Desafinado
Gal Costa Antonio Carlos Jobim Lyrics


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Se você disser que eu desafino, amor
Saiba que isso em mim provoca imensa dor
Só privilegiados têm ouvido igual ao seu
Eu possuo apenas o que Deus me deu

Se você insisted em classificar
meu comportamento de antimusical
Eu mesmo mentindo Devo argumentar
Que isto é bossa nova Que isto é muito natural

O que você não sabe nem sequer pressente
é que os desafinados também têm um coração

Fotografei você na minha Rolleyflex
Revelou-se a sua enorme ingratidão
Só não poderá falar assim do meu amor
Este é o maior que você pode encontrar

Você com a sua música esqueceu o principal
é que no peito dos desafinados
No fundo do peito bate calado




Que no peito dos desafinados
também bate um coração

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Desafinado" by Gal Costa Antonio Carlos Jobim begin with the singer acknowledging their imperfections and limitations. They express their sensitivity and pain when their loved one tells them they are out of tune. The singer admits that their ear may not be as refined as their loved one's, but it doesn't mean they don't have the ability to feel and experience music. The second verse seems like a response to criticism the singer has received for their unconventional style. They try to justify themselves by saying that what they do is bossa nova, a genre that prides itself on breaking the traditional rules of music.


The third verse is a bit more playful as the singer reveals that they captured an image of their lover on a Rolleiflex camera. However, their joy is short-lived as they are hurt by their lover's ingratitude. The singer then reminds their lover that the greatest thing they can offer is their love. The final verse is a gentle plea to the lover to not be dismissive of those who are "off-key." The singer points out that even the imperfect have hearts that beat with the rhythm of music.


Overall, the lyrics are a tribute to bossa nova, a musical style that emerged in Brazil in the late 1950s. The genre was known for its soft melodies, gentle rhythms, and unconventional chord progressions. Bossa nova was a fusion of Brazilian samba, jazz, and other Western musical styles. The lyrics of "Desafinado" capture the essence of the bossa nova movement, which celebrated the beauty of imperfection and challenged the conventional notions of what music should sound like.


Line by Line Meaning

Se você disser que eu desafino, amor
If you say that I sing off-key, my love


Saiba que isso em mim provoca imensa dor
Know that this causes immense pain in me


Só privilegiados têm ouvido igual ao seu
Only privileged ones have an ear like yours


Eu possuo apenas o que Deus me deu
I only have what God gave me


Se você insistir em classificar
If you insist on classifying


Meu comportamento de antimusical
My behavior as anti-musical


Eu mesmo mentindo devo argumentar
Even if I have to lie, I must argue


Que isto é bossa nova que isto é muito natural
That this is bossa nova, that this is very natural


O que você não sabe nem sequer pressente
What you don't know or even suspect


é que os desafinados também têm um coração
Is that even the off-key ones have a heart


Fotografei você na minha Rolleyflex
I photographed you with my Rolleiflex


Revelou-se a sua enorme ingratidão
Your enormous ingratitude was revealed


Só não poderá falar assim do meu amor
You can't speak like that about my love


Este é o maior que você pode encontrar
This is the greatest you can find


Você com a sua música esqueceu o principal
You, with your music, forgot the main thing


é que no peito dos desafinados
That in the hearts of the off-key ones


No fundo do peito bate calado
Deep down beats silently


Que no peito dos desafinados
That in the hearts of the off-key ones


Também bate um coração
A heart also beats




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION
Written by: ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM, NEWTON MENDONCA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@rodrigoborquez7349

Mi corazón está de luto. Una de las voces más grandes de mi música favorita. Descansa en paz y vuela alto Gal. Desde Chile con amor....

@lilytoniolo9387

I live in Dallas Texas USA. I bought her CD and all the songs are fantastic. She came to NYC and gave a concert at Carnegie Hall and I was fortunate to be able to attend and she autographed CD. It was absolutely fantastic!

@humbertomoreno141

I loved her, the purity of her voice, her unique and melodious accent, which filled our souls with peace and joy. How sad that she is no longer with us! . Rest in peace Gal Costa

@bettypolk8206

Unfortunately it was a great loss for all of us who had known her for her wonderful voice and talented singer and great musician... Perdemos um grande talento da nossa música brasileira 😢💔

@roselimichelonfernandes5964

Unfortunately we lost our queen. So sad she is gone

@iandowney4630

I’m from Boston, Massachusetts and I’ve been listening to many different styles of Brazilian music since I was a kid. I have no idea how anyone could NOT love Gal! Her voice is among the very best in the entire world, in my opinion. I, too, had the great honor of seeing her perform in Boston- with Dori Caymmi- in 2001, which was two months after the 9/11 attack. I’ll never forget that show! Whether she was singing Jobim, Djavan, Jorge Ben, or singing with Filhos de Gandhi, her voice more than met the moment. In my 60 years, I don’t think I’ve heard a more beautiful and versatile voice. Maybe Ella Fitzgerald. I only wish that more people in this country (US) would listen to Brazilian music. God forgive them for they know not what they do.
My deepest condolences to her family, friends and to Brazil 🇧🇷 for the loss of this amazing musical, cultural and historical icon. She leaves the entire world with a very significant body of music for us and future generations to fall in love with again and again.
A voz dela será enfiada no tecido do universo pra sempre ❤ I hope my português wasn’t too bad.

@roselimichelonfernandes5964

@@iandowney4630 wow thats beautiful. To see how her voice and art touched you deeply just like many brazilians. And you are right Gal is one of the few singers that NO ONE would ever dare to criticize, she actually helped to built the pop culture we have now. She was truly the IT girl WITH TALENT for DECADES. From when i was a girl up until her death she never lost the power with the crowd and the adoration of really the entire country.

6 More Replies...

@joshcardin2783

She is one of the 10 best voices in all world in all times ever....

@FATIMAGARCIA302

Totally agreed!

@mairamiguel7420

I also agree!

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