Gilberto Gil
A mão da limpeza lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Portuguese
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1984
- Genre
- Samba
- Length
- 3:30
O branco inventou que o negro
The white man claimed that the black man
Quando não suja na entrada
When he doesn't dirty at the entrance
Vai sujar na saída, ê
He'll dirty at the exit, eh
Imagina só
Just imagine
Vai sujar na saída, ê
He'll dirty at the exit, eh
Imagina só
Just imagine
Que mentira danada, ê
What a wicked lie, eh
Iô, iô, iô
Yo, yo, yo
Iê, iê, iê
Yay, yay, yay
Iô, iô, iô
Yo, yo, yo
Na verdade, a mão escrava
In fact, the enslaved hand
Passava a vida limpando
Spent its life cleaning
O que o branco sujava, ê
What the white man dirtied, eh
Imagina só
Just imagine
O que o branco sujava, ê
What the white man dirtied, eh
Imagina só
Just imagine
O que o negro penava, ê
What the black man suffered, eh
Iô, iô, iô
Yo, yo, yo
Mesmo depois de abolida a escravidão
Even after slavery was abolished
Negra é a mão de quem faz a limpeza
Black is the hand of those who do the cleaning
Lavando a roupa encardida, esfregando o chão
Washing the stained clothes, scrubbing the floor
Negra é a mão, é a mão da pureza
Black is the hand, it's the hand of purity
Negra é a vida consumida ao pé do fogão
Black is the life consumed by the stove's side
Negra é a mão nos preparando a mesa
Black is the hand setting the table for us
Limpando as manchas do mundo com água e sabão
Cleaning the world's stains with water and soap
Negra é a mão de imaculada nobreza
Black is the hand of immaculate nobility
Na verdade, a mão escrava
In truth, the hand of a slave
Passava a vida limpando
Spent life cleaning
O que o branco sujava, ê
What the white man dirtied, eh
Imagina só
Just imagine
O que o branco sujava, ê
What the white man dirtied, eh
Imagina só
Just imagine
Eta, branco sujão
Wow, dirty white guy
Iê, iê, iê
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Iô, iô, iô
Whoa, whoa, whoa
O branco inventou que o negro
The white man invented that the black
Quando não suja na entrada
When he doesn't dirty on the way in
Vai sujar na saída, ê
He'll dirty on the way out, eh
Imagina só
Just imagine
Vai sujar na saída, ê
He'll dirty on the way out, eh
Imagina só
Just imagine
Que mentira danada, ê
What a nasty lie, eh
Que mentira danada, ê
What a nasty lie, eh
O branco inventou que o negro
The white man invented that the black
Quando não suja na entrada
When it doesn't get dirty at the entrance
Vai sujar na saída, ê
It'll get dirty on the way out, eh
Que mentira danada, ê
What a nasty lie, eh
Na verdade, a mão escrava
In truth, the enslaved hand
Passava a vida limpando
Spent its life cleaning
O que o branco sujava, ê
What the white man dirtied, eh
O que o branco sujava, ê
What the white stained, eh
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- branco
- whiteA2
- inventou
- inventedA2
- negro
- blackA2
- suja
- dirtyA2
- entrada
- entranceA2
- vai
- go
- sujar
- dirtyB1
- saída
- exitB1
- ê
- uh
- imagina
- imagineA2
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About this song
Gilberto Gil was a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter associated with Tropicália and other innovative trends in Brazilian music. He is known for expanding Brazilian musical language through late-1960s and 1970s recordings and for combining an active political career, including serving as Brazil’s minister of culture, with ongoing work as a recording artist.