um dos cabtores maravilhoso do nosso Brasil
Vania Silva
Adoro essa música que ficou maravilhosa na voz de Fagner. Um beijo pra você meu querido Fagner. Gratidão por esse presente lindo que é essa música linda demais .
Fernando Pereira Lima
Meu comteranio vin do Ceará pequeno hoje reconheço a obra de Raimundo Fagner
Fernando Pinheiro
Bem brasileiro🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
argos Martins
alguem sabe a cifra dessa música? encontrei em canto nenhum
Jhonatan Carneiro
🍷🍷 aiaiai