A Felicidade
Jobim Tom Lyrics

The lyrics of the song A felicidade by Jobim Tom convey a bittersweet message about happiness and sadness. The first two lines of the song sum up this theme - tristeza não tem fim (sadness has no end) and felicidade, sim (happiness, yes). The lyrics then go on to describe how happiness is fleeting, like a feather carried by the wind. Happiness may be light and easy, but it has a short life span and requires constant wind to sustain it.

The song also portrays how the pursuit of happiness can be like chasing a dream that never materializes. The happiness of the poor, the lyrics say, is like the great illusion of carnival - something that people work and dream for, but which disappears almost as soon as it is attained. The reference to costumes like kings, pirates, and gardeners shows how people try to create temporary happiness by pretending to be someone else, but ultimately the happiness fades away and everything comes to an end on Ash Wednesday.

The last verse of the song takes a more positive turn and talks about where the singer's happiness lies. He finds it in the eyes of his girlfriend and in the passing of time as they search for daybreak. It's a delicate happiness, one that needs to be handled with care, so as not to disappear. The song thus offers a message that happiness isn't permanent, but can be found in brief moments and needs to be cherished as such.