Gilberto Gil
Samba de Los Angeles lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Portuguese
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1978
- Genre
- Bossa Nova
- Length
- 3:35
Olha que o samba foi
Look, the samba has been
Foi quebrando, foi
Breaking, oh
Foi quebrando, foi
Breaking, oh
Foi quebrar
It was about to break
Lá na beira do mar
There by the seaside
Olha que o samba foi
Look, the samba has been
Foi quebrando, foi
Breaking, oh
Foi quebrando, foi
Breaking, oh
Foi quebrar
It was about to break
Lá na beira do mar
There by the seaside
Tanto que água mole
So much that soft water
Em pedra dura bate, que fura
Hits hard stone, that it drills
Da pedra rachar
To break the stone
Tanto que racha a rocha
So much that it cracks the rock
Que relaxa, afrouxa, que vira
That it relaxes, loosens, that it turns
Areia do mar
Sand from the sea
Tanto que a areia arenga
So much that the sand argues
Que a sereia canta pelo pé
That the mermaid sings by the foot
Que areia pisar
What sand to tread
Olha que o samba foi
Look, the samba has gone
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, oh
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, oh
Foi quebrar
It was to break
Lá na beira do mar
There by the seaside
Olha que o samba foi
Look, the samba was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, oh
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, oh
Foi quebrar
It was to break
Lá na beira do mar
There by the seaside
Olha que o samba foi
Look, the samba was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrar
It was to break
Lá na beira do mar
There by the shore
Tanto que água mole
So much that soft water
Em pedra dura bate, que fura
Hits hard stone, that it pierces
Da pedra rachar
The stone cracks
Tanto que racha a rocha
So much that it splits the rock
Que relaxa, afrouxa, que vira
That relaxes, loosens, that turns
Areia do mar
Sand of the sea
Tanto que a areia arenga
So much that the sand debates
Que a sereia canta pelo pé
That the mermaid sings by the shore
Que areia pisar
Which sand to step on
Olha que o samba foi
Look, the samba has been
Foi quebrando, foi
It kept breaking, it did
Foi quebrando, foi
It kept breaking, it did
Foi quebrar
It was about to break
Lá na beira do mar
There by the seaside
Olha que o samba foi
Look, the samba has been
Foi quebrando, foi
It kept breaking, it did
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrar
It was breaking
Lá na beira do mar
There by the seaside
Olha que o samba foi
Look, the samba was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrar
It was breaking
Lá na beira do mar
There by the seaside
Tanto que água mole
So much that soft water
Em pedra dura bate, que fura
Hits hard stone, that it pierces
Da pedra rachar
From the stone to crack
Tanto que racha a rocha
So much that it splits the rock
Que relaxa, afrouxa, que vira
That it relaxes, loosens, and turns
Areia do mar
Into sand from the sea
Tanto que a areia arenga
So much that the sand protests
Que a sereia canta pelo pé
That the mermaid sings by the foot
Que areia pisar
What sand to tread on
Olha que o samba foi
Look that the samba was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrar
It was breaking
Lá na beira do mar
There by the seaside
Olha que o samba foi
Look, the samba was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrar
It was breaking
Lá na beira do mar
There by the seaside
Olha que o samba foi
Look, the samba was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrar
It was breaking
Lá na beira do mar
There by the seaside
Olha que o samba foi
Look that the samba was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrando, foi
It was breaking, it was
Foi quebrar
It was breaking
Lá na beira do mar
There by the seaside
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- mar
- seaA1
- água
- waterA1
- mole
- softB1
- bate
- hits
- fura
- pierces
- rachar
- split
- racha
- crack
- relaxa
- relax
- afrouxa
- loosens
- vira
- turn
Test yourself
How much of Samba de Los Angeles did you catch?
A quick quiz on the key words from this song.
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.