“Burguesinha” by Seu Jorge (2007)
Source: Marcelo Teson, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
In honor of his birthday, a catchy tune from his 2007 album “América Brasil” that plays with the concept of “burguesinha” (“little bourgeois”). Given the different ways class plays out in different countries, I’m not completely sure that the current term “bougie” in the US is exactly the same as “burguesinha” but it certainly fits and definitely gives the same overall idea. If the spoken part at the beginning of this song, Seu Jorge says three different things that I have chosen to translate here as “people” because to try to replicate the exact feel of the slang in the first use would be an exercise in futility. He starts with “conjuntão pesadão” which would be something like a really serious (or heavy, gritty, weighty) big group of people; then “gente” which is most generally“people” in a broad sense; and then a little later “pessoal” which can be “personnel” but is another way of referring familiarly to a group.
[spoken] Heads up, real people
See her coming now, people
Look at that beauty
Ai, smelling good, so pretty, all foxy
Coming into the club, look at that beauty, guys!
Eh, huh, good evening, people!
That’s it, come on in, gather close
Keep dancing, do what you want
The club is ours, you know
It’s under control, the club is ours
You can relax, that’s it
Come with me
Ah, kid
[singing]
She goes to the hairdresser
To the beautician
Works out all day
Plays the artist
Takes out money, goes for a drive
In her sports car, gonna play on the road
Weekends
At the beach house
Just spending money
The biggest party
She goes to the rave, does the piledriver
With her tribe, until dawn
Bougie, bougie, bougie, bougie, bougie
Only gets mignon
Bougie, bougie, bougie, bougie, bougie
She has what she wants
Bougie, bougie, bougie, bougie, bougie
Get croissants
Bougie, bougie, bougie, bougie, bougie
Apple juice
Bougie, bougie, bougie, bougie, bougie