Itamar Assumpção (September 13, 1949 — June 12, 2003) was a Brazilian song… Read Full Bio ↴Itamar Assumpção (September 13, 1949 — June 12, 2003) was a Brazilian songwriter and composer who was born in Tietê, São Paulo. Assumpção built a strong reputation in the Brazilian independent and alternative music scenes over two decades (1980s and 1990s), a situation that was especially the case in his home state of São Paulo.

Itamar Assumpção was one of the biggest names and contributors in the Vanguarda Paulista ("São Paulo Vanguard/Avant-garde" in English), an alternative scene that dominated São Paulo in the very late 70s and the first half of the 80s. This movement united artists who operated involuntarily outside of the established commercial music industry during an era that pre-dated the Internet, the politics of downloading and the contemporary indie music scene. The "Vanguarda" was responsible for launching many new talents and establishing a foundation for autonomous, self-sufficient music production (and subsequent release) by artists such as Arrigo Barnabé and Grupo Rumo.

Embalos
Itamar Assumpção Lyrics

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Girando

Girei esse tempo todo
Batendo de porta em porta
À procura de um abrigo
Um apego um horizonte

Tentando de cabo a rabo

São Paulo de ponta à ponta
Na batalha de sossego
Alívio ou mesmo a morte

Eu giro no embalo do sábado à noite
E a fila que não tem mais fim
Revela pra mim
Que o mundo gira assim

Eu giro no embalo do sábado à noite
E a fila que não tem mais fim
Revela pra mim
Que o mundo todo gira assim, que o mundo todo

Que o mundo todo gira assim, que o mundo todo
Que o mundo todo gira assim, que o mundo todo
Eu gira o mundo, embalo, embalo
Gira o mundo (mas que o mundo todo)
Embalo o mundo, giro no giro
Giro no giro

Tentando de cabo a rabo
São Paulo de ponta à ponta
Na batalha de sossego
Alívio ou mesmo a morte

Eu giro no embalo do sábado à noite
E a fila que não tem mais fim
Revela pra mim
Que o mundo gira assim

Eu giro no embalo do sábado à noite
E a fila que não tem mais fim
Revela pra mim
Que o mundo gira assim

Que o mundo todo gira
Que o mundo todo gira assim
Que o mundo todo gira
Que o mundo todo gira assim
Que o mundo todo

Eu gira o mundo, embalo, embalo
Gira o mundo giro no giro
Embalo o mundo, giro no giro
Giro no giro

E que o mundo todo
Embalo embalo giro no giro
Girei esse tempo todo
Girei esse tempo todo
Girei esse tempo todo
Girei esse tempo todo
Girei esse tempo todo
Girei esse tempo todo
Girei esse tempo todo
Girei esse tempo todo

Girei esse tempo todo
Girei esse tempo todo

Overall Meaning

The song "Embalos" by Itamar Assumpção speaks about the artist's struggle to find his place in the world. The lyrics describe how he has been wandering from door to door, searching for shelter, attachment, and a horizon. He has been trying to cover the entire city of São Paulo, from one end to the other, in a quest for peace, relief, or even death. The repetition of "girei esse tempo todo" ("I've been spinning all this time") emphasizes his aimless, circular movement and his inability to find a fixed point of reference. The chorus, "Eu giro no embalo do sábado à noite" ("I spin in the groove of Saturday night"), suggests that this spinning and searching is a way to cope with the mundane and oppressive realities of everyday life in the city. The endless queue also symbolizes the monotony and futility of his attempts to find meaning.

The song can be interpreted as a social commentary on the difficulties faced by many people in urban centers, as they struggle to survive and make sense of their lives. Itamar Assumpção himself was known for his distinctive style of music, which combined elements of avant-garde, rock, and Brazilian regional rhythms. His lyrics often addressed themes of social inequality, injustice, and the complexities of human relationships. "Embalos" is a standout track from his album "Beleléu, Leléu, Eu", released in 1987, which became a landmark record of the Brazilian music scene.

Line by Line Meaning

Girei esse tempo todo
I've been spinning all this time

Batendo de porta em porta
Knocking from door to door

À procura de um abrigo
In search of a shelter

Um apego um horizonte
A connection, a horizon

Tentando de cabo a rabo
Trying from end to end

São Paulo de ponta à ponta
São Paulo from one end to the other

Na batalha de sossego
In the battle for tranquility

Alívio ou mesmo a morte
Relief or even death

Eu giro no embalo do sábado à noite
I spin to the rhythm of Saturday night

E a fila que não tem mais fim
And the never-ending line

Revela pra mim
Reveals to me