“Drão” is a heartfelt conversation about love’s extraordinary cycle of dying and being reborn. Gilberto Gil pictures affection as a grain of wheat: it must first “die” in the soil before sprouting into new life. Instead of fearing endings, the song asks us to trust the natural rhythm of growth, change, and resurrection. Gil gently comforts “Drão” (a nickname for his former partner) by saying real love stretches far beyond separation. Even when the road feels dark, the seed they once planted will keep sprouting in unexpected places - in memories, in shared history, and in their child, Preta, who now sings beside him.
Key ideas you will hear in the lyrics:
- Love is a seed of illusion that needs to be buried so it can bloom into truth.
- Separation does not destroy what was built; it only transforms it.
- Personal faults are acknowledged, yet compassion is the true answer.
- Like wheat becoming bread, love lives, “dies,” and nourishes again.
Through poetic images of fields, tatami mats, and endless roads, “Drão” reminds learners that Portuguese - just like English - can wrap profound philosophy in simple, beautiful words. Listen for the gentle repetition of Drão, Drão and let the melody guide you through love’s eternal harvest.