Certas Cancoes
Nascimento Milton Lyrics

The lyrics of Milton Nascimento's song "Certas Canções" evoke a deep sense of introspection and emotional resonance. The singer reflects on certain songs that resonate so deeply within them that they feel as though they were personally crafted for them. The lyrics convey a sense of wonder and disbelief that something so profound and moving could exist separately from the singer's own creation, prompting them to question how they did not compose these songs themselves.

The imagery of a particular emotion reaching out and piercing the singer's soul without causing any pain conveys the idea of the power of music to touch us at a fundamental level. The metaphor of songs arriving like love further emphasizes the transformative and intimate nature of music, suggesting that these melodies and lyrics can mirror the intensity and depth of human connection.

The reference to "Contos da água e do fogo" (Tales of water and fire) and "Cacos de vidas no chão" (Shards of lives on the ground) conjures images of life's elements and the fragments of experiences scattered around us. The idea of letters from the dream of the people and the heart belonging to the singer speaks to the universal and personal nature of music, how it can both reflect collective stories and deeply individual emotions.

The final verses bring together a vivid tapestry of contrasting elements - life and its wounds, rain and autumn, coal and chalk, shelter and vulnerability. The imagery of a wet gesture in a gaze, and the dual nature of heat that both burns and encourages, draws a parallel with the transformative power of love that both consumes and inspires. The repetition of "Calor que invade, arde / Queima, encoraja / Amor que invade, arde / Carece de cantar" underscores the overwhelming and ineffable nature of these experiences that are so profound that they defy simple expression.