Sabiá

Vou voltar
Sei que ainda vou voltar
Para o meu lugar
Foi lá e é ainda lá
Que eu hei de ouvir cantar uma sabiá,
Cantar uma sabiá

Vou voltar
Sei que ainda vou voltar
Vou deitar à sombra de uma palmeira que já não há
Colher a flor que já não dá
E algum amor talvez possa espantar
As noites que eu não queria
E anunciar o dia

Vou voltar
Sei que ainda vou voltar
Não vai ser em vão
Que fiz tantos planos de me entregar
Como fiz enganos de me encontrar
Como fiz estradas de me perder
Fiz de tudo e nada de te esquecer.

Written by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chico Buarque (1968)
Vocal: Paula Morelenbaum
Cello: Jaques Morelenbaum
Piano: Ryuichi Sakamoto

Paula:

This song is precious. Ryuichi and Jaques started playing it, and a few minutes later they had found this special rhythm, very much different from the existing previous recordings - it evokes French impressionistic sounds, Debussy, Ravel, and there's also a bit of Chopin in it, which made us listen to Tom Jobim with a different ear. The first time I did "Sabia" in this new format, it was a highly emotional experience for me. I missed him and the tears kept bursting forth.

Jaques:

Since the Nova Banda, playing Sabia was maybe my most sublime artistic moment. And once, when by any reason I had to make a transcription of this song, and for a glance I could separate it's emotional side from the architectural side, I could finally realize why this song provokes so much in my heart. It is a masterpiece, and if ever I was obliged to choose my favorite Jobim song, I would not hesitate to say Sabia. (For the detail lovers, note that the piano line at the introduction is the exact line sang by this species. Tom loved to do so, and we can find throughout his work many examples of this exercise. For instance, the minor second relation found in the Intro for "Waters of March" and in many of Jobim's songs, including "Matita Pere," whose title is the name of another Brazilian bird.

The lyrics of Sabia say: "I'll come back" and this can mean so much for me: the song of the exiled, the song for returning to a time when Nature was naturally more preserved than it is today, the song of Tom coming back to Brazil, to his home, to his roots, to his beloved, to his love... Everything...

Ryuichi:

This is my personal favorite on "CASA". It's a profoundly meditative song. I am not sure I understand why. It's a feeling I have about the harmonic progression and the melody. You know, the original arrangement for this song as well was surprisingly bossa nova. This song best demonstrates how the contrasting brightness of the bossa nova rhythm and saudade can live together in the same piece.