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.
Força Estranha
Gal Costa Lyrics
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Brincando ao redor do caminho daquele menino
Eu pus os meus pés no riacho
E acho que nunca os tirei
O sol ainda brilha na estrada e eu nunca passei
Eu vi a mulher preparando outra pessoa
O tempo não pára pr'eu olhar para aquela barriga
A vida é amiga da arte
O sol que atravessa essa estrada que nunca passou
| Por isso uma força me leva a cantar
| Por isso essa força estranha
| Por isso é que eu canto não posso parar
| Por isso essa voz tamanha
Eu vi muitos cabelos brancos na fronte do artista
O tempo não pára e no entanto ele nunca envelhece
Aquele que conhece o jogo
Do fogo das coisas que são
É o sol
É a estrada
É o tempo
É o pé
E é o chão
Eu vi muitos homens brigando ouvi seus gritos
Estive no fundo de cada vontade encoberta
E a coisa mais certa de todas as coisas
Não vale um caminho sob o sol
E o sol sobre a estrada
É o sol sobre a estrada
É o sol
Gal Costa's song Força Estranha is a powerful and introspective piece that reflects on the passing of time and the beauty of life despite its inevitable end. The lyrics vividly describe scenes from different moments in life, from a boy running and playing in the sun, to a woman preparing to give birth, to an aging artist with white hair. The singer observes these moments with a sense of wonder and awe, recognizing the power of the sun, the road, and the passage of time. Despite the sadness and uncertainty that may come with these changes, the singer is compelled to sing, to use their voice to express the intensity of their feelings and the beauty of life.
Throughout the song, there is also a sense of longing and nostalgia for what has been lost or might be lost in the future. The singer reflects on the things that they have experienced and the people they have known, realizing that even the most certain things can be taken away in an instant. Yet despite this knowledge, the singer is inspired to keep singing, recognizing that the act of expressing oneself through art is a powerful and enduring way to confront the fleeting nature of life itself.
Overall, Força Estranha is a beautiful and contemplative song that invites the listener to reflect on their own experiences and the power of music to connect us to our deepest emotions and truths.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu vi o menino correndo eu vi o tempo
I saw the boy running and I saw time passing by
Brincando ao redor do caminho daquele menino
Playing around the path of that boy
Eu pus os meus pés no riacho
I put my feet in the stream
E acho que nunca os tirei
And I think I never took them out
O sol ainda brilha na estrada e eu nunca passei
The sun still shines on the road and I never passed by
Eu vi a mulher preparando outra pessoa
I saw the woman preparing another person
O tempo não pára pr'eu olhar para aquela barriga
Time doesn't stop for me to look at that belly
A vida é amiga da arte
Life is a friend of art
É a parte que o sol me ensinou
It's the part that the sun taught me
O sol que atravessa essa estrada que nunca passou
The sun that crosses this road that I never passed by
Por isso uma força me leva a cantar
That's why a force drives me to sing
Por isso essa força estranha
That's why this strange force
Por isso é que eu canto não posso parar
That's why I sing, I can't stop
Por isso essa voz tamanha
That's why this huge voice
Eu vi muitos cabelos brancos na fronte do artista
I saw many white hairs on the artist's forehead
O tempo não pára e no entanto ele nunca envelhece
Time doesn't stop, yet he never ages
Aquele que conhece o jogo
The one who knows the game
Do fogo das coisas que são
Of the fire of things that are
É o sol
It's the sun
É a estrada
It's the road
É o tempo
It's time
É o pé
It's the foot
E é o chão
And it's the ground
Eu vi muitos homens brigando ouvi seus gritos
I saw many men fighting, heard their screams
Estive no fundo de cada vontade encoberta
I was at the bottom of every hidden desire
E a coisa mais certa de todas as coisas
And the most certain thing of all things
Não vale um caminho sob o sol
Is not worth a path under the sun
E o sol sobre a estrada
And the sun over the road
É o sol sobre a estrada
It's the sun over the road
É o sol
It's the sun
Contributed by Michael N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Musicalidade
Gal Costa, para sempre nos nossos corações. Sua voz será pra sempre ETERNA. ❤ Descanse em Paz.
@thayfaria3337
Que voz maravilhosa né 👏👏👏 Gal eterna em nossos corações 🙏
@bentovojkis6272
Com certeza. Gal é nota 10.
@riderseven100
Grande Intérprete..Fique Em Paz😉👊💜🙏
@felipenogueira8865
Gal Costa, era do tipo de cantora que não precisava forçar as cordas vocais!, ela simplesmente cantava tão naturalmente, como um passarinho canta! RIP.
@thomaspozzani1489
Aquela que detém a coroa, jamais perderá sua majestade.
@nelsongoncalves5379
👏👏👏👏👏
@roberkremer
Hoje, mais do que nunca, esta performance está grudada em minha mente. Descanse em paz, Gal.
@hildeteprazerescardoso8003
Descanse em paz vou sentir saudades desde os meus quinze anos te admiro como cantora e interprete a Bahia sente orgulho de ter tido uma voz tão linda saudades eternas .
@rainhadoazeitte6803
A Bahia e o Brasil fica mais doloroso