Maria Creuza Silva Lima (born in Esplanada, Bahia, Brazil on 26 February 19… Read Full Bio ↴Maria Creuza Silva Lima (born in Esplanada, Bahia, Brazil on 26 February 1944) is a Brazilian MPB singer. Included in the list of her successes are songs like "Festa no terreiro de Alaketu" (Antônio Carlos Pinto), "Mas que doidice" (Antônio Carlos and Jocafi), "Eu disse adeus" (Roberto Carlos), "Pois é" (Chico Buarque and Tom Jobim) and "Eu sei que vou te amar" (Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes).

When she was two years old, Maria Creuza moved with her family to El Salvador. As a teenager, she excelled as the singer of the group "Girls", which earned her an invitation to perform on radio programs. She recorded songs in English after being hired by a local label

In 1966, Creuza performed the song "Se Não Houvesse Maria" (composed by Antônio Carlos Pinto) at the festival "O Brasil Canta" ("Brazil Sings", from the now-defunct TV Excelsior). The following year, she sang "Festa no Terreiro de Alaketu" (also by Antônio Carlos) in the "III Festival de Música Popular Brasileira" (TV Record). That same year, she recorded the song and released a single that also included "Abolition" (Antônio Carlos). In 1969, the song "Mirante" (by Aldir Blanc and César Costa Filho) led to Creuza winning a first place award for Best Performer and third place in the "IV Festival Universitário Popular Song" in Rio de Janeiro. That year, Creuza performed "Catendê" (Antônio Carlos and Jocafi) in the "V Festival of Brazilian Popular Music" (TV Record).

In 1970, Creuza was invited by Vinícius de Moraes to join him for a tour of Uruguay (Punta del Este, with Dorival Caymmi) and Argentina (Mar del Plata, with Toquinho). While in Argentina, Crueze, de Moraes, and Toquinho recorded the album "Vinícius En La Fusa com Maria Creuza e Toquinho", which is considered to be one of the best LPs of live Brazilian music.

Garota de Ipanema
Maria Creuza Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Olha que coisa mais linda
Mais cheia de graça
É ela menina
Que vem e que passa
Num doce balanço, a caminho do mar

Moça do corpo dourado
Do sol de Ipanema

O seu balançado é mais que um poema
É a coisa mais linda que eu já vi passar

Ah, porque estou tão sozinho
Ah, porque tudo é tão triste
Ah, a beleza que existe
A beleza que não é só minha
Que também passa sozinha

Ah, se ela soubesse
Que quando ela passa
O mundo sorrindo se enche de graça

E fica mais lindo
Por causa do amor

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Maria Creuza's song Garota de Ipanema, or The Girl from Ipanema in English, take on a nostalgic and wistful tone as the singer describes a beautiful girl walking down the street, on her way to the beach. The girl is described as "more beautiful than grace" and her movements as she walks are said to be "more than a poem", indicating a sense of awe and admiration. The singer reflects on their own loneliness and sadness, but the girl's beauty brings a sense of joy and beauty to the world around her.

The lyrics are notable for their vivid imagery and sensory descriptions, particularly in the descriptions of the girl's physical appearance and the way she moves. The use of repetition in the lyrics, particularly in the "ah, porque" section, reinforces the singer's sense of longing and sorrow. Overall, the song is a celebration of beauty, youth, and the power of love to transform and uplift.

Line by Line Meaning

Olha que coisa mais linda
Behold, the most beautiful thing

Mais cheia de graça
So full of grace

É ela menina
She is a young girl

Que vem e que passa
Who comes and goes

Num doce balanço, a caminho do mar
With a sweet sway, on her way to the sea

Moça do corpo dourado
A young woman with a golden body

Do sol de Ipanema
From the Ipanema sun

O seu balançado é mais que um poema
Her swaying is more than a poem

É a coisa mais linda que eu já vi passar
It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen pass by

Ah, porque estou tão sozinho
Oh, why am I so alone

Ah, porque tudo é tão triste
Oh, why is everything so sad