“He said he would get there”

the points of view of Chico Buarque and Elza Soares in their performances of the song “O meu guri”

Abstract

This paper examines two interpretations of Chico Buarque’s song “O meu guri” and seeks to reveal how their interpretative aspects suggest different positions and worldviews, thereby modulating the song’s poetic content. A close examination of Chico Buarque’s own 1981
performance can offer an alternative understanding of the song, especially of the lyrical speaker, who has been interpreted as a naí ve woman unable to recognize her son’s illicit activities. Contrary to these ideas, we argue that
Chico Buarque’s version suggests a mother who is fully aware of her son’s actions and even celebrates the experiences he managed to enjoy despite his tortuous path. In contrast, Elza Soares’s 2015 performance seems to   embody the pain of the mother, who, faced with a harsh socioeconomic reality, finds herself powerless. Thus, this study seeks to show that the meanings of this song cannot be grasped solely through an analysis of its poetic content, but require an examination of how this content is activated
and reconfigured in the performances of both artists.