Trilhos Urbanos Lyrics in English by Caetano Veloso
Tamarindeirinho is a charming diminutive of "tamarindeiro" (tamarind tree). The use of the diminutive suffix "-inho" adds a sense of endearment and nostalgia, making a common tree feel special and intimate.
In the song, Caetano Veloso uses this word to evoke a specific, cherished memory from his past, tied to a particular place and time: "No cais de Araújo Pinho / Tamarindeirinho / Nunca me esqueci" (On the pier of Araújo Pinho / Little tamarind tree / I never forgot). It's a beautiful example of how language can imbue everyday objects with deep personal meaning.
Caetano Veloso turns "Trilhos Urbanos" ("Urban Tracks") into a tram ride through his own memory. He rides the old streetcar line of his hometown, Santo Amaro da Purificação, naming real places as it passes — the "cais de Araújo Pinho" (Araújo Pinho pier), the sugarcane of "Santo Amaro" itself, "Rua da Matriz ao Conde" (Matriz Street to Conde Street). Each stop holds a fragment of childhood he still carries: "Trago em mim por ti / E uma estrela sempre a luzir" (I carry within me for you / And a star always shining).
Partway through, the song turns from memory to the act of remembering. "Meu trabalho é te traduzir" (My job is to translate you) reads as Veloso's own description of what he's doing — translating a vanished Bahia into song — before the lyric drifts into images of Krishna's peacock feather and "Gal cantando o Balancê" (Gal singing Balancê), a nod to his longtime collaborator Gal Costa. The tram becomes a "cinema transcendental" (transcendental cinema), carrying past and present at once, and the song closes on its plain refrain: "Como eu sei lembrar de você" (How well I remember you).
