A Distância

Vanessa da Mata's song 'A Distância' delves deep into the lingering emotions of a love that remains unforgotten despite the passage of time. The lyrics paint a poignant picture of a person who continues to hold onto memories of a past relationship, even though they have not heard from their former lover in a long time. This enduring attachment is encapsulated in the line, 'Eu continuei a ter você em toda esta saudade que ficou,' which translates to 'I continued to have you in all this longing that remained.' The word 'saudade' is a powerful Portuguese term that conveys a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for something or someone that one loves and is now lost.

The song also explores the internal conflict of wanting to reconnect but being held back by silence and distance. The narrator confesses to having thought about returning and expressing unchanged love, yet the silence and distance have become insurmountable barriers. This is poignantly expressed in the lines, 'Quantas vezes eu pensei voltar e dizer que o meu amor nada mudou, mas o meu silêncio foi maior,' meaning 'How many times I thought of returning and saying that my love hasn't changed, but my silence was greater.' The daily struggle of living without the loved one is a recurring theme, highlighting the pain and emotional toll of unspoken feelings.

'A Distância' also touches on the theme of unreciprocated love and the passage of time. The narrator acknowledges that while many things have changed, their feelings have remained constant. This is evident in the lines, 'Tanta coisa já mudou, só eu não te esqueci,' which means 'So many things have changed, only I haven't forgotten you.' The song concludes with a heartfelt plea for the former lover to remember that they were never forgotten, encapsulating the enduring nature of true love and the difficulty of moving on.