Happy Birthday, Odair José!
In honor of Odair José’s 74th birthday, I offer my translation of “Assim sou eu” (“That’s how I am”) from his 1972 album of the same name. This crooner went by a number of odd nicknames, including “Pílula” (“Pill”) and “Bob Dylan do Central do Brasil” (“Bob Dylan of Central Brazil”).
“That’s How I Am”
A quick step, such a distant gaze
An erased smile, a constant sadness
A suffering face of someone who lived a lot
That’s how I am
That’s how I am
That’s how I am
That’s how I am
With a bag on my shoulder to carry saudade
A leather bracelet, trying to be novel
Such big hair, someone who love forgot
That’s how I am after she left
And that’s just how I’m going to stay
I should say that I learned a lot
I should say that not everything is lost
No, it’s not lost
Because that’s how I am