Marvin – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Titãs

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the touching narrative of Titãs' "Marvin," a song that beautifully captures themes of perseverance and familial duty. By delving into its lyrics, you can connect with the emotional depth of Brazilian rock and understand how a simple adaptation became a timeless classic, paying homage to a musical legend.

[English]

My father had no education

I still remember, he had a big heart

He earned his living with a lot of sweat

And even so, it couldn't get any worse

Little money to pay

All the bills and household expenses

But God wanted to see him down

With his hands raised to the sky

Begging for forgiveness

I cried, my father said: Good luck!

With his hand on my shoulder

On his deathbed

And he said: Marvin, now it's just you

And it won't help

Crying will only make me suffer

And three days after he died

My father, I wanted to know

But I didn't even set foot in school

Mom kept reminding me of that all the time

And every day before the sun rises

I worked without distraction

Sometimes I think it won't work out

I want to run away, but wherever I am

I know very well what he meant

My father, I remember, don't let me forget

He said: Marvin, life is to be lived

I did my best

And I know my destiny by heart

And then, one day, a heavy rain came

And it ruined a whole year's work

And at thirteen years old, I felt

The weight of the world on my shoulders

I wanted to play, but I lost the bet

And I worked like a donkey in the fields

I only saw meat if I stole a chicken

My father looked after the whole family

Unknowingly, I followed the same path

And every night, my mother prayed

God, it was in the name of hunger that I stole!

Ten years passed, my siblings grew up

And the angels took my mother by the hand

I cried, my father said: Good luck

With his hand on my shoulder

On his deathbed

And he said: Marvin, now it's just you

And it won't help

Crying will only make me suffer

La ra raaa

Marvin, life is to be lived

I did my best

And I know my destiny by heart

Marvin, now it's just you

And it won't help

Crying will only make me suffer

...

[Portuguese]

Meu pai não tinha educação

Ainda me lembro, era um grande coração

Ganhava a vida com muito suor

E mesmo assim, não podia ser pior

Pouco dinheiro pra poder pagar

Todas as contas e despesas do lar

Mas Deus quis vê-lo no chão

Com as mãos levantadas pro céu

Implorando perdão

Chorei, meu pai disse: Boa sorte!

Com a mão no meu ombro

Em seu leito de morte

E disse: Marvin, agora é só você

E não vai adiantar

Chorar vai me fazer sofrer

E três dias depois de morrer

Meu pai, eu queria saber

Mas não botava nem um pé na escola

Mamãe lembrava disso a toda hora

E todo dia antes do sol sair

Eu trabalhava sem me distrair

Às vezes, acho que não vai dar pé

Eu queria fugir, mas onde eu estiver

Eu sei muito bem o que ele quis dizer

Meu pai, eu me lembro, não me deixa esquecer

Ele disse: Marvin, a vida é pra valer

Eu fiz o meu melhor

E o seu destino, eu sei de cor

E então, um dia, uma forte chuva veio

E acabou com o trabalho de um ano inteiro

E aos 13 anos de idade, eu sentia

Todo o peso do mundo em minhas costas

Eu queria jogar, mas perdi a aposta

E trabalhava feito um burro nos campos

Só via carne se roubasse um frango

Meu pai cuidava de toda a família

Sem perceber, segui a mesma trilha

E toda noite, minha mãe orava

Deus, era em nome da fome que eu roubava!

Dez anos passaram, cresceram meus irmãos

E os anjos levaram minha mãe pelas mãos

Chorei, meu pai disse: Boa sorte

Com a mão no meu ombro

Em seu leito de morte

E disse: Marvin, agora é só você

E não vai adiantar

Chorar vai me fazer sofrer

La ra raaa

Marvin, a vida é pra valer

Eu fiz o meu melhor

E o seu destino, eu sei de cor

Marvin, agora é só você

E não vai adiantar

Chorar vai me fazer sofrer

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pai /paɪ/ A1	noun - father
coração /koɾaˈsɐ̃w/ A2	noun - heart
vida /ˈvida/ A1	noun - life
trabalho /tɾaˈbaʎu/ A2	noun - work
mãe /mɐ̃j/ A1	noun - mother
sorte /ˈsoʁtʃi/ B1	noun - luck
destino /desˈtʃinu/ B2	noun - destiny
chuva /ˈʃuvɐ/ A2	noun - rain
peso /ˈpezu/ B1	noun - weight
perdão /peʁˈdɐ̃w/ B2	noun - forgiveness
fugir /fuˈʒiʁ/ B1	verb - to flee
lembrar /lẽˈbɾaʁ/ B1	verb - to remember
chorar /ʃoˈɾaʁ/ A2	verb - to cry
conta /ˈkõtɐ/ A2	noun - bill
dinheiro /dʒiˈɲeɾu/ A2	noun - money
morte /ˈmɔʁtʃi/ B1	noun - death

Key Grammar Structures

• Meu pai não tinha educação

  ➔ Imperfect Tense (tinha)

  ➔ The imperfect tense (tinha, from the verb ter) describes a state or a repeated action in the past. It emphasizes the *lack* of education as a continuous condition in the past.

• Ganhava a vida com muito suor

  ➔ Imperfect Tense (ganhava) expressing habitual action in the past.

  ➔ The verb "ganhava" (imperfect tense) signifies that he *used to* earn a living with much sweat. It describes a repeated and typical action in the past.

• Mas Deus quis vê-lo no chão

  ➔ Past Simple + Infinitive (quis ver)

  ➔ "Quis ver" is composed of the verb "querer" (to want) in the past simple/preterite, combined with the infinitive form of "ver" (to see). It means "God wanted to see him on the ground."

• E disse: Marvin, agora é só você

  ➔ Use of "só" to mean "only"

  ➔ Here, "só você" means "only you". The adverb *só* modifies "você" and limits the responsibility to Marvin.

• E não vai adiantar / Chorar vai me fazer sofrer

  ➔ Future Tense (vai adiantar) + Infinitive / Infinitive as subject + Future Subjunctive in a Conditional Clause (fazer sofrer)

  ➔ "Não vai adiantar" is the future tense with the verb "ir" (to go) + infinitive meaning "it will not help". "Chorar vai me fazer sofrer" - Crying (represented by the infinitive "chorar" acting as the subject) will make me (the father) suffer. This illustrates the father's concern for his son's well-being even in his last moments.

• E três dias depois de morrer

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase of Time (depois de morrer)

  ➔ "Depois de morrer" (after dying) is a prepositional phrase modifying the time elapsed. The preposition "de" connects "depois" (after) with the infinitive verb "morrer" (to die).

• Eu queria fugir, mas onde eu estiver

  ➔ Conditional Tense (queria) + Future Subjunctive (estiver) in an Adverbial Clause of Place.

  ➔ "Queria fugir" expresses a wish or desire in the conditional tense (I would like to escape). "Onde eu estiver" (wherever I am) uses the future subjunctive, indicating a hypothetical future situation. The conjunction "mas" creates a contrast between the desire and the reality.