Casa No Campo Lyrics in English by Elis Regina
Sapê refers to a type of grass used for thatching roofs, especially in traditional or rustic homes. It's a specific and evocative word that paints a picture of a simple, natural dwelling.
In the context of "Casa No Campo" (House in the Country), Elis Regina dreams of a peaceful, self-sufficient life away from the city. Mentioning "pau a pique e sapê" (wattle and daub and thatch) highlights the desire for a humble, eco-friendly home, reinforcing the song's theme of returning to nature and simplicity.
Elis Regina recorded “Casa No Campo” as a list of things she’d trade the city for. She opens flat out with the wish itself: “Eu quero uma casa no campo” (“I want a house in the countryside”), then gives her reason for the retreat, a place “Onde eu possa compor muitos rocks rurais” (“Where I can compose many rural rock songs”). It isn’t silence for its own sake she’s after, but a narrower circle of people: “E tenha somente a certeza / Dos amigos do peito e nada mais” (“And only have the certainty / Of true friends and nothing more”).
What fills that countryside is specific rather than scenic: sheep and goats grazing in the garden, a son “de cuca legal” (“with a cool head”), pepper and salt she plants and harvests herself, by hand. By the last verses the wish list turns inward again. She wants to plant her friends there too, right alongside “Meus discos e livros” (“my records and books”), the two things she isn’t willing to leave behind even in retreat.
