Queixa

Maria Bethânia's song 'Queixa' delves into the complexities and dualities of love, portraying it as both delicate and violent. The lyrics describe a love that is tender and fragile, yet it is met with disregard and contempt. The opening lines, 'Um amor assim delicado / Você pega e despreza,' set the tone for a narrative of unreciprocated affection and emotional neglect. The imagery of kneeling without praying suggests a sense of devotion that goes unacknowledged, highlighting the pain of unfulfilled love.

The song uses powerful metaphors to convey the emotional turmoil experienced by the narrator. The comparison of the beloved to a 'serpente' that envenoms and a 'princesa' that surprises and devastates illustrates the dual nature of the relationship. This duality is further emphasized in the lines, 'Um amor assim violento / Quando torna-se mágoa,' where love transforms into bitterness, likened to an ocean without water—vast and empty. The waves of vengeance crashing against the beloved's hardness symbolize the futile struggle against emotional coldness.

Bethânia's poignant delivery and the lyrical content reflect a deep sense of betrayal and sorrow. The narrator's lament, 'Você pensa que eu tenho tudo / E vazio me deixa,' underscores the emptiness felt despite outward appearances. The song concludes with a powerful declaration of the narrator's right to voice their pain, 'Mas Deus não quer que eu fique mudo / E eu te grito esta queixa,' asserting the importance of expressing one's grievances. 'Queixa' is a profound exploration of the emotional spectrum of love, from its tender beginnings to its potential for causing deep hurt and longing.