Lyrics: Only A Dream In Rio
Album: The Best of James Taylor
Artist: James Taylor
 

More than a distant land
Over a shining sea
More than the steaming green
More than the shining eyes

Well they tell me it’s only a dream in rio
Nothing could be as sweet as it seems
On this very first day down
They remind me “son have you so soon forgotten
Often as not it’s rotten inside
And the mask soon slips away”

Strange taste of a tropical fruit
Romantic language of the portuguese
Melody on a wooden flute
Somba floating in the summer breeze

It’s alright you can stay asleep
You can close your eyes
You can trust the people of paradise
To call your keeper
And tender your goodbyes

Oh what a night wonderful one in a million
Frozen fire brazillian stars
Oh holy southern cross
Later on take me way downtown in a tin can;
Can’t come down from the bandstand
I’m never thrown for such a loss when they say

Quando a nossa mae acordar
Andareimoz au sol
Quando a nossa mae acordar
Cantara’ pelos sertao
Quando a nossa mea acordar
Todos os filios saberao
Todos os filios saberao
E regozilarao

Caught in the rays of the rising sun
On the run from the soldier’s gun
Shouting out loud from the angry crowd
The mild the wild and the hungry child
I’ll tell you there’s more than a dream in rio
I was there on the very day
And my heart came back alive
There was more
More than the singing voices
More than the upturned faces
And more than the shining eyes

But it’s more than the shining eye
More than the steaming green
More than the hidden hills
More than the concrete christ
More than a distant land
Over a shining sea
More than a hungry child
More like another time
Born of a million years
More than a million years

Portuguese version

Performed by james taylor & milton nascimento
Additional lyrics in portuguese by fernando brant
From ‘angelus’

A terra é minha mãe
O mar é o meu chão
O verde é a luz
Sorrindo em meu olhar

Pois eu digo, é mesmo um sonho o rio
Tudo será como deve ser
Quero estar com vocí lá

Eu garanto, é um lugar diferente
A minha gente carrega uma cruz
Mas tem força pra mudar

Strange taste of a tropical fruit
Romantic language of the portuguese
Melody on a wooden flute
Samba floating in the summer breeze
Float on

It’s alright you can stay asleep
You can close your eyes
You can trust the people of paradise
To call your keeper
And to tender your goodbyes

Oh, what a night
Wonderful one in a million
Frozen fire brazilian
Oh, holy southern cross
Later on take me way downtown
In a tin can
I can’t come down from the bandstand
I’m never thrown for such a loss
When they say

O lugar de onde eu vim
Brota no coração
O lugar aonde eu nasci
Está no mundo e em mim

O lugar que a gente sonhar
Pode existir, existirá
Vive em nós e viverá
Enquanto houver canção

Caught in the rays of the rising sun
On the run from the soldier’s gun
Shouting out loud from
The angry crowd
The mild, the wild and the hungry child

I’ll tell you it’s more than
A dream in rio
I was there on the very day

Dói demais o coração, e era mais
Mais do que nossas vozes
Mais do que o nosso rosto
Mais do que a luz do olhar

But it’s more than the shining eye
(mais do que a luz do olhar)
More than the steaming green
(mais do que o verdejar)
More than the hidden hills
(tudo o que não se viu)
More than the concrete christ
(mais do que o redentor)
More than a distant land
(mais do que a terra mãe)
Over the shining sea
(mais do que o céu e o mar)
More than a hungry child
(a fome a nos doer)
More like another time
(o tempo a nos curtir)
Born of a million years
(mais do que um milhão)
More than a million years
(de anos pra sonhar)

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A translation of the portuguese:

Quando a nossa mãe acordar
When our mother awakes
Andaremos ao sol
We shall walk in the sun
Quando a nossa mãe acordar
When our mother awakes
Cantará pelo sertão
She shall sing in the wilderness
Quando a nossa mãe acordar
When our mother awakes
Todos os filhos saberão
All her children shall know
Todos os filhos saberão
All her children shall know
E regozijarão
And they shall rejoice