Music has been a part of my life since I was born. I grew up in an environment where my paternal family would occasionally get together to play instruments and sing. Most of my uncles and cousins play an instrument or sing, and I was no different—I’ve been playing the guitar since I was nine years old. Although I never dedicated myself enough to become truly good, this instrument was a part of my life for a long time. Nowadays, unfortunately, not as much, but that’s something I intend to change soon.
One interesting thing about my family is that most of them value songs with beautiful lyrics. Of course, many enjoy fun, danceable songs that don’t have much to say, but something I’ve always found curious is that, in general, my family loves the poetic aspect of music. Because of that, from an early age, whenever I listened to a song, I would first pay attention to the lyrics to decide whether I liked it or not.
As a result, even as a child and pre-teen, I was known for liking "old people’s music." Lyrics about love or serious topics that I couldn’t fully understand yet, since I hadn’t had many life experiences, were a part of my daily routine. I believe this helped me mature quickly because, through music, I was able to see life from different perspectives and learn how some feelings work at an early age.
Because of this, there are, of course, songs that I have been listening to for at least 15 years. These were lyrics I already found beautiful when I was younger, and as I grew older, I realized that when a song is truly good, you never stop listening to it. It becomes part of your life at different important moments, and its meaning transforms over time. A song that once represented a moment of discovery in the world of poetic lyrics might later become the soundtrack to your daughter’s birth, your wedding, your separation, or an unattainable love that will never be lived.
Today, I’m sharing some of these songs that I have loved for a long time, songs that are a part of my life and of who I am. These are lyrics that mean a lot to me and that I have listened to throughout all phases of my life.
I first heard this song through my father when I was still a child. The lyrics represent exactly what the title says in Portuguese: The Everyday Life. It tells the story of a man reflecting on aspects of his life, speaking poetically about how art—through an instrument—becomes the salvation of his sad days. It’s worth listening to and reading the lyrics because it’s pure poetry. If you’re an adult with responsibilities and dreams of a better life, it’s hard not to relate to it in some way. It is both simple and complex, and it has a special place in my heart.
There are days when I don’t know what’s wrong with me
I open my Neruda and turn off the sun
I mix poetry with cachaça
And end up arguing about football
But it doesn’t matter,
I have my guitar
I wake up in the morning, bread without butter
And a lot, a lot of blood in the newspaper
Then all the kids arrive
And I almost find Herod natural
But it doesn’t matter,
I have my guitar
Then I play the lottery with my wife
Who knows, maybe our day will come
And I laugh because the rich laugh for no reason
And imagining doesn’t cost anything
But it doesn’t matter,
I have my guitar
On Saturdays, I get drunk at home
And dream of phenomenal solutions
But when sleep comes and the night dies
The day tells the same old stories
But it doesn’t matter,
I have my guitar
Sometimes I want to believe, but I can't
It’s all complete foolishness
Then I ask God: listen, my friend
If it was to undo, why did you create?
But it doesn’t matter,
I have my guitar
This song was originally by the Eagles, but I first heard it through Renato Russo, a Brazilian singer. My uncle introduced me to it, and to me, it’s one of the best representations of a broken heart. Honestly, it’s one of the most beautiful things out there to listen to. There’s not much to explain about it—the lyrics are quite self-explanatory. It tells the story of someone who receives a phone call and, through it, finds out that the love of their life is now with someone else.
When I first discovered Heart of the Matter, I had never experienced heartbreak. But, of course, as time passed, I eventually did—and the song made much more sense to me.
I got the call today, I didn't want to hear
But I knew that it would come
An old, true friend of ours was talkin' on the phone
She said you found someone
And I thought of all the bad luck
And the struggles we went through
And how I lost me and you lost you
What are these voices outside love's open door
Make us throw off our contentment
And beg for something more?
I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you sometimes
The more I know, the less I understand,
All the things I thought I knew, I'm learning again
I've been tryin' to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore
These times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined
People filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive in such a graceless age?
Ah, the trust and self-assurance that lead to happiness
They're the very things we kill, I guess
Oh, pride and competition
Cannot fill these empty arms
And the work I put between us, you know it doesn't keep me warm
I'm learning to live with out you now
But I miss you, baby
And the more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I'd figured out
I have to learn again
I've been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But everything changes
And my friends seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore
There are people in your life
Who've come and gone
They let you down
You know they've hurt your pride
You better put it all behind you baby
'Cause life goes on
You keep carryin' that anger
It'll eat you up inside baby
I've been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me
This song is truly special to me. To be honest, the entire concert is. I was around 12 or 13 when U2 performed a show in São Paulo, and Globo, the biggest TV channel in Brazil, broadcasted it live with Portuguese subtitles for the lyrics. I remember watching it in my parents’ bedroom with them. I didn’t know U2 at the time, but after that show, they became one of my favorite bands!
It's no secret that the stars are falling from the sky
It's no secret that our world is in darkness tonight.
They say the sun is sometimes eclipsed by the moon
Y' know I don't see you when she walks in the room.
It's no secret that a friend is someone who lets you help.
It's no secret that a liar won't believe anyone else.
They say a secret is something you tell one other person
So I'm telling you, child.
Love, we shine like a burning star
We're falling from the sky
A man will beg
A man will crawl
On the sheer face of love
Like a fly on a wall
It's no secret at all
It's no secret that a conscience can sometimes be a pest
It's no secret ambition bites the nails of success
Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief
All kill their inspiration and sing about the grief
It's no secret that the stars are falling from the sky
The universe exploding 'cos-a one man's lie
Look I gotta go, yeah, I'm running outta change
There's a lot of things if I could I'd rearrange
As I write this, I’m chilling because I’m listening to the song and remembering that moment. The lyrics are a journey—they can be interpreted in many ways. It’s a mystery that I love singing to this day.
These are just three of the many songs I continue to listen to over time. Of course, there are many more! Maybe one day, I’ll do a Part 2. I hope you enjoy them, give them a listen, and please don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments!
Portuguese
A música faz parte da minha vida desde que nasci. Cresci num ambiente onde minha família paterna de vez em quando se juntava para tocar e cantar juntos. A maioria dos meus tios e primos tocam algum instrumento ou cantam, e comigo não foi diferente; toco violão desde os 9 anos, embora nunca tenha me dedicado o suficiente para ser boa, esse instrumento fez parte da minha vida por muito tempo. Hoje em dia infelizmente não faz tanto, mas é algo que pretendo mudar em breve.
Uma coisa curiosa sobre minha família, é que a maioria preza por músicas que tem letras bonitas. Claro que muitos gostam de músicas que são mais dançantes e divertidas que não tem muito o que dizer, mas algo que sempre achei curioso, é que minha família no geral ama o aspecto poético da música. E foi assim que desde cedo, que ao ouvir uma música, primeiro eu prestava atenção na letra pra decidir se gostava ou não.
Consequentemente, mesmo criança e pré adolescente, eu era conhecida por gostar de ‘’música de velho’’. Letras que falavam de amor, ou coisas mais sérias que eu não tinha capacidade de entender ainda por não ter tido tantas vivências, faziam parte da minha rotina. Penso que isso me ajudou a amadurecer rápido, pois através da música eu consegui ver a vida de perspectivas distintas e aprender rápido como funcionava alguns sentimentos.
Sendo assim, obviamente existem músicas que escuto há no mínimo 15 anos. Pois eram letras que eu já achava bonita quando mais nova, e que na medida que fui crescendo, fui percebendo que quando uma música é boa, você não para de ouvi-la, ela passa a fazer parte da sua vida em vários momentos importantes, e o significado dela também se transforma ao longo do tempo. Assim, uma música que antes fazia parte de um momento de descoberta no mundo da poesia musicada, hoje em dia pode ser tema do nascimento da sua filha, ou do seu casamento, ou da sua separação, ou de um amor utópico que nunca poderá ser vivido.
Hoje trago algumas dessas canções que amo há muito tempo, que fazem parte da minha vida e de quem sou. São letras que representam muito pra mim, e que ouvi em todas as fases da minha vida até agora.
Cotidiano nº 2 Toquinho e Vinicius.
Conheci essa música através do meu pai quando eu ainda era criança. É uma letra que representa o que o próprio nome diz em português: O cotidiano. Se trata de um homem falando sobre aspectos da sua vida, ele fala de forma poética e coloca a arte, através de um instrumento, como a salvação de seus dias tristes. Vale a pena ouvir e ler essa letra que é poesia pura, e é difícil não se identificar de alguma forma se você for um adulto, e tem responsabilidades e sonha com uma vida melhor. Ela é simples e complexa. E tem um lugar guardado em meu coração.
Heart of Matter - Renato Russo
Essa música é da banda Eagles, mas foi com Renato Russo, um cantor brasileiro, que a ouvi pela primeira vez. E foi através do meu tio que conheci essa, que pra mim, é uma das que melhores representam um belo coração partido. Sério, é uma das coisas mais lindas que existem por aí para se ouvir. Não há muito o que falar sobre ela, porque a letra é muito auto explicativa. É uma história sobre alguém que recebe um telefonema e através dele descobre que o amor da sua vida tem outra pessoa. Quando conheci Heart of Matter, eu nunca tinha tido um coração partido, mas imaginava como deveria ser, claro que depois de um tempo, eu acabei descobrindo e a música fez muito mais sentido pra mim.
The Fly - U2
Essa é uma música realmente muito especial pra mim, pra ser sincera, esse show inteiro é. Eu tinha 12 ou 13 anos quando a banda U2 fez um show em São Paulo e a Globo, o canal de tv mais conhecido do Brasil, transmitiu o show ao vivo com as letras das músicas legendadas em português. Lembro de estar no quarto dos meus pais vendo o show com eles. Eu não conhecia o U2, mas depois desse show, se tornou uma das minhas bandas favoritas! Enquanto escrevo isso estou arrepiada, porque estou ouvindo a música e lembrando desse momento. A letra dela é uma viagem e pode ser interpretada de várias formas. É um mistério que eu amo cantar até os dias de hoje.
E essas são apenas três, das músicas que continuo escutando ao longo do tempo. É claro que tem muito mais! E talvez um dia eu possa fazer uma parte 2. Espero que gostem, que ouçam, e por favor não deixem de compartilhar o que acharam nos comentários.
