Sem Samba Não Dá Lyrics in English Caetano Veloso

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Below, I translated the lyrics of the song Sem Samba Não Dá by Caetano Veloso from Portuguese to English.

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Verse 1

I look at Christ over on Corcovado

And, in silence, I shout 'êpa Babá'

Everything's weird, everything so wrong

But we'll get there

There's plenty of friction, drama, there's contraband

But there's sertanejo, trap, pagodão

Anavitória, sweet jaguar kiss

'Maravilha' Mendonça, in tune

Keep coming, we'll get there

See if it rolls, if everything will roll

But without samba it won't work

Without samba it won't work

No samba

Without samba it won't work

No samba

Verse 3

There's sambanejo or pagobrejo

There's Ferrugem, Glória Groove

Maiara and Maraísa

Verse 3

Yoùn

Verse 3

There's Djonga with Rogério

MC Cabelinho

There's Baco Exu do Blues

Verse 3

There's people galore

There's Duda Beat, Gabriel do Borel

Gabriel do Borel, Gabriel do Borel

I look at Christ over on Corcovado

And, in silence, I shout 'êpa Babá'

Everything's weird, everything so wrong

But we'll get there

There's plenty of friction, drama, there's contraband

But there's sertanejo, trap, pagodão

Anavitória, sweet jaguar kiss

'Maravilha' Mendonça, in tune

Keep coming, we'll get there

See if it rolls, if everything will roll

But without samba it won't work

Without samba it won't work

No samba

Without samba it won't work

No samba

There's sambanejo or pagobrejo

There's Ferrugem, Glória Groove

Maiara and Maraísa

Yoùn

There's Djonga with Rogério

MC Cabelinho

There's Baco Exu do Blues

There's people galore

There's Duda Beat, Gabriel do Borel

Gabriel do Borel, Gabriel do Borel

Tz da Coronel

There's Hiran and Majur

Simone and Simaria

Simaria samba-ing

Samba-ing

There's Leo Santana and Mendonça

In Pelourinho with Didá

With Didá, with Didá

I look at Christ over on Corcovado

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Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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SONG MEANING

Sem Samba Não Dá is Caetano Veloso’s musical love letter to Brazil’s bright, messy music scene. Gazing up at Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado, he quietly exclaims an Afro-Brazilian praise, then launches into a rapid-fire roll call of today’s hit-makers: from sertanejo duos to trap MCs, indie darlings to pagodão crooners. The verse feels like a carnival parade where every style gets its moment, acknowledging the clashes, street hustles and “treta” that color Brazilian life while still affirming a shared optimism: “a gente chega lá” (we will get there).

Yet the chorus nails the song’s heartbeat: “Só que sem samba não dá” (“But without samba it just won’t do”). No matter how many new genres bloom, samba remains the rhythmic glue that holds the whole party together, the ancestral drum that keeps Brazil dancing in spite of chaos. Veloso invites listeners to celebrate innovation, but also to remember the roots that make every beat feel like home. The track is both a modern playlist and a gentle manifesto: experiment all you want, just keep the samba swinging.

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Caetano Veloso Sem Samba Não Dá Lyrics