Chico Buarque
Homenagem Ao Malandro lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Portuguese
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1978
- Genre
- Bossa Nova, Samba
- Length
- 2:59
Eu fui fazer um samba em homenagem
I went to make a samba in tribute
À nata da malandragem, que conheço de outros carnavais
To the crème de la crème of the trickster life, I know from other carnivals
Eu fui à Lapa e perdi a viagem
I went to Lapa and wasted my trip
Que aquela tal malandragem não existe mais
Because that so-called trickster life no longer exists
Agora já não é normal, o que dá de malandro
Now it's no longer normal, what's around in tricksters
Regular, profissional
Regular, professional
Malandro com o aparato de malandro oficial
Trickster with the flair of an official trickster
Malandro candidato a malandro federal
Trickster aspiring to be a federal trickster
Malandro com retrato na coluna social
Trickster with a picture in the social column
Malandro com contrato, com gravata e capital, que nunca se dá mal
Trickster with a contract, with a tie and capital, who never comes to harm
Mas o malandro para valer, não espalha
But the real hustler doesn't spread the word
Aposentou a navalha, tem mulher e filho e tralha e tal
He's hung up the razor, got a wife and kids, and all that stuff
Dizem as más línguas que ele até trabalha
They say the gossiping tongues even claim he works now
Mora lá longe, chacoalha, no trem da central
Lives far away, shakes things up on the central train
Agora já não é normal, o que dá de malandro
Now it's not normal anymore, the way he hustles
Regular, profissional,
Regular, professional,
Malandro com o aparato de malandro oficial
Hustler with the gear of an official hustler
Malandro candidato a malandro federal
Hustler aiming to be a federal hustler
Malandro com retrato na coluna social
Hustler with his picture in the social column
Malandro com contrato, com gravata e capital, que nunca se dá mal
Hustler with a contract, wearing a tie and capital, who never gets into trouble
Mas o malandro para valer, não espalha
But the sly one for real, doesn't spread rumors
Aposentou a navalha, tem mulher e filho e tralha e tal
He hung up the razor, has a woman and kids and stuff
Dizem as más línguas que ele até trabalha
They say the bad tongues that he even works
Mora lá longe, chacoalha, no trem da central
Lives far away, shakes things up, on the central train
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Key vocabulary
- fazer
- doB2
- homenagem
- tributeB1
- nata
- creamB2
- malandragem
- trickery
- conheço
- know
- outros
- othersA2
- carnavais
- Carnivals
- lapa
- cave
- perdi
- lost
- viagem
- tripA1
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About this song
Chico Buarque is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, poet, novelist, and playwright associated with samba, bossa nova, and MPB. He is known for intricate harmonic work and lyrics that often engage politics and culture, including foundational recordings such as Construção and Calabar.