Gilberto Gil and Marisa Monte are two iconic voices of Brazilian music, blending rich cultural heritage with innovation to enchant audiences worldwide.
The song “A Paz”, composed by Gilberto Gil and João Donato, is a reflection on the duality of peace and war, using the metaphor of the atomic bomb dropped on Japan as a starting point for reconstruction and the search for harmony. The song, released in 1987 by Zizi Possi, explores the idea that destructive events can paradoxically lead to a new beginning, marked by peace and renewal.
The song “A Paz” was composed by Gilberto Gil and João Donato, with the initial melody being created by Donato for a series of songs dedicated to a woman named Leila. The lyrics, written by Gil, use strong and contrasting images to express the complexity of the search for peace. The reference to the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, although tragic, is used to symbolize rebirth and the ability to overcome destruction.
The song also explores the idea of an internal revolution, where peace invades the heart and life of the lyrical self, transforming his or her destiny. The image of the pier, where the road comes to an end, suggests a point of transition, where the past is left behind and a new path is opened, with the sea representing the accumulated pain and regrets.
Lyrics in English:
Peace
Came rushing into my heart
Suddenly, it filled me, calm and whole
Like the wind of a mighty storm
Lifting me off the ground
From a place I no longer feel the need to root
Peace
Turned the tides of revolution
And flooded the course of my fate — peace
Like that thunderous, blinding blast
The bomb that fell on Japan
Yet from it, Japan was reborn in peace
I thought of myself
I thought of you
And I wept for us
What a cruel irony —
Only through war
Can our love find peace
I came
Came to rest at the edge of the pier
Where the road finally ends
Where the dusk glows a shade of lilac
Where the sea crashes into me
With the sorrow of countless sighs