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.
Na baixa do sapateiro
Gal Costa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Amor, bobagem que a gente não explica, ai ai
Prova um bocadinho, oi
Fica envenenado, oi
E pro resto da vida é um tal de sofrer
Ôlará, ôlerê
Ô, Bahia, ai ai
Bahia que não me sai do pensamento
De encontrar nesse mundo o amor que eu perdi
Na Bahia, vou contar
Na Baixa do Sapateiro eu encontrei um dia
A morena mais frajola da Bahia
Pedi um beijo, não deu
Um abraço, sorriu
Pedi a mão, não quis dar, fugiu
Bahia, terra da felicidade
Morena, ah, morena
Eu ando louco de saudade
Meu Senhor do Bonfim
Arranje outra morena igualzinha pra mim
Ai, Bahia, ai ai
Bahia que não me sai do pensamento
Triste Bahia, triste Bahia
The lyrics to Gal Costa's "Na Baixa Do Sapateiro," or "In The Shoemaker's Neighborhood," speak of the complexities of love and the pain it can bring. The song opens with the repeated phrase "Ai, amor ai ai," which can be translated to "Oh, love, oh dear," expressing a sense of both joy and heartache. The lyrics go on to describe the experience of falling in love, feeling "envenenado," or poisoned, by the object of affection. This sets up the rest of the song, which speaks of the pain that love can bring, offering a lament in the face of a lost love.
The song also pays homage to Bahia, a state in northeastern Brazil and a cultural center of the country. The chorus repeatedly mentions "Bahia," longing for the place and its vibrancy. "Na Baixa do Sapateiro" is a specific neighborhood in Salvador, Bahia's capital city, where the singer supposedly encountered a beautiful woman. The song describes the singer's fruitless attempts to win her affection, culminating in the heartbreaking realization that she will not reciprocate. The final lines of the song express a deep sense of loss and sadness, lamenting the search for love in an uncertain world.
Line by Line Meaning
Ai, amor ai ai
Expressive phrase to convey deep feelings of love and affection.
Amor, bobagem que a gente não explica, ai ai
Love is something inexplicable, a fool's errand to try and explain.
Prova um bocadinho, oi
Try a little, taste a little bit of love.
Fica envenenado, oi
Getting caught up in love can be a toxic experience.
E pro resto da vida é um tal de sofrer
Once you experience the pain of love, it can haunt you the rest of your life.
Ôlará, ôlerê
Nonsense phrase used for emphasis, possibly to express joy or excitement.
Ô, Bahia, ai ai
Expressing a strong connection and fondness for the state of Bahia.
Bahia que não me sai do pensamento
Cannot stop thinking about the state of Bahia.
Faço o meu lamento na desesperança
Expressing sadness and despair while lamenting the difficulties of finding love in the world.
De encontrar nesse mundo o amor que eu perdi
Desperately searching for a lost love in a vast, cruel world.
Na Bahia, vou contar
Going to tell a story about an experience in Bahia.
Na Baixa do Sapateiro eu encontrei um dia
Found myself one day in the district of Sapateiro, Bahia.
A morena mais frajola da Bahia
Describing a brown-skinned woman as being charming and a bit shy.
Pedi um beijo, não deu
Asked for a kiss and was denied.
Um abraço, sorriu
Asked for a hug and received a smile.
Pedi a mão, não quis dar, fugiu
Asked for her hand and was rejected, she ran away.
Bahia, terra da felicidade
Bahia, a land of happiness and joy.
Morena, ah, morena
Describing the brown-skinned woman with affection and admiration.
Eu ando louco de saudade
Becoming crazed with longing and longing for someone or something.
Meu Senhor do Bonfim
Possibly a reference to a church that represents hope and faith.
Arranje outra morena igualzinha pra mim
Asking the universe to find another woman like the one he met in Bahia.
Ai, Bahia, ai ai
Continuing to express a deep connection and fondness for Bahia.
Triste Bahia, triste Bahia
Expressing sadness for the state of Bahia.
Contributed by Ellie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.