“Domingo no parque” by Gilberto Gil (1968)
Source: Ministério da Cultura do Brasil, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
In stark contrast with last week’s Sunday love song, today’s Sunday song starts out with love, but takes a turn. This was the final track on Gilberto Gil’s self titled 1968 album. (It’s helpful to know that “Zé” is a nickname for “José.”)
“Sunday in the park”
The king of the joke (hey, José)
The king of trouble (hey, João)
One worked at the market (hey, José)
The other in construction (hey, João)
Last week, on the weekend
João decided not to fight
On Sunday afternoon he left in a hurry
And he didn’t go to Ribeira to play capoeira
No he didn’t go there, to Ribeira, he went on a date
José like always on the weekend
Stored his stall and disappeared
He spent his Sunday strolling in the park
Over there by Boca do Rio
It was in the park that he spotted her
Juliana was what he saw
What he saw was
Juliana riding the wheel with João
A rose and an ice cream in her hand
Juliana, his dream, an illusion
Juliana and his friend João
The rose’s thorn pricked Zé
And the ice cream froze his heart
The ice cream and the rose (oh, José)
The rose and the ice cream (oh, José)
Made heavy the chest (oh, José)
Of jokester José (oh, José)
The ice cream and the rose (oh, José)
The rose and and the ice cream (oh, José)
Went spinning in the mind (oh, José)
Of jokester José (oh, José)
Juliana spinning (ai, spinning)
Ai, on the Ferris wheel (ai, spinning)
Ai, on the Ferris wheel (ai, spinning)
His friend João (João)
The ice cream is strawberry (it’s red)
Ai, spinning and the wheel (it’s red)
Ai, spinning, spinning (it’s red)
Ai, spinning, spinning, look out, a knife! (Look out, a knife!)
Look at the blood on his hand (hey, José)
Juliana on the ground (hey, José)
Another fallen body (hey, José)
His friend João (hey, José)
There’s no market tomorrow (hey, José)
There’s no more construction (hey, João)
There are no more jokes (hey, José)
There’s no more trouble (hey, João)