Gal became one of Brazil's foremost Tropicália counterculture movement singers during the late 1960s and early 70s, quickly earning the title as one of the best and most acclaimed singers in Brazil, following a very succesful career with many hits and prestige over the years. During Tropicália, she became a political activist, coming into conflict with Brazil's government when dissent in music was censored, and later coming to represent the movement all alone in her country when her fellow Tropicália members and friends were exhiled to London due to the heavy dictatorship that was going on at the time.
Fellow musician Caetano Veloso, introduced her to Gilberto Gil and Tom Zé in 1963 (and later Maria Bethânia), who managed to secure her a recording deal in São Paulo for her debut album Domingo with Caetano Veloso. A bit before recording her first album, "Father of Bossa Nova" João Gilberto, met her and after a couple of hours hearing Gracinha (as she was known at the time) sing for him as he was playing the acoustic guitar, he said: "Gracinha, you're Brazil's greatest female singer". In the following years, Gal would prove his statement right with a fruitful and rewarding career, and with the encouragement of João Gilberto himself; her biggest idol.
Gal has recorded songs composed by a number of Brazil's most popular songwriters such as Antônio Carlos Jobim, Jorge Ben Jor, Chico Buarque, Rita Lee and especially her close friends Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. She was also a member of the supergroup Doces Bárbaros, active in 1976, 1994 and 2002.
Abandono
Gal Costa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A noite é um pavor
Fria do teu calor
Por favor
Venha
Neném
Tudo o que há pra viver
Tá morto de você
Será que você não sabia?
Nunca saberá?
Que tudo aqui sabia
Sempre saberá
Fortemente a você?
O dia em cada dia
Nossa cria
Bichinho
Os nossos curiós
Mudos de tua voz
Tudo eu te chamo
Mulher
O céu não tem azuis
Negro da tua luz
Não brilham mais
Será que você não sabia?
Nunca saberá?
Que tudo aqui sabia
Sempre saberá
Fortemente a você?
A poesia
O dia
Nossa cria
Mamãe
Você tem que voltar
Numa onda do mar
Pra me amar
The lyrics to Gal Costa's song "Abandono" are a heartfelt plea for the main character's mother to return. The song begins by describing the night as terrifying and cold, without the warmth of the mother's presence. The singer begs for her mother to return, stating that everything is dead without her. The singer describes a feeling of hatred towards love itself, possibly due to the abandonment by her mother. She questions whether her mother knew about the pain she was causing by leaving and whether she will ever realize the impact of her decision.
The singer then reminisces about the happy times with her mother, describing their pet birds that are now silent without her voice. She longs for her mother's return, describing how even the sky has lost its brightness without her. The song ends with a final plea for her to return, comparing her mother's return to a wave in the sea, and stating that she needs her love. Overall, the song conveys a deep sense of abandonment and longing for the mother's presence, while questioning how she could leave and whether she will ever understand the impact of her decision.
Line by Line Meaning
Mamãe
She is calling out to her mother
A noite é um pavor
She is scared and afraid of the night
Fria do teu calor
She misses the warmth of her mother's presence
Por favor
She's pleading for her mother to come back
Venha
She wants her mother to come back to her
Neném
Endearing term for a baby, the singer might be referring to herself
Tudo o que há pra viver
All she that has to live for is gone
Tá morto de você
Her joy and happiness died with her mother's absence
Ódio do amor
She hates love that brings so much pain and loss
Será que você não sabia?
Is it possible that her mother didn't know the impact of her absence?
Nunca saberá?
The singer wonders if she'll never find out the truth
Que tudo aqui sabia
The singer felt that everything around her knew of her distress
Sempre saberá
She'll never forget her mother's absence
Fortemente a você?
Is it because of you, mother?
O dia em cada dia
Every day feels like death
Nossa cria
Reference to the creation of life
Bichinho
Endearing term for a pet or loved one
Os nossos curiós
Tropical bird that represents freedom and happiness
Mudos de tua voz
The birds don't sing anymore because the mother is not there to hear them
Tudo eu te chamo
The singer calls out for her mother in everything she does
Mulher
Word used to refer to a woman or, in this case, possibly her mother
O céu não tem azuis
The sky is no longer blue and bright
Negro da tua luz
Her mother's light has dissipated and is no longer shining
Não brilham mais
The things that used to bring light and joy no longer do so
Será que você não sabia?
The singer wonders again if her mother knew how much she was needed
Nunca saberá?
She'll never know the truth
Que tudo aqui sabia
Everything around her knew of her pain
Sempre saberá
She'll always remember her mother's absence
Fortemente a você?
It's because of you, mother, that she feels this way
A poesia
The beauty in life is gone without her mother there to appreciate it
O dia
Every day feels like darkness and sadness without her mother's presence
Nossa cria
Another reference to the creation of life
Mamãe
The singer calls out to her mother again
Você tem que voltar
She believes her mother needs to come back
Numa onda do mar
She wants her mother to come back in a wave of love
Pra me amar
To love her again
Contributed by Gavin R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.