Corcovado
João Gilberto; Stan Getz Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Quiet nights of quiet stars
Quiet chords from my guitar
Floating on the silence
That surrounds us

Quiet thoughts and quiet dreams
Quiet walks by quiet streams
And a window that looks out
On Corcovado
Oh, how lovely

Um cantinho, um violão
Esse amor, uma canção
Pra fazer feliz
A quem se ama

Muita calma pra pensar
E ter tempo pra sonhar
Da janela vê-se o Corcovado
O Redentor, que lindo

Quero a vida sempre assim
Com você perto de mim
Até o apagar da velha chama

E eu, que era triste
Descrente desse mundo
Ao encontrar você eu conheci
O que é felicidade, meu amor

Quero a vida sempre assim
Com você perto de mim
Até o apagar da velha chama

E eu, que era triste
Descrente desse mundo




Ao encontrar você eu conheci
O que é a felicidade, meu amor

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Corcovado describe a serene and romantic scene of two lovers sitting in a corner with a guitar and a song in hand. The chorus emphasizes the importance of remaining calm and taking the time to dream and think, all while admiring the beautiful sight of the Corcovado mountain from the window. The singer expresses his desire to keep this tranquil and happy life with his loved one by his side and to never let the flame of their affection extinguish. The final verse shows the transformative power of love, as the singer reveals that he was once a miserable and cynical person until he found love in the form of his current partner.


This song is not only musically beautiful but also has a deep cultural significance, particularly in Brazil. Corcovado is the name of a mountain in Rio de Janeiro that is home to the Christ the Redeemer statue, a symbol of Catholicism and Brazilian culture. The song, written and performed by Brazilian musician João Gilberto, has become a symbolic anthem for the city of Rio and Brazilian music as a whole. Additionally, the song's collaboration between Gilberto and American saxophonist Stan Getz helped bridge the musical gap between Brazil and the United States, leading to the popularization of bossa nova in America.


Line by Line Meaning

Um cantinho e um violão
A quiet corner and a guitar


Este amor, uma canção
This love, a song


Pra fazer feliz a quem se ama
To make happy the one you love


Muita calma pra pensar
A lot of calm to think


E ter tempo pra sonhar
And time to dream


Da janela vê-se o Corcovado
From the window one can see the Corcovado


O Redentor que lindo
The beautiful Redeemer


Quero a vida sempre assim com você perto de mim
I want life always like this, with you close to me


Até o apagar da velha chama
Until the old flame goes out


E eu que era triste
And I, who was sad


Descrente deste mundo
Disbelieving in this world


Ao encontrar você eu conheci
Upon finding you, I discovered


O que é felicidade meu amor
What happiness is, my love


O que é felicidade, o que é felicidade
What happiness is, what happiness is




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Antonio Carlos Jobim

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions