“Samba da minha terra” (Caymmi, 1940)
Source: TV Brasil, CC BY 3.0 BR <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/br/deed.en>, via Wikimedia Commons
Dorival Caymmi (1914-2008) is one of the biggest influences on Brazilian music. He was in on the birth of bossa nova and several of his sambas (including this one) have become standards. Ben Ratliff of the New York Times puts Caymmi’s influence second to only Tom Jobim. This song has been covered by virtually everyone (some examples below) and is included in the play “Um jardim para Chekhov” that will be produced in St. Louis by Upstream Theater later this year.
There are actually only 6 lines in this whole song and they’re pretty straightforward. Caymmi’s ability to strip a song down to its essence (linguistically and musically) is a big part of his power.
Listen to the song (Dorival Caymmi)
Version by Novos Baianos
Version by João Gilberto
Version by Rosinha da Valença
O samba da minha terra deixa a gente mole
Quando se canta, todo mundo bole
Quando se canta, todo mundo bole
O samba da minha terra deixa a gente mole
Quando se canta, todo mundo bole
Quando se canta, todo mundo bole
Eu nasci com o samba, no samba me criei
Do danado do samba nunca me separei
Eu nasci com o samba, no samba me criei
Do danado do samba nunca me separei
O samba da minha terra deixa a gente mole
Quando se canta, todo mundo bole
Quando se canta, todo mundo bole
O samba da minha terra deixa a gente mole
Quando se canta todo mundo bole
Quando se canta todo mundo bole
Quem não gosta do samba, bom sujeito não é
É ruim da cabeça ou doente do pé
Quem não gosta do samba bom sujeito não é
É ruim da cabeça ou doente do pé
The samba from my land loosens us up
When it’s sung, everyone sways
When it’s sung, everyone sways
The samba from my land loosens us up
When it’s sung, everyone sways
When it’s sung, everyone sways
I was born with samba, on samba I was raised
The damned samba has never let me go
I was born with samba, on samba I was raised
The damned samba has never let me go
The samba from my land loosens us up
When it’s sung, everyone sways
When it’s sung, everyone sways
The samba from my land loosens us up
When it’s sung, everyone sways
When it’s sung, everyone sways
Those who don’t like samba are not good people
They’re sick in the head or they’ve got bad feet
Those who don’t like samba are not good people
They’re sick in the head or they’ve got bad feet