Viva Zapátria
MPB-4 Lyrics


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Esse meu sangue fervendo de amor
Aterrisam falcões, onde estou?
Carabinas, sorriso, onde estou?

Um compromisso a sirene chamou
Duplicatas, meu senso de humor
Se perdeu na cidade onde estou.
Viva Zapátria, saudou esse meu senhor
Beijos, abraços, ano um chegou
Salve Zapátria, ê, viva Zapátria, ê
Esta cidade foi uma herança só.

Viva Zapátria, saudando o senhor




Horizonte aberto onde estou
Esta América mãe onde estou.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to MPB-4's song "Viva Zapátria" are filled with powerful metaphors and allusions to the struggles and triumphs of the Latin American people. The first verse describes the singer's "blood boiling with love," which makes falcons (a symbol of power and authority) land wherever they are. The second line refers to "rifles and smiles," suggesting a tension between violence and happiness, while the last line of the verse poses a question about the singer's current location.


The chorus of the song is a call to celebrate Zapátria, which can be understood as a metaphor for Latin America itself. The word "Zapátria" seems to be a combination of "Zapatista" (a revolutionary movement in Mexico) and "pátria" (homeland), invoking a sense of national pride and resistance. The verse that follows the chorus describes the singer's sense of duty to the cause, as exemplified by the sound of a siren calling them to action. The line "duplicatas, meu senso de humor" (duplicates, my sense of humor) could be interpreted as a reference to the duplicity required of revolutionaries, who must often conceal their true intentions with a smiling face. The final line of the verse repeats the question from the first verse, underscoring the sense of disorientation and displacement.


The final verse of the song is a celebration of the beauty and power of Latin America, embodied in the "horizon" and the "mother" that comprise the singer's current location. The repetition of "Viva Zapátria" emphasizes the importance of solidarity and unity in the face of oppression and inequality.


Line by Line Meaning

Esse meu sangue fervendo de amor
My blood boiling with love


Aterrisam falcões, onde estou?
Falcons landing, where am I?


Carabinas, sorriso, onde estou?
Rifles, smile, where am I?


Um compromisso a sirene chamou
A commitment called by the siren


Duplicatas, meu senso de humor
Duplicates, my sense of humor


Se perdeu na cidade onde estou.
Lost in the city where I am.


Viva Zapátria, saudou esse meu senhor
Long live Zapátria, greeted by my lord


Beijos, abraços, ano um chegou
Kisses, hugs, year one arrived


Salve Zapátria, ê, viva Zapátria, ê
Hail Zapátria, oh, long live Zapátria, oh


Esta cidade foi uma herança só.
This city was an inheritance only.


Viva Zapátria, saudando o senhor
Long live Zapátria, saluting the lord


Horizonte aberto onde estou
Open horizon where I am


Esta América mãe onde estou.
This mother America where I am.




Contributed by Nathan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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