As Caravanas

It's a day of real greatness, all blue
A turquoise sea a la Istanbul filling the eyes
A scorching sun
When the caravan arrives in Copacabana
The caravan of Arará, Caxangá, Chatuba
The caravan of Irajá, the convoy of Penha
There's no barrier that holds back these strangers
Suburban types like Muslims from Jacarezinho
On their way to Jardim de Alá
It's the beast, it's the commotion, it's the band

They say they hide their machetes and daggers
In bulging swimsuits and misshapen shorts
Yes, they say they have huge dicks
And their balls are grenades
From the slums of Maré

With naked black torsos, they stir up
The orderly and virtuous people who appeal
For the police to send back
The rabble to the favela
Or to Benguela, or to Guinea

Sun
The blame must be on the sun beating on the head
The sun that bursts the veins
The sweat that clouds the eyes and reason
And the racket inside the prison
Blacks stacked in the hold
Of caravels on the high seas

They must hit, they must kill, the shouting grows louder
Daughter of fear, anger is the mother of cowardice
Or maybe I'm crazy for hearing voices
There's no one so insane
Not even the caravan of Arará
There isn't, there isn't

Sun
The blame must be on the sun beating on the head
The sun that bursts the veins
The sweat that clouds the eyes and reason
And the racket inside the prison
Blacks stacked in the hold
Of caravels on the high seas

They must hit, they must kill, the shouting grows louder
Daughter of fear, anger is the mother of cowardice
Or maybe I'm crazy for hearing voices
There's no one so insane
Not even a caravan
Not even a caravan
Not even the caravan of Arará