I'm from Chile, 51 years old now and I grew up in the dictatorship of the time, another one in Latin America during those years. I remember being 13 or 14 years old when one morning on the radio they played this song (which I had not heard) in its Spanish version. I still remember how it impacted me and how I couldn't stop crying when the song had finished a while ago. Chico was a genius of composition and lyricism, there is a lot of very interesting material in Portuguese and Spanish, very unknown to English speakers. Good reaction.
@@goytabr TRUE! When I wrote the comment I wasn't sure if Chico was still alive or not, and you're right, he's still here creating his wonders. Luckily for all of us.
@@TamanskayaDivision If you are looking for songs with social/political criticism in Spanish, without losing poetry, a recommended one is "Los Dinosaurios" (1983) by Charly García, an important Argentine musician. The lyrics are about cases of forced disappearances during the dictatorship, with the final line saying that "the dinosaurs", that is, the dictators, will also leave at some point. If I remember another one I will write again. The song: th-cam.com/video/RGLGhU12DLg/w-d-xo.html Another versión, with English subtitles and an intro th-cam.com/video/3cPS0HNl4-s/w-d-xo.html
Sim, ganhou diversos prêmios, incluindo o Camões. Mas nada me tira da cabeça que a sua produção merecia também o Nobel. Vejo mais qualidade na obra do Chico do que num Modiano ou Herta Muller (pra citar dois laureados recentes)
The song "Construção" by Chico Buarque is deeply intertwined with the social and political context of Brazil during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Released in 1971, Brazil was under a military dictatorship known for its repression and censorship. "Construção" tells the story of a construction worker who falls to his death from a building under construction. The lyrics are fragmented and non-linear, using poetic imagery to depict the worker's life, his tragic accident, and the indifferent response of society. Socially, the song reflects the harsh conditions faced by Brazil's working class, highlighting their struggles and the dehumanizing nature of labor. Politically, it serves as a critique of the oppressive military regime and the societal inequalities it perpetuated. The song's innovative use of narrative structure and poetic language made it a powerful piece of protest art, resonating with the Brazilian public who were grappling with political repression and censorship. "Construção" became a symbol of resistance and artistic defiance against the authoritarian regime. Its impact extended beyond music, influencing Brazilian literature and culture by challenging the status quo and advocating for social change. Thus, the song "Construção" remains a poignant reflection of its turbulent time, capturing the spirit of resistance and resilience amidst political adversity in Brazil.
Also, because the song is divided in 3 sections, all with the same basic structure but "shuffling" the last few words in each line, it creates 3 slightly different accident stories with the same result. I think that is a way of saying, "This accident was not a one-off, this sort of thing occurs over and over again."
It's not so much about the dictatorship itself, but the social gap widened by the economic growth at the time, which caused a construction boom where poor workers, cheap labor, were thrown into their jobs with little concern for their safety and well being.
I don't know if you noticed, but past the first and second reference to the traffic, the orchestra and the voices harmonizing with Chico actually remember vehicle horns, that is great imagery building. Chico and who arranjed this song are actually geniuses.
@@SaeedReacts.definitely recommend you to do so, the time I heard it after noticing that about the harmony and contexts like the information other comments gave, I was like 🤯🤯🤯
Fun fact (told me by my father): at this time, a famous brazilian artist was asked how he wrote his songs and rhymes, and he said that he used to look for words with strong syllables being the last or the one before the last (oxytones and paroxytones) and when asked why he said "because it's impossible to make a rhyming lyric with proparoxytones (strong syllable being the two before the last one), it's just too difficult".... Chico Buarque apparently heard this interview and was intrigued to see if he could do this. And he could... and it is still today a masterpiece for those listening to the lyrics in portuguese!
@@SaeedReacts. Something may help: Portuguese is written as it sounds. Thus, when the strong tone of a word is not where it usually is, this is marked with something above the vogal, like á, é, í, ó, ú, â, ê, ... . You can see on this lyrics how rare they are. Yet every last word in the sentences have the same marking on the beginning of them. This is very intentional, and the rarity of these words tells how difficulty it is to make.
True, the strength of the original lyrics in Portuguese lies precisely in the use of proparoxytones, which unfortunately cannot be reproduced in versions in other languages.
@@ademirconegundes antes de virar gola branca trabalhei como carpinteiro por 2 anos meu pai por 20, lembro do desdenho que pessoas que nunca subiram num telhado na vida tinham conosco.
Quando pequena e atualmente, meu pai conta as historias do que acontecia nas obras que ele trabalhou (empresa do paulo octavio) quando ouvi essa música me bateu no coração porquê lembro de todas as historias, inclusive como ele assistiu a tudo e não teve nenhum apoio psicológico, até hj ele tem trauma com os colegas que caíram do prédio e morreram eletrocutados na frente dele.
Tem uma frase que estadunidenses dirigem a seus militares que lutaram ou lutam em guerras, mas eu dirijo essa frase a você. "OBRIGADO PELO SEU SERVIÇO".
Chico Buarque is the greatest living artist in the Portuguese language. No one even comes close. I'm portuguese and I was able to finally watch him live in Porto in 2022 and I cried like a baby, it was unreal. Long live Chico Buarque de Hollanda ❤
@@kristhyansc Ser brasileiro é um sentimento inenarrável, pelas músicas, comidas, danças, a misturas de povos que nos dá uma característica física particular, a forma que acolhemos as pessoas, a leveza como levamos a vida, fauna e flora exuberantes, não só por isso, mas por tudo isso que o amor brota de uma maneira fácil no coração do povo brasileiro.
@@kristhyansc yeah we I love to be in a country where people don't know how to vote! What a beautiful country! Everyone being blind followers of an ideology! What a beautiful country! After all, culture is everything!!!!! Btw, this "culture" is now past, you don't see the "good" side of Brazil anymore.
The last part of the song belongs to another song, "Deus lhe pague". During the dictatorship, there was this slogan "Brazil, love it or leave it", thus he saying "may God pay you back" for those awful things.
6:20 You cracked the code right there. Brazil was being crushed by a regime. At the end when he is saying "God pays you back" you can feel the resentment.
This song is a Brazilian masterpiece in composition. There are some interesting tidbits in it. Chico repeats the lyrics 4 times, always using proparoxytones at the end of each phrase. These words are repeated in different orders in each segment of the song, giving a different meaning to the character's "personality, in this case the worker. The song is called construction because the man works in a construction, but in my understanding it also reflects the way Chico builds the song, intelligently using this play on words to change the meaning in each segment.
And.... I should add that paroxytones are by far the most "natural" words in Portuguese, so that the more uncommon prop-s give a special rhythmic taste for us, Brazilians.
There is a little detail about this song that really gets me... there is a grammar structure in portuguese called 'proparoxitona', it is when the third syllable from the end is stressed. Every verse of the story ends using one of them, and they are shuffled around in order to build each version of the story. Chico is a genius.
Not sure how much of that its lost in the translation. It's brilliant and layered and though it seems chaotic, it makes perfect sense. A Genius, truly.
@@paidoadm9231 , o arranjo musical desta gravação é de autoria de um maestro renomado no Brasil chamado Rogério Duprat. Ele trabalhou com outras estrelas da música popular brasileira (MPB), entre as quais estão a roqueira Rita Lee, que nos anos '60 cantava no grupo Mutantes, do movimento Tropicália.
If you want a more in depth analysis on this song theres a great video by Charles Cornell callled "How brazil's music hid protest inside harmony", he does a great job at explaining not just the music but the historical context around that time! Anyway, great video
Chico Buarque is a sensitive genius, a socially hyper-develloped mind, a master of writing and composing, a man desiring to share his perception of the dictatorship horrors in the 60's in Brazil. I have no words to describe my deepest admiration for the poet, citizen, musician, leader, artist, man, human being, no words...
You are crazy, sure. Bolsonaro planned to kill Lula and you call Lula's government a dictatorship? You are crazi or dumb, no other options. @@elietecarvalho556
"Construção" is one of Chico Buarque's masterpieces, released in 1971, and is widely recognized for its innovative structure and the depth of its lyrics. The song addresses the lives of workers in the context of urbanization and modernization in Brazil, particularly during a period of military dictatorship, reflecting on the alienation and dehumanization of labor. The song is notable for its repetitive and nearly hypnotic structure. Chico uses the repetition of the initial line and the construction of interspersed stanzas to create a rhythm that evokes the arduous routine of workers. Each stanza culminates with the phrase "ele partiu" ("he left"), which becomes a mantra, reinforcing the idea that the life of a worker is marked by the continuity of labor and the lack of individuality. Dehumanization of labor: Workers are depicted mechanically, as if they are merely parts of a machine. The song describes the death of a worker, but the focus is not solely on his individuality, but on how his life and death are absorbed into the daily grind of work. Alienation: There is a strong critique of how society treats workers, disregarding their personal lives and human dignity. The worker becomes an object, and their struggle is rendered invisible in the grand enterprise of civil construction. Relationship with society: The song also critiques societal indifference toward the lives of workers. While they sacrifice themselves, there is a disconnection between hard work and the acknowledgment of human value. Political Context During the 1970s, Brazil was under military dictatorship, and the song reflects a climate of repression, but also the resilience of the people. "Construção" can be interpreted as a metaphor for the struggle for freedom and social justice, reflecting the difficulties faced by the working class. Conclusion "Construção" is a work that transcends a mere account of a worker's life. Through its form and content, Chico Buarque provokes a profound reflection on working conditions and the dehumanization of individuals in the modern era. The song remains relevant, resonating in discussions about labor rights, dignity, and the valuing of human beings in any social context.
It is very difficult to understand ‘Construção’ without knowing the historical moment in which this masterpiece was created. This song highlights Chico’s genius, in a poetic narrative that is perhaps more complex and just as incredible as ‘Roda Viva’. The wordplay, the use of proparoxytones at the end of each verse, make this song simply an impressive masterpiece.
Um fato interessante sobre essa música é que o Chico antes das últimas frases só rimou proparoxítonas que é a classe mais escassa de palavras da língua portuguesa, um gênio, não só por isso é claro..
Chico Buarque has a wonderful body of work, in compositions, plays, books. He recently turned 80 on the 19th and is still on stage. This composition is from 1971, pure art. Thank you for bringing him, Chico is the owner of many successes here in Brasil.
I thank god everyday for being a portuguese native speaker and enjoy this masterpiece in its original language. It is amazing to see people discovering this song.
Something interesting about the music that is not noticed by non-Portuguese speakers is that all the last words of each sentence are paroxytonal (they have accents on the first syllable), so this evokes a peogresive and rhythmic agony in the music. Even when he replaces the words, they are always paroxytone ones.
Stooooop, this is my favorite song of all history, so well written, so well "Constructed" and deconstructed and reconstructed, pure musical alchemy. Chico was an Alchemist of human art.
One thing I’ve noticed in some of these stories he shared is that they can be interpreted as experiences of someone held captive and subjected to torture. For instance, he describes swallowing water excessively (one kind of torture at the time), he built 4 walls (that remember a prison cell) and dancing without music as if evading military gunfire, and then flying like a bird when he was pushed to death -though this was later reported as an accident. These narratives come from various perspectives, depending on who is telling the story and what version they choose to emphasize.
Chico Buarque de Holanda é o maior compositor brasileiro de todos os tempos, nos brindou com obras fantásticas, que são como a história, a cronologia de nossas vidas.
I love to see the shocked faces of musicians analyzing this song, the tragedy in Chico's work is singular. Check out "Geni e o Zepelim" in the future, it's another tragedy but it's a masterpiece
Man, he is describing a suicide of a poor worker. It´s a classic in Brazil. He has changed the endings of every frase in the second time he sing´s, maintaining the poetic meaning.
The instrumentation! It was written by Rogério Duprat! Really good writer and conductor. Very underapreciated here in Brazil. Worked a lot with Mutantes, a really good Beatles like rock band from the same era as this record.
The song is definitely both literal and an analogy. About both how little the life of the individual is cared for in labour and also how the entire labour class is treated.
Chico Buarque é um dos maiores compositores e cantores do Brasil! Um poeta puro que sabe jogar com as palavras, numa simbiose perfeita com a música... Eu diria que ele não é apenas um grandioso artista brasileiro, mas um baluarte da própria língua portuguesa! No meu humilde entender a importância de sua obra está para a música assim como a obra de Machado de Assis está para a nossa língua! Um abraço do Brasil e parabéns pela ótima reação e compreensão da letra da música, etc.
YES! The thing is, there are several interrpetations on this music, all of them political. Onde way to look at it all is to see the diferent versions as how people my see the story. The first being someone in the news, telling the story of a loving husband worker who accidentally fell for his demise, the second one may be the construction company, saying he's a cheating husband who got there drunk and fell on his own, and the third can be looked at as a police report, really shorter version, more analytical and doesn't care about the details of the common worker's life, also because he "messes up the saturday", because the police will have to file a report (which they don't around here on saturdays). Overrall, ithe song is a criticism on the dictatorship we were having in brazil when the song came out, about the condition of the workers, about the censorship we've gone through. It's a great song, i can't listen to it without watering my eyes.
This has so many layers. The last part is full of references. For instance, "the smoke we have to cough" relates to a form of torture used during the military dictatorship in Brazil, the redeeming death of political prisoners and the flies over their bodies because the families couldn't bury them (they were officially "disappeared") . The things we have to swallow and we can only express gratitude for points to censorship in the period. Many meanings and details that make sense when we know the history. But even without fully knowing it one can appreciate it and get the overall message because it's a great art piece.
I'm from Brazil and this music is one of those that hits you at the heart. I love how he plays with the words and you start to really notice the details, is like calling out someone's attention to what is really happening.
Brasil!!!! This is such a masterpiece. It’s sad that you won’t be able to understand the nuance of our language and the poetry here. But still, gorgeous song.
Chico is way ahead of any lyricists in the world (at least compared to the ones we know). Bob Dylan, Cole Porter, and even Jobim don't compare to him. His songs are not only full of meanings and subtle cultural references, but also full of an irony which can be sharp, poignant and sweet/ benevolent at the same time. He is in a league of his own. It's like comparing Shakespeare to most other writers. Also, the harmonies in his songs are rich. I don't like using the word "genius", but I do think it applies to him. Chico has at least 20 (if not 30) songs which are out of this world (perfection). Who else in the world could own 30 perfect songs (whatever "perfect" is)? "Construção" is one. Another is "Roda Viva". Check it out: th-cam.com/video/IzwBVOPu7iM/w-d-xo.html
I'm brazillian, and I have to tell you that this music It's an iconic song from our time of dictatorship, this singer was arrested several times for his productions, so I'm glad to see more peaple listen it ❤ (sorry for my english, I'm not fluent)
It is worth mentioning that this lyrics was written with all the phrases ending in proparoxytones, which makes it even more complex. The name "construction" also serves to describe the complexity of the construction of the lyrics itself. For those who understand it in Portuguese, it is a delight to hear it, as it allows us to admire the geniality of Chico Buarque. The last part "God pays you back" is actually another song he used to play in the Construction sequence (and which has longer lyrics when played alone) and is a criticism of the dictatorship, as an ironic "thanks" for allowing people to exist.
Love this song! It is important to note that, in addition to all the poetry in the lyrics, the song was written entirely with Alexandrine verses and the last word of each verse is a proparoxytone.
It’s so poetic and so dramatic and so political … I don’t know if there is a better song in the world. It’s very powerful. I used to listen to it when I was young, during the dictatorship. And it was very inspiring. I’m Uruguayan and brazilian music has a huge importance for us
This is one of the best interpretations of this song, how cleaverly he changes words to totaly change the meaning of the sentence, if you ever lived in a country with a dictatorial goverment you learn to listen between lines and this is a master piece... it really hurts inside.
Chico é daquela geração que explodiu no Mundo todo. Em todo canto do Mundo surgiu talentos maravilhosos. Eu, me sinto abençoada por isso. Na minha juventude curti os artistas brasileiros, latinos, americanos, ingleses, franceses, italianos e africanos. Infelismente, hj, no Brasil, só temos músicas ruins.
think this is the most wonderful composition ever made in terms of lyrics in the modern music, is just amazing how Chico play with concepts and words mixing them in a majestic way. ¡Saludos desde Kenya de un mexicano!
it is like he's telling the story of three construction workers, each one having similar lifes but with some changes... Like, the first loves his wife dearly, but the second one has other women, and so on... But in the end, they always mess up other people's lifes. And you also can hear that the song also construct itself with its melodics, instruments, and everything! It is genius!!!!!!
I'm from Brazil, Chico is one of my absolute favorite singers. I was SO shocked the first time listened to this song and the "stumbled in the sky" part didn't seem literal in a fisrt moment, and then he dies. It felt like a slap in my face. Love all his songs
During the dictatorship Brazil was the country with the most numbers of accidents on construction sites, it makes a critics about it and how little thoses workers lives matters for the goverment, companies owners and even for the people of ours cities. Absolutely music & lyrics, a masterpiece.
I have known and listened to this song for 20 years and it always gives me chills!! I loved your reaction; unlike other channels, you really reflect on the lyrics in a meaningful way. Chico Buarque is perhaps the greatest composer of the Portuguese language; almost all of his songs are gold. I suggest listening to 'Geni e o Zepelin' (it talks about a transgender woman who is ostracized in her town. Note that it is a song written almost 50 years ago and could not be more modern). 'Pedaço de Mim' (a song about a mother's grief whose son was killed by the military dictatorship). Also listen to 'Pedro Pedreiro,' 'João e Maria,' 'Caro Amigo,' 'Roda Viva,' 'Olho nos Olhos,' 'Cio da Terra.' I also recommend other national singers, such as Milton Nascimento (the most Brazilian voice there is), Caetano Veloso, Ney Matogrosso (the man who literally inspired Kiss), Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil.
@@SoltinhoBH a própria música dá a entender isso, se vc for ver a letra cuidadosamente, geni era genival. Era uma garota de programa e atendida tanto homens quanto mulheres...
@@gustavodahrug141, você extrapolou o que a letra diz. Em nenhum momento existe menção ou contexto afirmando que ELA seja um homem trans. Muito pelo contrário! Na linha "Dá-se assim desde menina", ao meu ver, só confirma que ela era do sexo feminino desde a nascença. Geni não é necessariamente uma abreviação de Genival. Pode ser abreviação de Genilda. Mas é fato que Geni é um nome próprio. Segundo o dicionário de significados de nomes, Geni significa “bem-nascida”, “aquela que tem origem nobre” ou “aquele que tem boas origens”; “branca como a espuma do mar” ou “branca e suave”; “Deus é cheio de graça”, “agraciada por Deus”, “a graça e misericórdia de Deus” ou “Deus perdoa”. Por essas características, o nome escolhido pelo Chico tem tudo a ver com a letra. Se o Chico quisesse mostrar que a Geni era Genival, homem trans, com certeza deixaria isso claro na letra, nem que fosse de forma sutil com os seus jogos de palavras ou sentidos que ele sempre utilizou tão bem em suas letras. Mas a Geni poderia ser trans? Sim, perfeitamente! Não mudaria em nada o sentido ou contexto da obra. E é muito provável que reforçasse sua condição de marginalizada. Mas não é isso o que está na letra ou na música. Não se pode afirmar que ela era trans sem extrapolar o que a letra diz.
@@SoltinhoBH, amigo, não sou eu quem estou dizendo. A música faz parte do musical A Ópera do Malandro, no qual a personagem se chama Genivaldo e é uma travesti.
Im not sure if this song was written during the dictatorship but there is one called A pesar de voce (despite you) that somehow didnt get censored. The lyrics of that song are so strong. I recommend.
Like the Chilean guy in the other comment, I first heard the song around age 13 or 14, but it was the original. It was like being hit by a bullet train. I daresay Chico Buarque had a significant part in shaping my ethical comprehension of the world. I recommend three other songs of his: "Apesar de Você", "Geni e o Zepelin", "Brejo da Cruz".
I´m from Brazil, 52 year old and i would like do thank you for shows our brasilian popular song writer. He´s just 80 this year and everybody in Brazil loves him too much. We too proud about Chico Buarque carrier
My all time favorite song ever. This song is pure genius. And even more when you can understand Portuguese and how he plays with puns and metaphores by just using the same words in different verses, Absolute genius ❤
I squeak every time I hear this song. Here in Brazil, we studied this song at school as children (both to cope with the era of military dictatorship and to study grammar - every end of each sentence structurally resembles the word Tragic, etc...)
He explained capitalism at the base and inequality in this song too. And how politics aren't there for that, "god pay you", in this song this phrase is more in a ironic and revolt way.
I like to think that: whenever the narrator sings about what happened, the man dies as if he didn't even exist and the only thing his death does is disturb others. Nice reactions
I was married to a Brazilian in Brazil when Chico de Buarque was at the top of his fame, and of his game. Fantastic composition like all of his work, a poem set to music.
There is much more to those lyrics than the story it tells. I think most people miss the self-referential irony of writing Constructivist lyrics about a construction worker. The lines are “constructed” in a “logical design” with interchangeable “word bricks” like ‘Saturday’, ‘traffic’, ‘bird’, ‘shy’ &c. The importance of the lyrics as a powerful artistic statement was certainly not lost to the music producers, who made sure they pulled all the stops to create a gigantic recording.
Chico Buarque is one of our giant musician. Like Bob Dylan, he deserves a Nobel. Of course you have to undesrtands Portguese to realy apreciate his work.
Fun fact: when this song was released, a newspaper published its (brilliant) lyrics. My uncle was at the hospital and my dad went to the hospital to pay him a visit. When he got there, my grandma showed him the paper. After he finished reading the words he looked outside the window and saw a construction worker falling from a building that was being built accross the street from the hospital. True story! 😮
I love Chico, I think he is one of the bests poets in the world. This song is amazing, he tells you the same story in three diferent ways only changing the ending word of each verse on each version. At my point of view, first version is what really hapened, a guy went to work, he fell from the building, he died.. 2nd maybe is the popular version, full of gossips and hearsayings, difamation, etc, they point a guy who has lovers (kissed his wife like she was the only one"), he is irresponsible, etc.. the third one maybe the press version, very short, resumed... and full of lies, its like, manipulative, just giving a news cos they have to do it, but also pay attention: NOBODY talks, on any version, that a guy died and left behin a wifes and kids... instead, he emsses up the traffic (could you hear the traficc on the first part? lol.. hard to miss it, all those sounds and metals section of the music was the traffic), the public, the saturday, the life.. The second music is Deus Lhe Pague, and in this album he joined both (although its just a short part of Deus Lhe Pague) cos in the original version, Deus Lhe Pague was censored by goverment... reallly good lyrics "for the sunday who is pretty, tv novels, (religion) mass and comic books... God Pays you bakc..." The lyrics was censored mostly cos its against church who, on its side, was supporter of military goverment, so... yeah... hard times. And to at least have a piece of the song on record he did this junction here. Also he recorded Deus Lhe Pague, I think on same album, only with the music, no lyricvs, aqnd later, 2 or 3 years later, he could record the full version of the song.
@@SaeedReacts. Im brazilian, big fan of Chico and all MPB (Caetano Veloso, Tim maia, Maria Bethânia, Djavan, Zé Ramalho, Elis Regina, Nara Leão, etc...) If you wanna suggestions, I think you would love Tim maia, cos he sings songs kind... soul.. but mixed with MPB, and his voice is incredible. As for lyrics, Caetano and Chico are the best ones. This song of Chico, sang by Elis Regina... her performance is amazing, it is about a relationship ending, there are other videos with english subtitles if you look for, but none with this performance (you will understand what I saying if you see the video) th-cam.com/video/ew_p1IRRgks/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=Musicalidade
The lyrics are just unbeliavable poetry. It describes the life and accidental death of an anonimous construction worker. But the social commentary that is interwoven... 🌻❤️
"Construção" é uma das obras-primas de Chico Buarque, lançada em 1971, e é amplamente reconhecida por sua estrutura inovadora e pela profundidade de suas letras. A canção aborda a vida de operários em um contexto de urbanização e modernização do Brasil, especialmente durante um período de ditadura militar, refletindo sobre a alienação e a desumanização do trabalho. A canção é notável por sua estrutura repetitiva e quase hipnótica. Chico utiliza a repetição do verso inicial e a construção de estrofes que se intercalam para criar um ritmo que evoca a rotina árdua dos trabalhadores. Cada estrofe termina com a frase "ele partiu", que se torna um mantra, reforçando a ideia de que a vida do operário é marcada pela continuidade do trabalho e pela falta de singularidade. Desumanização do trabalho: Os trabalhadores são retratados de forma mecânica, como se fossem apenas parte de uma máquina. A música descreve a morte de um operário, mas o foco não é apenas na sua individualidade, mas na forma como sua vida e morte são absorvidas pela rotina do trabalho. Alienação: Existe uma forte crítica à maneira como a sociedade trata os trabalhadores, desconsiderando suas vidas pessoais e a dignidade humana. O trabalhador se torna um objeto, e sua luta é invisibilizada na grande obra da construção civil. Relação com a sociedade: A canção também critica a indiferença da sociedade em relação à vida dos operários. Enquanto eles se sacrificam, há uma desconexão entre o trabalho duro e o reconhecimento do valor humano. Contexto Político Durante os anos 70, o Brasil vivia sob uma ditadura militar, e a música reflete um clima de repressão, mas também a resiliência do povo. "Construção" pode ser interpretada como uma metáfora da luta pela liberdade e justiça social, refletindo as dificuldades enfrentadas pela classe trabalhadora. Conclusão "Construção" é uma obra que transcende o simples relato de uma vida operária. Através de sua forma e conteúdo, Chico Buarque provoca uma reflexão profunda sobre as condições de trabalho e a desumanização do ser humano na era moderna. A música permanece relevante, ressoando em discussões sobre direitos trabalhistas, dignidade e a valorização do ser humano em qualquer contexto social.
No ano anterior à criação desta música, o Brasil havia quebrado o recorde mundial de acidentes no trabalho. Eram outros tempos aqui no país. Pouca segurança e recursos para a mão de obra. Hoje, são outros os padrões. 🇧🇷🇧🇷
A musica é mais que questão de segurança, mano. É uma critica a escravidão assalariada, inclusive. Não tenta fazer rodeios para esconder o cerne da questão
This song always makes me emotional. When you grow up watching your parents work to the point they even forget who they are, you see their suffering every single day, no recognition, just another number trying to survive and provide, poor people being grateful for at least being allowed to stay alive during a violent dictatorship... A lot changed here, but the workers, low and middle class, still struggle so much and can never stop. We work until our very last breath so our kids can have a future better than ours. Chico is a genius and, undoubtedly, a Brazilian man that understands the hardships and injustices of our country. I admire my country's people because we're strong, lively and bright even though the circunstances are not the greatest. The intelligence and sensibility to turn all this pain and sometimes even rage into art, is something that always amazed me. Please, listen to more music from the dictatorship years and look for Tropicalia.
I'm from Chile, 51 years old now and I grew up in the dictatorship of the time, another one in Latin America during those years. I remember being 13 or 14 years old when one morning on the radio they played this song (which I had not heard) in its Spanish version. I still remember how it impacted me and how I couldn't stop crying when the song had finished a while ago. Chico was a genius of composition and lyricism, there is a lot of very interesting material in Portuguese and Spanish, very unknown to English speakers. Good reaction.
Thanks so much for sharing part of your experience.
Its an incredible song with genius writing.
Greetings from Belgium.
Why "was"? Chico is still alive and composing.
@@goytabr TRUE! When I wrote the comment I wasn't sure if Chico was still alive or not, and you're right, he's still here creating his wonders. Luckily for all of us.
do you know any interesting songs like this one in spanish? I'm really looking for it
@@TamanskayaDivision If you are looking for songs with social/political criticism in Spanish, without losing poetry, a recommended one is "Los Dinosaurios" (1983) by Charly García, an important Argentine musician. The lyrics are about cases of forced disappearances during the dictatorship, with the final line saying that "the dinosaurs", that is, the dictators, will also leave at some point. If I remember another one I will write again. The song: th-cam.com/video/RGLGhU12DLg/w-d-xo.html
Another versión, with English subtitles and an intro th-cam.com/video/3cPS0HNl4-s/w-d-xo.html
He tells the story three times but changes the final word in each line, thus totally transforming the narrative. A masterpiece.
Incredible writing.
That's why the song has the name of "construction", 'cause It is a a construction of words.
Sim. Como tantas outras.
@@TheValeguin1 que tantas outras?
@@TheValeguin1 cita uma ai po
Chico Buarque should win a Nobel for literature. For real.
@@freddyfleal Deserves it more than Bob Dylan. If not for his lyrics, for his poetry and his novels (yes, he's also a novelist).
Ele ganhou muitos prêmios por ser um dos melhores artistas da língua portuguesa. 💘
Ele venceu o prêmio Luís de Camões, que é o prêmio máximo da literatura em língua portuguesa, em 2019.
Sim, ganhou diversos prêmios, incluindo o Camões. Mas nada me tira da cabeça que a sua produção merecia também o Nobel. Vejo mais qualidade na obra do Chico do que num Modiano ou Herta Muller (pra citar dois laureados recentes)
Ele ganhou o prêmio Camões de literatura.
The song "Construção" by Chico Buarque is deeply intertwined with the social and political context of Brazil during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Released in 1971, Brazil was under a military dictatorship known for its repression and censorship.
"Construção" tells the story of a construction worker who falls to his death from a building under construction. The lyrics are fragmented and non-linear, using poetic imagery to depict the worker's life, his tragic accident, and the indifferent response of society.
Socially, the song reflects the harsh conditions faced by Brazil's working class, highlighting their struggles and the dehumanizing nature of labor. Politically, it serves as a critique of the oppressive military regime and the societal inequalities it perpetuated. The song's innovative use of narrative structure and poetic language made it a powerful piece of protest art, resonating with the Brazilian public who were grappling with political repression and censorship.
"Construção" became a symbol of resistance and artistic defiance against the authoritarian regime. Its impact extended beyond music, influencing Brazilian literature and culture by challenging the status quo and advocating for social change. Thus, the song "Construção" remains a poignant reflection of its turbulent time, capturing the spirit of resistance and resilience amidst political adversity in Brazil.
Thanks for sharing this 🙏🏽
@@Laroyeexu excelente análise. Obg.❤
Also, because the song is divided in 3 sections, all with the same basic structure but "shuffling" the last few words in each line, it creates 3 slightly different accident stories with the same result. I think that is a way of saying, "This accident was not a one-off, this sort of thing occurs over and over again."
It's not so much about the dictatorship itself, but the social gap widened by the economic growth at the time, which caused a construction boom where poor workers, cheap labor, were thrown into their jobs with little concern for their safety and well being.
E antes da ditadura nenhum operario morria? Kkkkk
I don't know if you noticed, but past the first and second reference to the traffic, the orchestra and the voices harmonizing with Chico actually remember vehicle horns, that is great imagery building. Chico and who arranjed this song are actually geniuses.
I need to listen again! So much to unpack. So many layers.
@@SaeedReacts.definitely recommend you to do so, the time I heard it after noticing that about the harmony and contexts like the information other comments gave, I was like 🤯🤯🤯
The arranger conductor was Rogerio Duprat, also a legend in brazilian music.
Chico Buarque had aplicate to Archtecture School in that time.
Fun fact (told me by my father): at this time, a famous brazilian artist was asked how he wrote his songs and rhymes, and he said that he used to look for words with strong syllables being the last or the one before the last (oxytones and paroxytones) and when asked why he said "because it's impossible to make a rhyming lyric with proparoxytones (strong syllable being the two before the last one), it's just too difficult".... Chico Buarque apparently heard this interview and was intrigued to see if he could do this. And he could... and it is still today a masterpiece for those listening to the lyrics in portuguese!
Wow! Thanks for sharing that.
Wish i could speak Portuguese to get more of the nuance.
@@SaeedReacts. thank you for sharing the reaction! First time I’m seeing a non-brazilian hearing this masterpiece! The wonders of the internet ❤️
@@SaeedReacts. Something may help: Portuguese is written as it sounds. Thus, when the strong tone of a word is not where it usually is, this is marked with something above the vogal, like á, é, í, ó, ú, â, ê, ... . You can see on this lyrics how rare they are. Yet every last word in the sentences have the same marking on the beginning of them. This is very intentional, and the rarity of these words tells how difficulty it is to make.
True, the strength of the original lyrics in Portuguese lies precisely in the use of proparoxytones, which unfortunately cannot be reproduced in versions in other languages.
IMHO I think this is the most important aspect of the lyrics
Trabalhei na construção civil por mais de 20 anos,sempre me emociono com esta música.
@@ademirconegundes antes de virar gola branca trabalhei como carpinteiro por 2 anos meu pai por 20, lembro do desdenho que pessoas que nunca subiram num telhado na vida tinham conosco.
Meu total respeito por vocês. Eu fico impressionada com a coragem e a força das pessoas que fazem esses trabalhos.
Quando pequena e atualmente, meu pai conta as historias do que acontecia nas obras que ele trabalhou (empresa do paulo octavio) quando ouvi essa música me bateu no coração porquê lembro de todas as historias, inclusive como ele assistiu a tudo e não teve nenhum apoio psicológico, até hj ele tem trauma com os colegas que caíram do prédio e morreram eletrocutados na frente dele.
Tem uma frase que estadunidenses dirigem a seus militares que lutaram ou lutam em guerras, mas eu dirijo essa frase a você.
"OBRIGADO PELO SEU SERVIÇO".
Sinto muito. Todo nosso respeito aos trabalhadores do chão das fábricas e construções.
Chico Buarque is the greatest living artist in the Portuguese language.
No one even comes close.
I'm portuguese and I was able to finally watch him live in Porto in 2022 and I cried like a baby, it was unreal.
Long live Chico Buarque de Hollanda ❤
Sometimes is easy to forget how blessed Brazilian PT speakers are to be born in that land! 🥺😭
@@kristhyansc Ser brasileiro é um sentimento inenarrável, pelas músicas, comidas, danças, a misturas de povos que nos dá uma característica física particular, a forma que acolhemos as pessoas, a leveza como levamos a vida, fauna e flora exuberantes, não só por isso, mas por tudo isso que o amor brota de uma maneira fácil no coração do povo brasileiro.
@@kristhyansc yeah we I love to be in a country where people don't know how to vote! What a beautiful country! Everyone being blind followers of an ideology! What a beautiful country! After all, culture is everything!!!!! Btw, this "culture" is now past, you don't see the "good" side of Brazil anymore.
Thanks for the kindness!
@@smaug313au au viralata
@@reginahelenaaugusto4901 really? Is serious this?
The last part of the song belongs to another song, "Deus lhe pague". During the dictatorship, there was this slogan "Brazil, love it or leave it", thus he saying "may God pay you back" for those awful things.
6:20 You cracked the code right there. Brazil was being crushed by a regime. At the end when he is saying "God pays you back" you can feel the resentment.
This song is a Brazilian masterpiece in composition.
There are some interesting tidbits in it.
Chico repeats the lyrics 4 times, always using proparoxytones at the end of each phrase.
These words are repeated in different orders in each segment of the song, giving a different meaning to the character's "personality, in this case the worker.
The song is called construction because the man works in a construction, but in my understanding it also reflects the way Chico builds the song, intelligently using this play on words to change the meaning in each segment.
And.... I should add that paroxytones are by far the most "natural" words in Portuguese, so that the more uncommon prop-s give a special rhythmic taste for us, Brazilians.
@@adrianokury E também em "Deus lhe Pague" os verbos que rimam são da terceira conjugação, a mais rara.
@@fucandonamatematica6207 Aha! q legal, eu nunca havia reparado, pelo menos conscientemente...
Sim, ele canta várias versões com as mesmas palavras.
BRASIL MENTIONED!! Brasileiros vamo pedir mais, o cara sentiu mesmo a vibe da música kkk
Great song!
@@JuniorBedin let's as him Clube da Esquina reactions and others too
o cara do vídeo tem uma vibe brasileira. Pensei que fosse brasileiro falando inglês.
Sim!!! Amo ver gringos reagindo a músicas brasileiras como essa.
3:12 i think that the way the music got dramatic there was to simbolize the car horns
He is the greatest genius of Brazilian songwriting.
Chico Buarque wrote a musical called "A Ópera do Malandro", which is also a masterpiece.
Amoooo
There is a little detail about this song that really gets me... there is a grammar structure in portuguese called 'proparoxitona', it is when the third syllable from the end is stressed. Every verse of the story ends using one of them, and they are shuffled around in order to build each version of the story. Chico is a genius.
Not sure how much of that its lost in the translation. It's brilliant and layered and though it seems chaotic, it makes perfect sense. A Genius, truly.
Ele é sinistro mesmo, o Br das antigas era outra história
Vou ouvir essa música até o fim da vida e vou chorar todas as vezes que ouvir. A beleza desses versos é surreal.
The chords in the music symbolise the horns of the cars on the street when he fell down the building, this is genius
@@paidoadm9231 , o arranjo musical desta gravação é de autoria de um maestro renomado no Brasil chamado Rogério Duprat. Ele trabalhou com outras estrelas da música popular brasileira (MPB), entre as quais estão a roqueira Rita Lee, que nos anos '60 cantava no grupo Mutantes, do movimento Tropicália.
If you want a more in depth analysis on this song theres a great video by Charles Cornell callled "How brazil's music hid protest inside harmony", he does a great job at explaining not just the music but the historical context around that time! Anyway, great video
That sounds interesting! Thanks for letting me know and for watching. Have a great day.
He is one of our Genius. The cool thing is that the song is so modern, never looses he meaning.
Chico Buarque is a sensitive genius, a socially hyper-develloped mind, a master of writing and composing, a man desiring to share his perception of the dictatorship horrors in the 60's in Brazil. I have no words to describe my deepest admiration for the poet, citizen, musician, leader, artist, man, human being, no words...
@aimardom , but nowadays, he defends the dictatorship that appears in Brasil. What a pitty!
@@elietecarvalho556 você é burro assim mesmo por mérito próprio ou assina a brasil paralelo?
I tell to all gringos that I know that I pity everyone that was born on a country without Chico Buarque.
You are crazy, sure. Bolsonaro planned to kill Lula and you call Lula's government a dictatorship? You are crazi or dumb, no other options. @@elietecarvalho556
I’m brazilian. This lyrics are insane. 🔥
Uma das melhores músicas brasileiras já compostas ❤
@@moaalencar_ Perfect.
E muito gratificante ver que artistas do meu país estão sendo reconhecidos por suas belas músicas❤
"Construção" is one of Chico Buarque's masterpieces, released in 1971, and is widely recognized for its innovative structure and the depth of its lyrics. The song addresses the lives of workers in the context of urbanization and modernization in Brazil, particularly during a period of military dictatorship, reflecting on the alienation and dehumanization of labor.
The song is notable for its repetitive and nearly hypnotic structure. Chico uses the repetition of the initial line and the construction of interspersed stanzas to create a rhythm that evokes the arduous routine of workers. Each stanza culminates with the phrase "ele partiu" ("he left"), which becomes a mantra, reinforcing the idea that the life of a worker is marked by the continuity of labor and the lack of individuality.
Dehumanization of labor: Workers are depicted mechanically, as if they are merely parts of a machine. The song describes the death of a worker, but the focus is not solely on his individuality, but on how his life and death are absorbed into the daily grind of work.
Alienation: There is a strong critique of how society treats workers, disregarding their personal lives and human dignity. The worker becomes an object, and their struggle is rendered invisible in the grand enterprise of civil construction.
Relationship with society: The song also critiques societal indifference toward the lives of workers. While they sacrifice themselves, there is a disconnection between hard work and the acknowledgment of human value.
Political Context
During the 1970s, Brazil was under military dictatorship, and the song reflects a climate of repression, but also the resilience of the people. "Construção" can be interpreted as a metaphor for the struggle for freedom and social justice, reflecting the difficulties faced by the working class.
Conclusion
"Construção" is a work that transcends a mere account of a worker's life. Through its form and content, Chico Buarque provokes a profound reflection on working conditions and the dehumanization of individuals in the modern era. The song remains relevant, resonating in discussions about labor rights, dignity, and the valuing of human beings in any social context.
It is very difficult to understand ‘Construção’ without knowing the historical moment in which this masterpiece was created. This song highlights Chico’s genius, in a poetic narrative that is perhaps more complex and just as incredible as ‘Roda Viva’. The wordplay, the use of proparoxytones at the end of each verse, make this song simply an impressive masterpiece.
Chico is Absolute CINEMA!
You totally understood the spirit of the song! Chico buarque is one of the greatests brazilian songwriters, poet and writer.
Incredible song!
Um fato interessante sobre essa música é que o Chico antes das últimas frases só rimou proparoxítonas que é a classe mais escassa de palavras da língua portuguesa, um gênio, não só por isso é claro..
Chico Buarque has a wonderful body of work, in compositions, plays, books. He recently turned 80 on the 19th and is still on stage. This composition is from 1971, pure art. Thank you for bringing him, Chico is the owner of many successes here in Brasil.
Wow, that is amazing! That is longevity!
I thank god everyday for being a portuguese native speaker and enjoy this masterpiece in its original language.
It is amazing to see people discovering this song.
A música "CONSTRUÇÃO" é a realidade do Brasil!
This is one of my country's greatest masterpieces. It's incredible how chico managed to break our soul with this song
You never will find a song like this. In the whole world.
Something interesting about the music that is not noticed by non-Portuguese speakers is that all the last words of each sentence are paroxytonal (they have accents on the first syllable), so this evokes a peogresive and rhythmic agony in the music. Even when he replaces the words, they are always paroxytone ones.
Stooooop, this is my favorite song of all history, so well written, so well "Constructed" and deconstructed and reconstructed, pure musical alchemy. Chico was an Alchemist of human art.
Chico IS*! He is still alive and working!
@@liviarosa1981 ikr? i mean wtf
One thing I’ve noticed in some of these stories he shared is that they can be interpreted as experiences of someone held captive and subjected to torture. For instance, he describes swallowing water excessively (one kind of torture at the time), he built 4 walls (that remember a prison cell) and dancing without music as if evading military gunfire, and then flying like a bird when he was pushed to death -though this was later reported as an accident.
These narratives come from various perspectives, depending on who is telling the story and what version they choose to emphasize.
Chico Buarque de Holanda é o maior compositor brasileiro de todos os tempos, nos brindou com obras fantásticas, que são como a história, a cronologia de nossas vidas.
I love to see the shocked faces of musicians analyzing this song, the tragedy in Chico's work is singular.
Check out "Geni e o Zepelim" in the future, it's another tragedy but it's a masterpiece
Man, he is describing a suicide of a poor worker. It´s a classic in Brazil. He has changed the endings of every frase in the second time he sing´s, maintaining the poetic meaning.
The instrumentation! It was written by Rogério Duprat! Really good writer and conductor. Very underapreciated here in Brazil. Worked a lot with Mutantes, a really good Beatles like rock band from the same era as this record.
Thanks for having me hearing this old song again as it was for the first time ever. Last June 19th, Chico has turned 80 years old!.
Great song! So well written.
Happy belated birthday, Chico!
The song is definitely both literal and an analogy. About both how little the life of the individual is cared for in labour and also how the entire labour class is treated.
Chico Buarque é um dos maiores compositores e cantores do Brasil! Um poeta puro que sabe jogar com as palavras, numa simbiose perfeita com a música... Eu diria que ele não é apenas um grandioso artista brasileiro, mas um baluarte da própria língua portuguesa! No meu humilde entender a importância de sua obra está para a música assim como a obra de Machado de Assis está para a nossa língua! Um abraço do Brasil e parabéns pela ótima reação e compreensão da letra da música, etc.
Amazing song! Incredible writing. Thanks for watching.
YES! The thing is, there are several interrpetations on this music, all of them political. Onde way to look at it all is to see the diferent versions as how people my see the story. The first being someone in the news, telling the story of a loving husband worker who accidentally fell for his demise, the second one may be the construction company, saying he's a cheating husband who got there drunk and fell on his own, and the third can be looked at as a police report, really shorter version, more analytical and doesn't care about the details of the common worker's life, also because he "messes up the saturday", because the police will have to file a report (which they don't around here on saturdays). Overrall, ithe song is a criticism on the dictatorship we were having in brazil when the song came out, about the condition of the workers, about the censorship we've gone through. It's a great song, i can't listen to it without watering my eyes.
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing this. Very powerful song! And so well written.
@@gfspezzaferro came here to say this!! Thank you for the explanation!!
This has so many layers. The last part is full of references. For instance, "the smoke we have to cough" relates to a form of torture used during the military dictatorship in Brazil, the redeeming death of political prisoners and the flies over their bodies because the families couldn't bury them (they were officially "disappeared") . The things we have to swallow and we can only express gratitude for points to censorship in the period. Many meanings and details that make sense when we know the history. But even without fully knowing it one can appreciate it and get the overall message because it's a great art piece.
and it's show how easily is to change a story by just changing the last word or the order of the phrases 🤯
ONLY NOW I realized the "kissed his wife as if she was the only one" implies that there's another one lol
I'm from Brazil and this music is one of those that hits you at the heart. I love how he plays with the words and you start to really notice the details, is like calling out someone's attention to what is really happening.
Wow, that was a fast turn-around! Thank you so much for the reaction. This song blows my mind with its power and nuanced writing.
You caught me at the right time 😄.
Great song and very clever writing! Thanks again for this request 🙏🏽❤️
This is art. Brazilian art.
Brasil!!!! This is such a masterpiece. It’s sad that you won’t be able to understand the nuance of our language and the poetry here. But still, gorgeous song.
Poetry masterpiece and spectacular orchestration!!!
Chico is way ahead of any lyricists in the world (at least compared to the ones we know). Bob Dylan, Cole Porter, and even Jobim don't compare to him. His songs are not only full of meanings and subtle cultural references, but also full of an irony which can be sharp, poignant and sweet/ benevolent at the same time. He is in a league of his own. It's like comparing Shakespeare to most other writers. Also, the harmonies in his songs are rich. I don't like using the word "genius", but I do think it applies to him. Chico has at least 20 (if not 30) songs which are out of this world (perfection). Who else in the world could own 30 perfect songs (whatever "perfect" is)? "Construção" is one. Another is "Roda Viva". Check it out: th-cam.com/video/IzwBVOPu7iM/w-d-xo.html
@@Teodoroviski "Acorda, amor" is a great example of this irony. Master!
I'm brazillian, and I have to tell you that this music It's an iconic song from our time of dictatorship, this singer was arrested several times for his productions, so I'm glad to see more peaple listen it ❤ (sorry for my english, I'm not fluent)
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Its an amazing song!
It is worth mentioning that this lyrics was written with all the phrases ending in proparoxytones, which makes it even more complex. The name "construction" also serves to describe the complexity of the construction of the lyrics itself. For those who understand it in Portuguese, it is a delight to hear it, as it allows us to admire the geniality of Chico Buarque.
The last part "God pays you back" is actually another song he used to play in the Construction sequence (and which has longer lyrics when played alone) and is a criticism of the dictatorship, as an ironic "thanks" for allowing people to exist.
Perhaps the greatest brazilian poet of the 20'th century
Que orgulho de ver esta linda música do meu pais ser tão adimirada.
Incredible song!
Love this song!
It is important to note that, in addition to all the poetry in the lyrics, the song was written entirely with Alexandrine verses and the last word of each verse is a proparoxytone.
Truly genius song!
This is studied in all schools in Brazil. It's a poem and the words are like bricks. He build up different line changing the words.
It’s so poetic and so dramatic and so political … I don’t know if there is a better song in the world. It’s very powerful. I used to listen to it when I was young, during the dictatorship. And it was very inspiring. I’m Uruguayan and brazilian music has a huge importance for us
Incredible song. Very layered and next level writing.
This is one of the best interpretations of this song, how cleaverly he changes words to totaly change the meaning of the sentence, if you ever lived in a country with a dictatorial goverment you learn to listen between lines and this is a master piece... it really hurts inside.
Incredible writing. Very layered and nuances, but with a clear powerful message.
Chico é daquela geração que explodiu no Mundo todo. Em todo canto do Mundo surgiu talentos maravilhosos. Eu, me sinto abençoada por isso. Na minha juventude curti os artistas brasileiros, latinos, americanos, ingleses, franceses, italianos e africanos. Infelismente, hj, no Brasil, só temos músicas ruins.
think this is the most wonderful composition ever made in terms of lyrics in the modern music, is just amazing how Chico play with concepts and words mixing them in a majestic way.
¡Saludos desde Kenya de un mexicano!
it is like he's telling the story of three construction workers, each one having similar lifes but with some changes... Like, the first loves his wife dearly, but the second one has other women, and so on... But in the end, they always mess up other people's lifes. And you also can hear that the song also construct itself with its melodics, instruments, and everything! It is genius!!!!!!
It is a genius work of art.
I'm from Brazil, Chico is one of my absolute favorite singers. I was SO shocked the first time listened to this song and the "stumbled in the sky" part didn't seem literal in a fisrt moment, and then he dies. It felt like a slap in my face. Love all his songs
Incredible song! I just checked out O Meu Guri. Also amazing!
@@SaeedReacts. Love this one too. Try Geni e o Zepelim. Another song with an interesting story. I think you'll enjoy it
Todos os versos terminam em proparoxitonas. Genial!
During the dictatorship Brazil was the country with the most numbers of accidents on construction sites, it makes a critics about it and how little thoses workers lives matters for the goverment, companies owners and even for the people of ours cities. Absolutely music & lyrics, a masterpiece.
You have summoned the Brazilians
Thanks for being here!
We came
I have known and listened to this song for 20 years and it always gives me chills!!
I loved your reaction; unlike other channels, you really reflect on the lyrics in a meaningful way.
Chico Buarque is perhaps the greatest composer of the Portuguese language; almost all of his songs are gold.
I suggest listening to 'Geni e o Zepelin' (it talks about a transgender woman who is ostracized in her town. Note that it is a song written almost 50 years ago and could not be more modern).
'Pedaço de Mim' (a song about a mother's grief whose son was killed by the military dictatorship).
Also listen to 'Pedro Pedreiro,' 'João e Maria,' 'Caro Amigo,' 'Roda Viva,' 'Olho nos Olhos,' 'Cio da Terra.'
I also recommend other national singers, such as Milton Nascimento (the most Brazilian voice there is), Caetano Veloso, Ney Matogrosso (the man who literally inspired Kiss), Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil.
Thanks so much for these recommendations. Will add them to my list.
@@gustavodahrug141 de onde você tirou a ideia de que a Geni é transexual?
@@SoltinhoBH a própria música dá a entender isso, se vc for ver a letra cuidadosamente, geni era genival. Era uma garota de programa e atendida tanto homens quanto mulheres...
@@gustavodahrug141, você extrapolou o que a letra diz. Em nenhum momento existe menção ou contexto afirmando que ELA seja um homem trans. Muito pelo contrário! Na linha "Dá-se assim desde menina", ao meu ver, só confirma que ela era do sexo feminino desde a nascença.
Geni não é necessariamente uma abreviação de Genival. Pode ser abreviação de Genilda. Mas é fato que Geni é um nome próprio. Segundo o dicionário de significados de nomes, Geni significa “bem-nascida”, “aquela que tem origem nobre” ou “aquele que tem boas origens”; “branca como a espuma do mar” ou “branca e suave”; “Deus é cheio de graça”, “agraciada por Deus”, “a graça e misericórdia de Deus” ou “Deus perdoa”. Por essas características, o nome escolhido pelo Chico tem tudo a ver com a letra. Se o Chico quisesse mostrar que a Geni era Genival, homem trans, com certeza deixaria isso claro na letra, nem que fosse de forma sutil com os seus jogos de palavras ou sentidos que ele sempre utilizou tão bem em suas letras.
Mas a Geni poderia ser trans? Sim, perfeitamente! Não mudaria em nada o sentido ou contexto da obra. E é muito provável que reforçasse sua condição de marginalizada. Mas não é isso o que está na letra ou na música. Não se pode afirmar que ela era trans sem extrapolar o que a letra diz.
@@SoltinhoBH, amigo, não sou eu quem estou dizendo. A música faz parte do musical A Ópera do Malandro, no qual a personagem se chama Genivaldo e é uma travesti.
Im not sure if this song was written during the dictatorship but there is one called A pesar de voce (despite you) that somehow didnt get censored. The lyrics of that song are so strong. I recommend.
@@JuanMartz-d4s yes, it was written during the dictatorship
Chico still is a Brazilian composer genius !! He is still alive and still making excelent quality songs for the delight of us Brazilians!
The brass on it - particulary when the guy is falling - reminds me of the "Mad Men" opening theme.
There is a very interesting aspect to this composition, the last word of each stanza is proparoxytone. This makes it brighter.
Like the Chilean guy in the other comment, I first heard the song around age 13 or 14, but it was the original. It was like being hit by a bullet train. I daresay Chico Buarque had a significant part in shaping my ethical comprehension of the world. I recommend three other songs of his: "Apesar de Você", "Geni e o Zepelin", "Brejo da Cruz".
I´m from Brazil, 52 year old and i would like do thank you for shows our brasilian popular song writer. He´s just 80 this year and everybody in Brazil loves him too much. We too proud about Chico Buarque carrier
This song is incredible! Genius writing. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment! Greetings from Belgium.
Chico Buarque was a genius. He fought against the brazilian military dictartorship using the weapons of poetry and music.
My all time favorite song ever. This song is pure genius. And even more when you can understand Portuguese and how he plays with puns and metaphores by just using the same words in different verses, Absolute genius ❤
I squeak every time I hear this song. Here in Brazil, we studied this song at school as children (both to cope with the era of military dictatorship and to study grammar - every end of each sentence structurally resembles the word Tragic, etc...)
He explained capitalism at the base and inequality in this song too. And how politics aren't there for that, "god pay you", in this song this phrase is more in a ironic and revolt way.
imagine the guy's reaction when he discovers that all the rhymes in this poem are internal and occur in a proparoxytone word that ends the verse.
I like to think that: whenever the narrator sings about what happened, the man dies as if he didn't even exist and the only thing his death does is disturb others.
Nice reactions
Yes, that is also what i got from it.
Thanks for watching.
I was married to a Brazilian in Brazil when Chico de Buarque was at the top of his fame, and of his game. Fantastic composition like all of his work, a poem set to music.
There is much more to those lyrics than the story it tells.
I think most people miss the self-referential irony of writing Constructivist lyrics about a construction worker.
The lines are “constructed” in a “logical design” with interchangeable “word bricks” like ‘Saturday’, ‘traffic’, ‘bird’, ‘shy’ &c.
The importance of the lyrics as a powerful artistic statement was certainly not lost to the music producers, who made sure they pulled all the stops to create a gigantic recording.
Thanks for sharing your insights.
Chico Buarque is one of our giant musician. Like Bob Dylan, he deserves a Nobel.
Of course you have to undesrtands Portguese to realy apreciate his work.
Chico is the best. A genius.
Fun fact: when this song was released, a newspaper published its (brilliant) lyrics. My uncle was at the hospital and my dad went to the hospital to pay him a visit. When he got there, my grandma showed him the paper. After he finished reading the words he looked outside the window and saw a construction worker falling from a building that was being built accross the street from the hospital. True story! 😮
Wow!
@@SaeedReacts. I know, right?! What are the odds!
These lyrics are some of the greatest stuff humans have witnessed. Period.
This guy doesn't know, but he just listened the best composition in human history, I'm happy for him
I do know now 😄
It was a short comment but surprisingly spot on to the nuance and depth of the lyrics. Not many people can do that.
Thank you! Genius song. It definitely warrants much longer comments and further unpacking, there are so many layers.
I love Chico, I think he is one of the bests poets in the world. This song is amazing, he tells you the same story in three diferent ways only changing the ending word of each verse on each version. At my point of view, first version is what really hapened, a guy went to work, he fell from the building, he died.. 2nd maybe is the popular version, full of gossips and hearsayings, difamation, etc, they point a guy who has lovers (kissed his wife like she was the only one"), he is irresponsible, etc.. the third one maybe the press version, very short, resumed... and full of lies, its like, manipulative, just giving a news cos they have to do it, but also pay attention: NOBODY talks, on any version, that a guy died and left behin a wifes and kids... instead, he emsses up the traffic (could you hear the traficc on the first part? lol.. hard to miss it, all those sounds and metals section of the music was the traffic), the public, the saturday, the life..
The second music is Deus Lhe Pague, and in this album he joined both (although its just a short part of Deus Lhe Pague) cos in the original version, Deus Lhe Pague was censored by goverment... reallly good lyrics "for the sunday who is pretty, tv novels, (religion) mass and comic books... God Pays you bakc..." The lyrics was censored mostly cos its against church who, on its side, was supporter of military goverment, so... yeah... hard times. And to at least have a piece of the song on record he did this junction here. Also he recorded Deus Lhe Pague, I think on same album, only with the music, no lyricvs, aqnd later, 2 or 3 years later, he could record the full version of the song.
Thanks so much for sharing your insights and info. Much appreciated!
@@SaeedReacts. Im brazilian, big fan of Chico and all MPB (Caetano Veloso, Tim maia, Maria Bethânia, Djavan, Zé Ramalho, Elis Regina, Nara Leão, etc...) If you wanna suggestions, I think you would love Tim maia, cos he sings songs kind... soul.. but mixed with MPB, and his voice is incredible. As for lyrics, Caetano and Chico are the best ones. This song of Chico, sang by Elis Regina... her performance is amazing, it is about a relationship ending, there are other videos with english subtitles if you look for, but none with this performance (you will understand what I saying if you see the video)
th-cam.com/video/ew_p1IRRgks/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=Musicalidade
all the verses end in proparoxytone, this is the most fantastic thing about this poetry.
Muito bom ver duas coisas aqui: alguém jovem, e de outra cultura, assimilando essa obra prima do Chico!🙏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
One of the best composers of MPB. Chico Buarque é parte da nossa cultura brasileira. ❤
its not about a worker itself, and being brazilian and interpret it in differents ways is a gift
The lyrics are just unbeliavable poetry. It describes the life and accidental death of an anonimous construction worker. But the social commentary that is interwoven... 🌻❤️
Conta a história de um trabalhador... Ninguém liga pro trabalhador... Tristeza sem fim
"Construção" é uma das obras-primas de Chico Buarque, lançada em 1971, e é amplamente reconhecida por sua estrutura inovadora e pela profundidade de suas letras. A canção aborda a vida de operários em um contexto de urbanização e modernização do Brasil, especialmente durante um período de ditadura militar, refletindo sobre a alienação e a desumanização do trabalho.
A canção é notável por sua estrutura repetitiva e quase hipnótica. Chico utiliza a repetição do verso inicial e a construção de estrofes que se intercalam para criar um ritmo que evoca a rotina árdua dos trabalhadores. Cada estrofe termina com a frase "ele partiu", que se torna um mantra, reforçando a ideia de que a vida do operário é marcada pela continuidade do trabalho e pela falta de singularidade.
Desumanização do trabalho: Os trabalhadores são retratados de forma mecânica, como se fossem apenas parte de uma máquina. A música descreve a morte de um operário, mas o foco não é apenas na sua individualidade, mas na forma como sua vida e morte são absorvidas pela rotina do trabalho.
Alienação: Existe uma forte crítica à maneira como a sociedade trata os trabalhadores, desconsiderando suas vidas pessoais e a dignidade humana. O trabalhador se torna um objeto, e sua luta é invisibilizada na grande obra da construção civil.
Relação com a sociedade: A canção também critica a indiferença da sociedade em relação à vida dos operários. Enquanto eles se sacrificam, há uma desconexão entre o trabalho duro e o reconhecimento do valor humano.
Contexto Político
Durante os anos 70, o Brasil vivia sob uma ditadura militar, e a música reflete um clima de repressão, mas também a resiliência do povo. "Construção" pode ser interpretada como uma metáfora da luta pela liberdade e justiça social, refletindo as dificuldades enfrentadas pela classe trabalhadora.
Conclusão
"Construção" é uma obra que transcende o simples relato de uma vida operária. Através de sua forma e conteúdo, Chico Buarque provoca uma reflexão profunda sobre as condições de trabalho e a desumanização do ser humano na era moderna. A música permanece relevante, ressoando em discussões sobre direitos trabalhistas, dignidade e a valorização do ser humano em qualquer contexto social.
No ano anterior à criação desta música, o Brasil havia quebrado o recorde mundial de acidentes no trabalho. Eram outros tempos aqui no país. Pouca segurança e recursos para a mão de obra. Hoje, são outros os padrões. 🇧🇷🇧🇷
@@andredeboni7025 o trabalhador continua sendo um mero numero
A musica é mais que questão de segurança, mano. É uma critica a escravidão assalariada, inclusive. Não tenta fazer rodeios para esconder o cerne da questão
@@codigomorsevp Eu sei, mano. Ouço esta música desde a infância. Abraço. 🙂🙂
This song always makes me emotional. When you grow up watching your parents work to the point they even forget who they are, you see their suffering every single day, no recognition, just another number trying to survive and provide, poor people being grateful for at least being allowed to stay alive during a violent dictatorship... A lot changed here, but the workers, low and middle class, still struggle so much and can never stop. We work until our very last breath so our kids can have a future better than ours. Chico is a genius and, undoubtedly, a Brazilian man that understands the hardships and injustices of our country. I admire my country's people because we're strong, lively and bright even though the circunstances are not the greatest. The intelligence and sensibility to turn all this pain and sometimes even rage into art, is something that always amazed me. Please, listen to more music from the dictatorship years and look for Tropicalia.
Notice how the instruments suddenly represents the mess of the big city sounds, swallowing the victim.
You understood perfectly the song, lyrics and instruments and context.