Have you ever heard of Brazilian band Skank? Well, it’s not like “skank” in English, it’s pronounced “eeskunkee” and it’s been a hit in Brazil since 1992! Skank has sold more than 6 million albums throughout the years and everybody knows their songs.
I chose a new Skank song for you guys to improve your Portuguese and sing along. Enjoy!
Ela Me Deixou She Left Me
Olinda ergueu-se em ouro Olinda* arose in gold
Quando ela trouxe a esse lugar When she brought to this place
Vida! E a paz reinou Life! And peace was king
Suave então Smooth then
Aquilo que era pouco That which was little
Multiplicou até bastar Multiplied until it was enough
No rio pôs água doce Put freshwater in the river
O sal no mar And salt in the sea
Ela me deixou suave She left me smooth
Era linda a vida Life was beautiful
Quando ela partiu And when she left
Deixou saudade I missed her
Ela me deixou saudade She left me longing
Minha vida My life
Quando ela surgiu When she appeared
Aqui ficou suave Things were smooth here
Na linha do horizonte On the horizon
Evaporou, nenhum sinal It vanished, no sign
Sumiu da tela Gone from the screen
A cor da imagem The color of the image
O dia fez-se em noite Day became night
Surgiu da sombra um temporal A storm came from the shadow
Cobriu a terra toda All the earth was covered
Em lágrimas In tears
Ela me deixou suave She left me smooth
Era linda a vida Life was beautiful
Quando ela partiu And when she left
Deixou saudade I missed her
Ela me deixou saudade She left me longing
Minha vida My life
Quando ela surgiu When she appeared
Aqui ficou suave Things were smooth here
O farol do morro The lighthouse on the hill
Não acende mais Is not lit anymore
E no cais do porto And on the harbor quay
Não há conchas ou corais There’s no shells or corals
E o mar que nenhuma onda tem And a waveless sea
*Olinda is a very beautiful and very culturally rich city in the state of Pernambuco.
English / Spanish teacher and translator for over 20 years. I have been blogging since 2007 and I am also a professional singer in my spare time.
Comments:
Bry:
Oi Adir! tb?
Thanks for posting about Skank, they are my favorite brazilian band. I had a difficult time finding brazilian music that I liked because I don’t like samba, MPB, forró, or sertanejo. Maybe because of the culture difference, or differences in musical taste….I dunno.
However, I recently discovered Skank, Titãs, Capital Inicial, and of course Legião Urbana!
And if anyone is into hip hop like I am, I would recommend Oriente, Haikaiss, Cone Crew, Felipe Ret, and Spliff.
Comments:
Bry:
Oi Adir! tb?
Thanks for posting about Skank, they are my favorite brazilian band. I had a difficult time finding brazilian music that I liked because I don’t like samba, MPB, forró, or sertanejo. Maybe because of the culture difference, or differences in musical taste….I dunno.
However, I recently discovered Skank, Titãs, Capital Inicial, and of course Legião Urbana!
And if anyone is into hip hop like I am, I would recommend Oriente, Haikaiss, Cone Crew, Felipe Ret, and Spliff.