Daughter of musicians Dorival Caymmi and Stella Maris, and sibling of Danil… Read Full Bio ↴Daughter of musicians Dorival Caymmi and Stella Maris, and sibling of Danilo and Dori Caymmi, Nana was raised in one of the most musical families in Brazil. Nana started singing at an early age and adopted a singular technique which enhanced her low pitch voice. In 1961 she recorded her father's song "Acalanto", and then moved with her husband to Venezuela, an withdrawing from the music bizz for that period. Back in Brazil, Nana released her first album "Nana", for the record label Elenco, which belonged to the music producer Aloysio de Oliveira. In 1966, Nana performed the song "Saveiros" (Dori Caymmi/ Nelson Motta) at the First International Song Festival and was placed first. She has also worked abroad with Sarah Vaughan and Sergio Mendes.

Se Queres Saber
Nana Caymmi Lyrics

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Se queres saber
Se eu te amo ainda
Procura entender
A minha mágoa infinda
Olha bem nos meus olhos
Quando eu falo contigo
E vê quanta coisa
Eles dizem que eu não digo

O olhar de quem ama diz
O que o coração não quer

Nunca mais eu serei feliz
Enquanto vida eu tiver

Overall Meaning

In "Se Queres Saber," Nana Caymmi sings about a love that has ended but still lingers within her. The lyrics describe the singer's immense pain and heartbreak and her inability to move on from the love that has left her. The first verse urges the listener to understand the constant agony that the singer is dealing with due to her unending hurt, despite her love still being present. The line "Olha bem nos meus olhos, quando eu falo contigo" invites the listener to look into her eyes to understand how much pain she is carrying, even as she speaks. The final verse declares that the singer can never find happiness again as long as she is living, suggesting that she will always carry the pain of her lost love with her, no matter how she tries to push it away.

Line by Line Meaning

Se queres saber
If you want to know

Se eu te amo ainda
If I still love you

Procura entender
Try to understand

A minha mágoa infinda
My endless sorrow

Olha bem nos meus olhos
Look deep into my eyes

Quando eu falo contigo
When I talk to you

E vê quanta coisa
And see how much

Eles dizem que eu não digo
They say that I don't say

O olhar de quem ama diz
The look of someone who loves says

O que o coração não quer
What the heart doesn't want

Nunca mais eu serei feliz
I will never be happy again