Born on July 13, 1946, in Ponte Nova, Minas Gerais, João Bosco's profession was engineering when he moved to Rio de Janeiro, where his songs were also recorded by Elis Regina and were a success. He soon became admired as a versatile vocalist and a dynamic performer. João Bosco has been noted for "his singular fusion of Arab culture, Afro-American music and Brazilian styles bossa nova," influenced by American jazz.
Escadas Da Penha
João Bosco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Penou no cotoco de vela
Velou a doideira da chama
Chamou o seu anjo-de-guarda
Guardou o remorso num canto
Cantou a mentira da nega
Negou o ciúme que mata
Matou o amigo de ala
Tá lá
Tá lá o valete
No meio das cartas
No jogo dos búzios
Tá lá no risco da pemba
No giro da pomba
No som do atabaque
Tá lá
E tá no cigarro, no copo de cana
Na roda de samba, tá lá
Nos olhos da nega na faca do crime
No caco do espelho no gol do seu time
Tá lá o amigo de ala
O amigo de ala
Matou o ciúme que mata
Negou a mentira da nêga
Cantou o remorso num canto
Guardou o seu anjo-de-guarda
Chamou a doideira da chama
Velou no cotoco da vela
Penou nas Escadas da Penha
The lyrics to the song Escadas Da Penha by João Bosco speak of a person who climbs up the stairs of Penha and has a lot of inner struggles and conflicts. The person is holding onto a half-burnt candle and this represents the last bit of hope they have left. They seek protection from their guardian angel, as they try to overcome their feelings of guilt and remorse, which they try to hide in a dark corner. The song also touches on the themes of jealousy, lying, betrayal, and how one's actions can harm others.
The second part of the song speaks about the presence of a "valete", which represents the jack of the cards, and is often associated with deceit or betrayal. The song goes on to say that this presence can be found everywhere, from the game of cards, to divination tools such as the "búzios", and even in religious practices such as "pemba" and "atabaque". The lyrics suggest that this jack, or traitor, can be found in places of enjoyment and leisure, such as smoking a cigarette, drinking alcohol, or singing samba. The song reaches its climax when it talks about the ultimate betrayal, the killing of a friend, who was once present by the singer's side.
Line by Line Meaning
Nas escadas da Penha
At the Penha stairs
Penou no cotoco de vela
Suffered at the candle stub
Velou a doideira da chama
Watched over the craziness of the flame
Chamou o seu anjo-de-guarda
Called upon their guardian angel
Guardou o remorso num canto
Kept their remorse in a corner
Cantou a mentira da nega
Sang the lies of their beloved
Negou o ciúme que mata
Denied the jealousy that kills
Matou o amigo de ala
Killed their friend from the same samba wing
Tá lá
It's there
Tá lá o valete
The jack is there
No meio das cartas
In the middle of the cards
No jogo dos búzios
In the Ifá divination game
Tá lá no risco da pemba
It's there in the chalk line
No giro da pomba
In the spin of the dove
No som do atabaque
In the sound of the atabaque drum
Tá lá
It's there
E tá no cigarro, no copo de cana
And it's in the cigarette, in the cup of liquor
Na roda de samba, tá lá
In the samba circle, it's there
Nos olhos da nega na faca do crime
In the eyes of their beloved at the scene of the crime
No caco do espelho no gol do seu time
In the mirror shard, in the goal of their team
Tá lá o amigo de ala
Their friend from the same samba wing is there
O amigo de ala
Their friend from the same samba wing
Matou o ciúme que mata
Killed the jealousy that kills
Negou a mentira da nêga
Denied the lies of their beloved
Cantou o remorso num canto
Sang their remorse in a corner
Guardou o seu anjo-de-guarda
Saved their guardian angel
Chamou a doideira da chama
Summoned the craziness of the flame
Velou no cotoco da vela
Watched over the candle stub
Penou nas Escadas da Penha
Suffered at the Penha stairs
Contributed by Victoria V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Saul Cunha
A Mocidade independente se apossou dessa obra prima, com a bateria da Mocidade ficou genial... Uma musica feita pra Mocidade...
Kaique Marques
Foda pra caralho
Raphael Leme
Bem Rock n Roll!
Rick Bronson
hell yes