A Canção do Elevador – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Afonso Dubraz

Lyrics & Translation

Discover 'A Canção do Elevador' by Afonso Dubraz, a Portuguese pop song that beautifully captures the essence of budding romance and the serendipitous nature of love. Through its relatable lyrics and acoustic melodies, the song invites listeners to explore themes of longing and connection, offering a glimpse into the artist's personal storytelling.

[English]

I live on the ground floor

With a view of the reception

To see if luck knocks at the door to see her arrive

Owner of the first floor

That gives me a pain in my chest

With that flaw of hers of not being on my level

So I devise a grand plan

That I forget or deceive myself

Whenever I see her like this

There, standing

In the middle of the entrance hall

For not wanting to take the stairs

Just to see me

Thus begins our love story

Just the two of us, plus the buttons of our elevator

The floor rises, the clothes go down, and the heat

Comes to warm our life, no matter what floor it is

♪

Oh, there should already be a vaccine

To cure my fate

That the neighbor's curse

Insists on cursing

What good is it to be so close

To be a nearly certain love

If there's always a ceiling between us to get in the way

I quietly sneak out

To cross her path

And be able to see her like this

There, standing

In the middle of the entrance hall

For not wanting to take the stairs

Just to see me

Thus begins our love story

Just the two of us, plus the buttons of our elevator

The floor rises, the clothes go down, and the heat

Comes to warm our life, no matter what floor it is

♪

...

[Portuguese]

Eu moro no rés-do-chão

Com vista para a recepção

Para ver se bate à porta a sorte de a ver chegar

Dona do primeiro direito

Que me dá uma dor no peito

Com esse seu defeito de não ser do meu andar

Então traço um grande plano

Que me esqueço ou que me engano

Sempre que a vejo assim

Ali parada

No meio do hall de entrada

Por não querer ir de escada

Só para me ver a mim

Assim começa a nossa história de amor

Nós os dois, mais os botões deste nosso elevador

O piso sobe, a roupa desce e o calor

Chega para aquecer a nossa vida seja em que andar ela for

♪

Ai já devia haver vacina

Para curar a minha sina

Que o raio da vizinha

Teima em amaldiçoar

De que vale estar tão perto

Ser um amor quase certo

Se depois entre nós dois há sempre um tecto a atrapalhar

Saio logo de mansinho

Para cruzar o seu caminho

E poder vê-la assim

Ali parada

No meio do hall de entrada

Por não querer ir de escada

Só para me ver a mim

Assim começa a nossa história de amor

Nós os dois, mais os botões deste nosso elevador

O piso sobe, a roupa desce e o calor

Chega para aquecer a nossa vida seja em que andar ela for

♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
morar /moˈraɾ/ B1	verb - to live in a place
vista /ˈviʃtɐ/ A2	noun - view
bater /bɐˈteɾ/ A2	verb - to hit
porta /ˈpoɾtɐ/ A2	noun - door
sorte /ˈsɔɾtɨ/ B1	noun - luck, fortune
chegar /ʃɡaˈʁaɾ/ A2	verb - to arrive
andar /ɐ̃ˈdaʁ/ A2	noun - floor, level verb - to walk
história /ɐ~ˈʃtɔɾjɐ/ B1	noun - story, history
elevador /ɛ.lɨ.vɐˈdoɾ/ B2	noun - elevator, lift
sapato /sɐˈpa.tu/ B1
vestido /vɨʃˈtidu/ B2
quente /ˈkẽt(ɨ)/ A2
amor /ɐˈmoɾ/ A2	noun - love
vida /ˈviðɐ/ A2	noun - life

Key Grammar Structures

• Com vista para a recepção

  ➔ Prepositional phrase indicating possession or characteristic

  ➔ The phrase uses the preposition "com" to indicate "having" or "with" a view towards the reception area.

• Para ver se bate à porta

  ➔ Infinitive construction expressing purpose

  ➔ Uses the infinitive "ver" (to see) to express the purpose of observing whether luck knocks on the door.

• Que me dá uma dor no peito

  ➔ Relative clause indicating cause or effect

  ➔ The clause "que me dá" uses the relative pronoun "que" and the verb "dá" (gives) to describe the cause of "uma dor no peito" (a pain in the chest).

• Por não querer ir de escada

  ➔ Infinitive clause of purpose with a negative form

  ➔ Uses the infinitive "querer ir" (want to go) with "não" (not) to express the reluctance or refusal to go via stairs.

• Ali parada

  ➔ Adverbial phrase indicating location and state

  ➔ Uses the adverb "ali" (there) and the participle "parada" (standing) to describe someone standing there.

• Para cruzar o seu caminho

  ➔ Infinitive phrase denoting purpose or intent

  ➔ Uses the infinitive "cruzar" (to cross) with "o seu caminho" (your way) to express the intention of crossing someone's path.

• O piso sobe, a roupa desce e o calor

  ➔ Simple present tense of intransitive verbs to describe habitual actions or states

  ➔ Uses the simple present tense "sobe" (goes up), "desce" (goes down), and "é" (is) to describe habitual or ongoing states of the elevator, clothes, and heat.