Erasmo Carlos
Cachaça Mecânica lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Portuguese
- Level
- Beginner
- Released
- 1973
- Genre
- Rock, MPB
- Length
- 3:33
Vendeu seu terno
Sold his suit
Seu relógio e sua alma
His watch and his soul
E até o santo
And even the saint
Ele vendeu com muita fé
He sold with great faith
Comprou fiado
Bought on credit
Pra fazer sua mortalha
To make his shroud
Tomou um gole de cachaça
Took a sip of cachaça
E deu no pé
And fled the scene
Mariazinha
Little Maria
Ainda viu João no mato
Still saw João in the woods
Matando um gato
Killing a cat
Pra vestir seu tamborim
To wear your tambourine
E aquela tarde
And that afternoon
Já bem tarde, comentava
Well past noon, he was saying
Lá vai um homem
Here comes a man
Se acabar até o fim
To go all the way to the end
João bebeu
João drank
Toda cachaça da cidade
All the liquor in town
Bateu com força
He hit hard
Em todo bumbo que ele via
On every bass drum he saw
Gastou seu bolso
Spent all his cash
Mas sambou desesperado
But danced in despair
Comeu confete
Feasted on compliments
Serpentina
Streamers
E a fantasia
And the costume
Levou um tombo
Took a fall
Bem no meio da avenida
Right in the middle of the avenue
Desconfiado
Suspicious
Que outro gole não bebia
That he wouldn’t take another sip
Dormiu no tombo
Slept through the fall
E foi pisado pela escola
And was trampled by the school
Morreu de samba
Died for samba
De cachaça e de folia
For cachaça and merriment
Tanto ele investiu
So much he invested
Na brincadeira
In the game
Pra tudo, tudo
For everything, everything
Se acabar na terça-feira
To end on Tuesday
Vendeu seu terno
Sold his suit
E até o santo
And even the saint
Comprou fiado
Bought on credit
Tomou um gole
Took a sip
João no mato
John in the woods
Matando um gato
Killing a cat
Naquela tarde
On that afternoon
Lá vai o homem
Here comes the man
João bebeu
John drank
Toda cachaça da cidade
All the liquor in town
Bateu com força
Hit hard
Em todo bumbo que ele via
On every drum he saw
Gastou seu bolso
Spent his pocket
Mas sambou desesperado
But he danced desperately
Comeu confete
He ate his own praises
Serpentina
Streamers
E a fantasia
And the costume
Levou um tombo
Took a spill
Bem no meio da avenida
Right in the middle of the avenue
Desconfiado
Suspicious
Que outro gole não bebia
That he wouldn’t take another sip
Dormiu no tombo
He slept through the fall
E foi pisado pela escola
And was stepped on by the school
Morreu de samba
Died from samba
De cachaça e de folia
From cachaça and revelry
Tanto ele investiu
He invested so much
Na brincadeira
In the fun
Pra tudo, tudo
For everything, everything
Se acabar na terça-feira
To end on Tuesday
Pra tudo, tudo
For everything, everything
Se acabar na terça-feira
To end on Tuesday
Pra tudo, tudo
For everything, everything
Se acabar na terça-feira
To end on Tuesday
Pra tudo, tudo
For everything, everything
Se acabar na terça-feira
If it ends on Tuesday
Pra tudo, tudo
For everything, everything
Key vocabulary
- vendeu
- soldA1
- terno
- suitA2
- relógio
- watchA1
- alma
- soulB2
- santo
- saint
- muita
- manyA2
- fé
- faithB1
- comprou
- bought
- gato
- catA1
- homem
- manA1
Test yourself
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A quick quiz on the key words from this song.
About this song
Erasmo Carlos was a Brazilian rock musician and composer. He is known for his work with his longtime partner Roberto Carlos and for a string of influential recordings that helped shape Brazilian rock, including the 1962 single “Terror dos Namorados.”