Boleros
Sabonetes Lyrics

The lyrics of Sabonetes' song Boleros are a beautiful ode to saudade, a complex and unique feeling of nostalgia, longing, and melancholy that is deeply rooted in the Brazilian and Portuguese culture. The opening verses perfectly capture the bittersweet essence of saudade, as the singer yearns for a lost loved one, a part of them that seems to have escaped forever. "Saudade/ É a parte de mim que corre/ Metade/ Teu pedaço em mim que foge/ Vontade/ De tão forte a carne treme/ Saudade/ É a mão que assume o leme" The use of sailing imagery is particularly striking here, as the hand that holds the rudder of the ship becomes a metaphor for the controlling power of saudade over the singer's feelings.

The following verses continue to paint a vivid picture of saudade, as the singer sees traces of their lost love everywhere, from their hidden smiles to the dance that never seems to end. "De longe/ Vejo o traço do teu sorriso/ Que esconde/ Meu singelo paraíso/ Te espero/ Uma dança que não termina/ Boleros/ O silêncio é companhia". The last line, "Velas ao vento/ E ela no peito", is a hauntingly beautiful ending that captures the feeling of saudade perfectly. The candles in the wind represent the fleeting, fragile nature of life, while the beloved one is forever alive in the heart of the singer, a symbol of the everlasting power of saudade.