Sobrenaturais translates to "supernatural". It's an intriguing and less common word in everyday Portuguese, making it stand out in the lyrics.
In the song, the singer expresses a desire to talk about "uns assuntos sobrenaturais" (some supernatural subjects) with a little bird. This word adds a touch of magic and wonder, hinting at a deeper, more mystical connection with nature and its creatures.
Have you ever felt so connected to nature that it felt like magic? Marisa Monte's "A Língua dos Animais" captures this feeling perfectly. The song is a beautiful celebration of the simple joys found outdoors. It paints a vivid picture with images of:
As the singer walks in the sun and steps on the grass, this deep connection to the world around them leads to a wonderful discovery. When they are alone and follow their instincts, they find they can understand a secret language: the "língua dos animais" (the language of the animals). It's a song about finding a magical, intuitive sense of belonging in the natural world, where you can even have a conversation with a bird about "supernatural subjects."
Marisa Monte grew up in Rio de Janeiro, born into a musical family: her mother sang and her father worked as a musical director. She trained her voice with an opera teacher before turning to popular music, and by the late 1980s she had become a central figure in Música Popular Brasileira, an alto who moves easily between samba, jazz, pop, and soul within a single record.
Her 1994 album Verde, Anil, Amarelo, Cor de Rosa e Carvão carried her music well beyond Brazil, and she has since won four Latin Grammy Awards. In 2002 she teamed up with Arnaldo Antunes and Carlinhos Brown to form Tribalistas, whose self-titled album sold more than two million copies across Latin America. She followed it by releasing two solo records on the same day in 2006, Universo ao Meu Redor and Infinito Particular, and has collected eight Brazilian Music Awards and seven MTV Video Music Brazil trophies over her career.