Cordão – Bilingual Lyrics Portuguese/English

• By: Chico Buarque
• Album: Construção

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into "Cordão" by Chico Buarque, a masterpiece of Brazilian music that weaves together poetic lyrics and a powerful message of resistance. By exploring this song, you'll not only appreciate Chico Buarque's genius during a tumultuous period in Brazil but also gain insights into Portuguese vocabulary, idiomatic expressions related to social commentary, and the rhythmic beauty of MPB and samba. Its evocative imagery and defiant spirit make it a unique and enriching piece for any language learner.

[English]

No one

No one will hold me back

No one will shut me out

The doors of the heart

No one

No one will bind me

To lock my passion in my chest

I won't, I won't panic

I won't give up

Escape

No one

No one will chain me

As long as I can sing

As long as I can smile

No one

No one will see me suffer

No one will surprise me

In the night of solitude

Because those who

Who have nothing to lose

Will join me in the great chain

And then I want to see the gale

I want to watch the carnival unfold

No one

No one will chain me

As long as I can sing

As long as I can smile

As long as I can sing

Someone will have to hear me

As long as I can sing

As long as I can go on

As long as I can sing

As long as I can smile

As long as I can sing

As long as I can

...

[Portuguese]

Ninguém

Ninguém vai me segurar

Ninguém há de me fechar

As portas do coração

Ninguém

Ninguém vai me sujeitar

A trancar no peito a minha paixão

Eu não, eu não vou desesperar

Eu não vou renunciar

Fugir

Ninguém

Ninguém vai me acorrentar

Enquanto eu puder cantar

Enquanto eu puder sorrir

Ninguém

Ninguém vai me ver sofrer

Ninguém vai me surpreender

Na noite da solidão

Pois quem

Tiver nada pra perder

Vai formar comigo o imenso cordão

E então quero ver o vendaval

Quero ver o carnaval sair

Ninguém

Ninguém vai me acorrentar

Enquanto eu puder cantar

Enquanto eu puder sorrir

Enquanto eu puder cantar

Alguém vai ter que me ouvir

Enquanto eu puder cantar

Enquanto eu puder seguir

Enquanto eu puder cantar

Enquanto eu puder sorrir

Enquanto eu puder cantar

Enquanto eu puder

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
segurar se.ɡuˈɾaɾ B1	verb - to hold, to restrain
fechar feˈʃaɾ A2	verb - to close
paixão paɪˈʃɐ̃w̃ B1	noun - passion
desesperar dez.es.peˈɾaɾ B2	verb - to despair
renunciar ʁe.nunˈsi.aɾ B2	verb - to renounce, to give up
fugir fuˈʒiɾ A2	verb - to flee, to run away
acorrentar a.ko.ɾẽˈtaɾ B1	verb - to chain
sorrir soˈɾiɾ A1	verb - to smile
sofrer soˈfɾeɾ A2	verb - to suffer
surpreender su.pɾẽˈdẽɾ B1	verb - to surprise
solidão so.liˈdɐ̃w̃ B1	noun - solitude, loneliness
perder peɾˈdeɾ A2	verb - to lose
imenso iˈmẽ.su B2	adjective - immense
cordão koɾˈdɐ̃w̃ A2	noun - cord, string
vendaval vẽ.daˈvaɫ B2	noun - gale, strong wind
carnaval kaɾ.naˈvaɫ A2	noun - carnival
seguir seˈɡiɾ A2	verb - to follow, to continue