Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: samba
Song Meaning of “São Mateus” by Juliana Amaral
‘São Mateus’ tells the story of a young woman who is reflecting on her life in a small Brazilian town called São Mateus. She reminisces about the happier times she spent there as a child and teenage girl, surrounded by the beauty of nature and the loving embrace of close family. As an adult, she has moved away and is now living a completely different life far away from home, yet still longing for the familiarity of the place she once called home. The song speaks to a deep sadness that she feels from being so far away and the way she connected with the people and nature in São Mateus.
The lyrics of the song evoke a feeling of deep longing and nostalgia. She sings of her wishes to return to São Mateus and the memories she cherishes of it, including playing on the beach and listening to the birds singing. Despite the joy she found there, she has to accept that those days are gone and that she can never return to the way things were. Yet she finds solace in the fact that São Mateus is still there, still beautiful and still alive in her memory. The song ultimately serves as a reminder that our homes are always with us, no matter where we are.