The empathy with the musical instruments started with the guitar. It was with the guitar that she realised were the chords of her parent’s music come from. From The Beatles and from many others. And it was on an early age that she gave herself to the unique melodies that the jazz immortalized. The capacity of a melody to stand by itself, without the instruments. She embraced such artists as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzerald, Chet Baker, and many others and with them in her heart she set off to the Berklee College of Music, in Boston, USA, to study music. In her 4 year stay in Boston she was nominated for the «Best Jazz Song» at the Malibu Music Awards (2008); «Best Jazz Artist» at the Hollywood Music Awards ; «International Songwriting Competition» (2007) and «The John Lennon Songwriting Competition» (2008).
More than being nominated or completing her studies, Luísa was also discovering herself every year that went by. Her musical identity would further develop in New York, where she moved after finish her degree in Boston (2009). In her bags a lot of what would eventually give shape to songs that where already wandering inside her head. Hers and her mother’s who confessed to her she had dreamed that her first album would be called «The Cherry on My Cake». Maternal magic that made a dream come true.
The learning of the jazz standards, the practice done by playing a Brazilian music in bars and the stamina of her creativity all filtered into songs that would either gain live in paper or in chords. One after another. Well thought melodies with images inside. «I Would Love To», «Don`t Let Me Down», «Why Should I», among other songs that came together in an EP («My Funny Clementine»). The emphasis on the starting theme was obvious: «Not There Yet». A triple time rhythm, like a jazz waltz, colorful, an imposing chorus and violins in heaven. The record composition wasn’t to become limited to the English language. Between trips to and from Portugal, Luisa performed at the Super Bock Super Rock festival in Stock 2009. At this gig she mentions how much she would like to have a song in Portuguese. Upon her return to the States Luisa sketches a poem and melody for “O Engraxador” (the shoe shine man). That is followed by “Xico and Dolores”. For the upcoming record the will for a Portuguese cover song was still very much present. Nobody would be better to fill this part than Rui Veloso, artist that Luisa’s father listens to insistently. Luisa registers Carlos Te’s lyric and tries a different version of “Saiu para a Rua”.
«The Cherry on my Cake» is the result of all of this: of the person who dreams to live in Paris - totally inspired by French cinema. Result of the hectic New York vibe, of the familiar affection for Lisbon. From Regina Spektor to Elis Regina. From Billie Holiday to Bjork. From the 50’s to ingenuousness. From sound to image. From voice and talent: “I have a good life” she concludes.
Não Sei Ser
Luísa Sobral Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E me acorda bem devagar
Vejo se decidiste voltar
E a desilusão faz de mim derrotista
Balanço na corda da vida como um equilibrista
Não sei ser não sei ser sem ti
Não sei ser não sei ser sem ti
Já só com um sopro canto
Até que ele chegue ao fim
E há um vazio no peito
Um não saber ser por direito
E algo que sem se ver
Faz-me um ser imperfeito
Não sei ser não sei ser sem ti
Não sei ser não sei ser sem ti
Já só com um sopro canto
Já só com um sopro canto ah ah ah
Ah ah ah até que ele chegue ao fim
The lyrics of "Não Sei Ser" by Luísa Sobral reflect a deep sense of longing and emptiness in the singer's heart. The song begins with the imagery of the morning starting anew, gently waking the singer, who eagerly looks to see if their beloved has returned. However, the disappointment of their absence weighs heavily on the singer, leading them to feel defeated and unsteady in the balancing act of life.
The repeated refrain of "Não sei ser sem ti" (I don't know how to be without you) underscores the singer's dependency on the presence of their loved one. This reliance is so ingrained in their being that they struggle to imagine a life without that person by their side. The vulnerability and raw emotion conveyed through these words reveal the depth of the singer's attachment and the void felt in their absence.
As the singer continues to sing with just a whisper of a voice, it hints at their fragile state, where even the act of singing feels like a struggle. The emptiness in their chest and the uncertainty of not knowing how to exist without their loved one further emphasize the sense of incompleteness and imperfection that plagues them in their absence.
The final lines of the song express a poignant longing for the return of the loved one, symbolized by a mere breath, a sigh carried through the lyrics. The repetition of "Já só com um sopro canto" (I sing with just a breath) echoes the singer's yearning for the end of their loneliness, suggesting that their song will only find completion when their beloved finally returns. Through these heartfelt lyrics, Luísa Sobral captures the essence of love and loss, the struggle to find oneself in the absence of a significant other, and the enduring hope for their eventual return.
Line by Line Meaning
Assim que nasce a manhã
As soon as the morning begins
E me acorda bem devagar
And gently wakes me up
Vejo se decidiste voltar
I see if you decided to come back
E a desilusão faz de mim derrotista
And disappointment turns me into a defeatist
Balanço na corda da vida como um equilibrista
I balance on the tightrope of life like a tightrope walker
Não sei ser não sei ser sem ti
I don't know how to be, I don't know how to be without you
Já só com um sopro canto
I sing with just one breath left
Até que ele chegue ao fim
Until it reaches the end
E há um vazio no peito
And there's an emptiness in my chest
Um não saber ser por direito
A not knowing how to be properly
E algo que sem se ver
And something that, without being seen
Faz-me um ser imperfeito
Makes me an imperfect being
Já só com um sopro canto
I sing with just one breath left
Já só com um sopro canto ah ah ah
I sing with just one breath left, ah ah ah
Ah ah ah até que ele chegue ao fim
Ah ah ah until it reaches the end
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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