Portuguese Ska! Skaudade?
The lyrics of this one remind me of X-Ray Spex: the idea that consumer society means everything – and everybody – is plastic and disposable. I can’t say I enjoyed it as much as X-Ray Spex, unfortunately, but each to their own. Chiclete is one of those annoying words that’s feminine in European Portuguese and masculine in Brazilian Portuguese. I think “Pastilha Elástica” is a more common way of describing chewing gum, but I guess it doesn’t sound as good in the song, so here we are!
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| E como tudo o que é coisa que promete A gente vê como uma chiclete Que se prova, mastiga e deita fora, sem demora Como esta música é produto acabado Da sociedade de consumo imediato Como tudo o que se promete nesta vida, chiclete | And like everything promising We see it like a chiclet That can be tasted, chewed and thrown away without delay Like this song is a finished product Of a consumer society Like everything promising in this life, chiclet |
| Chiclete Aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua Chiclete | Chiclet Aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua Chiclet |
| E nesta altura e com muita inquietação Faço um reparo e quero abrir uma excepção Um casse-tete* nunca será não, chiclete Pra que tudo continue sem parar Fundamental levar a vida a dançar Nesta vida que tanto promete, chiclete | And right now, and with a lot of agitation I make a correction and I want to make an exception It will never be a puzzle, chiclet So that everything continues without stopping It’s essential to go through life dancing In this life that promises so much, chiclet |
| Chiclete Aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua Chiclete | Chiclet Aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua Chiclet |
| E como tudo o que é coisa que promete A gente vê como uma chiclete Que se prova, mastiga e deita fora, sem demora Como esta música é produto acabado Da sociedade de consumo imediato Como tudo o que se promete nesta vida, chiclete | And like everything promising We see it as a chiclet That can be tasted, chewed and thrown away without delay Like this song is a finished product Of a consumer society Like everything promising in this life, chiclet |
| Chiclete Aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua Chiclete, chiclete, chiclete, chiclete Chiclete, chiclete, chiclete, chiclete Chiclete (Prova) Chiclete (Mastiga) Chiclete (Deita fora) Chiclete (Sem demora) | Chiclet Aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua-aua Chiclet, chiclet, chiclet, chiclet Chiclet, chiclet, chiclet, chiclet Chiclet (Taste) Chiclet (Chew) Chiclet (Throw away) Chiclet (No delay) |
*=This is french. Boooooo!
Luso 