Luísa Sobral. A voice, guitar, paper and pen. From this an entire musical u… Read Full Bio ↴Luísa Sobral. A voice, guitar, paper and pen. From this an entire musical universe is created in each composition. 24 years of open choices. Instinctive and expectant. «The Cherry on my Cake» is the fruit of all those possibilities. Songs full of images. Videos that are imagined for the rhythm of each song. It’s her first full-length album under in her own name, outcome of a musical journey that started at the early age of 12.

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.

Saiu para a Rua
Luísa Sobral Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Saiu decidida para a rua
Com a carteira castanha
E o saia-casaco escuro
Tantos anos tantas noites
Sem sequer uma loucura

Ele saiu sem dizer nada
Talvez fosse ao teatro chino

Vai regressar de madrugada
E acordá-la cheio de vinho

Tantos anos tantas noites
Sem nunca sentir a paixão
Foram já as bodas de prata
Comemoradas em solidão

Pôs um pouco de baton
E um leve toque de pintura
Tirou do cabelo o travessão
E devolveu ao rosto a candura

Saiu para a rua insegura
Vagueou sem direcção
Sorriu a um homem com tremura

E sentiu escorrer do coração
A humidade quente da loucura

Overall Meaning

Luísa Sobral's song "Saiu para a Rua" tells the story of a couple that has been married for many years, but without love or excitement. The lyrics describe the wife getting ready to go out, putting on some makeup and taking off her hair clip. She leaves the house feeling insecure and lost, but still hopeful for something that could reignite the passion and love that has long been gone. Meanwhile, the husband also leaves the house, without saying a word, for a night out that could bring him back drunk and ecstatic.

The lyrics evoke the feeling of desperation that the couple feels, highlighting the fact that despite their long years of marriage, they have never experienced any passion together. The wife hopes to find some thrill and excitement outside, while the husband seems to have given up on their marriage and seeks pleasures in alcohol and maybe other activities. The use of the phrase "humidade quente da loucura" (the hot dampness of madness) in the last line of the song suggests that the wife has finally found what she was looking for and also hints that their marriage might not survive this newfound passion.

Luísa Sobral's "Saiu para a Rua" explores themes of love, loss, and desperation, highlighting the fact that even though people can be married for decades, they can still feel lonely and unfulfilled.

Line by Line Meaning

Saiu decidida para a rua
She left resolutely for the street

Com a carteira castanha
With her brown purse

E o saia-casaco escuro
And her dark skirt-jacket

Tantos anos tantas noites
So many years, so many nights

Sem sequer uma loucura
Without even a hint of wildness

Ele saiu sem dizer nada
He left without saying anything

Talvez fosse ao teatro chino
Perhaps he went to the Chinese theater

Vai regressar de madrugada
He'll come back in the early morning

E acordá-la cheio de vinho
And wake her up drunk

Tantos anos tantas noites
So many years, so many nights

Sem nunca sentir a paixão
Without ever feeling passion