Lobão, born João Luiz Woerdenbag Filho (Rio de Janeiro, October 11, 1957) i… Read Full Bio ↴Lobão, born João Luiz Woerdenbag Filho (Rio de Janeiro, October 11, 1957) is a Brazilian rock and MPB singer. He also plays the drums and guitar. Lobão has a reputation for having little inhibition in expressing his opinions bluntly and publicly criticizing fellow musicians, which led to a notable number of estrangements and
enmities.

His best-known recent estrangements is a break-up with the record industry. Claiming that all major labels are conspiring to deceive their own artists (by under reporting sales and using piracy as a scapegoat), he set an independent distribution plan to sell music CDs on newsstands and the Internet.

Thus far, this endeavor has been very successful: his recent albums sold well and were critically acclaimed. He also created a magazine, Outracoisa (literally: "Something else" or "Another thing"), which comes bundled with a music CD of independent artists.

Como Vovó Já Dizia
Lobão Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Como vovу jб dizia
Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
(Mas nгo й bem verdade)
Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Hum

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Minha vу jб me dizia
Prб eu sair sem me molhar
Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Mas a chuva й minha amiga
E eu nгo vou me resfriar

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
A serpente estб na terra
O programa estб no ar
Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
A formiga sу trabalha
Porque nгo sabe cantar

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Quem nгo tem filй
Come pгo e osso duro
Quem nгo tem visгo
Bate a cara contra o muro
Uuuuuuuh

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Й tanta coisa no menu
Que eu nгo sei o que comer
Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Josй Newton jб dizia:
"Se subiu tem que descer"

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Sу com a praia bem deserta
Й que o sol pode nascer
Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
A banana й vitamina
Que engorda e faz crescer

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Quem nгo tem filй
Come pгo e osso duro
Quem nгo tem visгo
Bate a cara contra o muro

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Solta a serpente
Hari Krishna
Hari Krishna

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Quem nгo tem filй
Come pгo e osso duro
Quem nгo tem visгo
Bate a cara contra o muro
Uhuuuu

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Й tanta coisa no menu
Que eu nгo sei o que comer
Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Sу com a praia bem deserta
Й que o sol pode nascer

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Josй Newton jб dizia
"Se subiu tem que descer"
Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
A banana й vitamina
Que engorda e faz crescer

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Minha vу jб me dizia
Prб eu sair sem me molhar
Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
Mas a chuva й minha amiga
E eu nгo vou me resfriar

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
A serpente tб na terra
E o programa estб no ar
Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro
A formiga sу trabalha
Porque nгo sabe cantar

Quem nгo tem colнrio
Usa уculos escuro

Overall Meaning

The lyrics for Lobão's song "Como Vovó Já Dizia" (As Grandma Used to Say) seem to be a collection of seemingly unrelated phrases and proverbs, joined by the repeated line "Quem não tem colírio/ Usa óculos escuro" (Those who don't have eye drops/ Wear dark glasses). The opening line introduces the idea that people who don't have eye drops to treat dry eyes will wear sunglasses instead. However, the singer points out that this idea is not entirely true. The following lines continue to use the phrase as a sort of refrain, but the topics covered range from advice about avoiding rain ("Minha vó já me dizia/ Prá eu sair sem me molhar" - "My grandmother used to tell me/ To go out without getting wet") to a comparison between ants and humans ("A formiga só trabalha/ Porque não sabe cantar" - "An ant only works/ Because it can't sing") to a reference to the popular Indian religious chant "Hari Krishna."

This seemingly disconnected stream of thoughts and proverbs may be interpreted in a few different ways. On one level, it could be seen as a commentary on the way that trite phrases and adages are often thrown around in everyday conversation without much thought to their underlying meaning. The repetition of the "Quem não tem colírio" line could be seen as a way of highlighting this tendency towards lazy clichés. On another level, it might be a playful mockery of the way that seemingly wise sayings can be contradictory or overly simplistic. The various phrases chosen seem to span a wide range of topics and tones, from humorous to serious to nonsensical. In the end, the song could be interpreted as an invitation to reflect on the things we say and how we say them, or simply enjoyed as a collection of disconnected musings.

Line by Line Meaning

Como vovу jб dizia
As my grandmother used to say

Quem nгo tem colнrio
If one doesn't have eye drops

Usa уculos escuro
They wear dark glasses

(Mas nгo й bem verdade)
(But that's not quite true)

Minha vу jб me dizia
My grandmother already told me

Prб eu sair sem me molhar
To go outside without getting wet

Mas a chuva й minha amiga
But rain is my friend

E eu nгo vou me resfriar
And I won't catch a cold

A serpente estб na terra
The snake is on the ground

O programa estб no ar
The TV show is on air

A formiga sу trabalha
The ant only works