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Portuguese
Original lyrics
O Morro Não Tem Vez
O morro não tem vez
E o que ele fez já foi demais
Mas olhem bem vocês
Quando derem vez ao morro
Toda a cidade vai cantar
Morro pede passagem
Morro quer se mostrar
Abram alas pro morro
Tamborim vai falar
O morro não tem vez
Mas se derem vez ao morro
Toda a cidade vai cantar
O morro não tem vez
Mas se derem vez ao morro
Toda a cidade vai cantar
Morro pede passagem
Morro quer se mostrar
Abram alas pro morro
Tamborim vai falar
O morro não tem vez
Mas se derem vez ao morro
Toda a cidade vai cantar
Submitted by 
Sco on 2018-11-02
Sco on 2018-11-02
MissAtomicLau
LT
FaryEnglish
Translation
The slum has no say
The slum has no say
And what it did was already too much
But pay attention you all
When they give voice to the slum
The whole city will sing
The slum wants to make its way
The slum wants to show itself
Make way for the slums
Tamborim will speak
And one, and two, and three, and a hundred
A thousand beating their drums
The slum has no say
But if they give voice to the slum
The whole city will sing
The slum has no say
But if they give voice to the slum
The whole city will sing
The slum wants to make its way
The slum wants to show itself
Make way for the slums
Tamborim will speak
And one, and two, and three, and a hundred
A thousand beating their drums
The slum has no say
But if they give voice to the slum
The whole city will sing
rms✕
Comments
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About translator
"Não tem vez" is an expression... It means that someone or something is easily dismissed, not taken seriously, not appreciated, etc. Literally it makes little sense, because it would be something like "The hill is not given a turn".
"Hill" is how people refer to Rio's slums/favelas, because they're commonly located in high hills across the city. He uses "O Morro" (the hill) as a generalization for favelas as a concept.
Tamborim is a percussive instrument, not to be confused with Tambourine.
There's no good translation for "Batucar". It's a verb used in Brazil to describe someone beating their drums in a batucada, which is widely used in samba and other Brazilian styles
Lastly, important to understand the context of the lyrics: many musicians, including famous samba composers lived in these hills. They always a strong and rich cultural scene, all of which contributed immensely to what is nowadays widely recognized as the unique Brazilian music culture and identity. On the other hand, these places and its population are not given proper care by governments, often used as a scape goat for complex issues, and suffering immense prejudice from more affluent Brazilians.