Escravos Modernos
Garotos da Rua Lyrics

The lyrics of Garotos da Rua's song "Escravos modernos" speak of a stagnant and hopeless reality. The first two lines of the song - "Aqui nunca teve guerra, aqui ninguém tem pressa" (Here there has never been war, here no one is in a hurry) - suggest a place that lacks energy and urgency. Many of the lines in the song are in direct contrast to each other. For example, "As coisas podem mudar, mas sem sair do lugar" (Things can change, but without moving from the spot) suggests a meaningless kind of change, while "você quer, mas não pode/ter voz, mas não goza" (you want to, but cannot/have a voice, but cannot enjoy) conveys a feeling of frustration and powerlessness. The repeated phrase "Tudo pode ser quando Deus quiser" (Anything can be when God wills it) suggests a reliance on fate or divine intervention to bring about change, perhaps because progress seems impossible through human effort alone.

Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the lives of "modern slaves" who are trapped in a cycle of poverty, powerlessness and hopelessness. The phrase "escravos modernos" (modern slaves) in the title reinforces this theme. The song may also be suggesting that society has become complacent and stagnant, with no hope for real progress apart from a kind of blind faith in divine intervention.