"Acquarello" (Watercolor) for 1983 fest

[alfstone]

Honestly, I have no idea if "Acquarello," a composition from 1983 by Brazilian guitarist Toquinho (artistic partner of the great Vinicius De Moares), achieved the same popularity abroad as it did in Italy. It is a peculiar song because behind the appearance of a children's song, it carries a delicate message about the transience of human beings.

Guitars, bass, and vocals: myself.
The rest: BIAB 2023.

Sopra un foglio di carta
Lo vedi il sole è giallo
Ma se piove due segni di biro
Ti danno un ombrello

Gli alberi non son altro
Che fiaschi di vino girati
Se ci metti due tipi
Là sotto saranno ubriachi

L'erba è sempre verde
E se vedi un punto lontano
Non si scappa o è il buon Dio
O è un gabbiano e va

Verso il mare a volare e il mare
È tutto blu
E una nave a navigare ha una vela
Non di più

Ma sott'acqua i pesci sanno dove andare
Dove gli pare non dove vuoi tu

E il cielo sta a guardare
E il cielo è sempre blu
C'è un aereo lassù in alto
E l'aereo scende giù

C'è chi a terra lo saluta con la mano
Va piano piano fuori da un bar
Chissà dove va

Sopra un foglio di carta
Lo vedi chi viaggia in un treno
Sono tre buoni amici che mangiano e
Parlano piano

Da un'America all'altra è uno scherzo
Ci vuole un secondo
Basta fare un bel cerchio
Ed ecco che hai tutto il mondo

Un ragazzo cammina cammina
Arriva ad un muro
Chiude gli occhi un momento e
Davanti si vede il futuro già

E il futuro è un'astronave
Che non ha tempo né pietà
Va su Marte va dove vuole
Niente mai lo sai la fermerà

Se ci viene incontro non fa rumore
Non chiede amore e non ne dà

Continuiamo a suonare
Lavorare in città
Noi che abbiamo un po' paura
Ma la paura passerà

Siamo tutti in ballo siamo sul più
Bello in un acquarello che scolorirà
Che scolorirà

Sopra un foglio di carta
Lo vedi il sole è giallo - ma scolorirà
E se piove due segni di biro
Ti danno un ombrello - che scolorirà
Basta fare un bel cerchio ed ecco
Che hai tutto il mondo - che scolorirà

And here is the English translation:

On a piece of paper you see the sun is yellow,
but if it rains, two pen strokes give you an umbrella.
The trees are nothing more than wine bottles turned upside down,
if you put two guys under them, they'll get drunk,
the grass is always green and if you see a distant spot,
there's no escaping it, it's either God or a seagull flying by.

Flying towards the sea and the sea is all blue,
and a ship sailing has only one sail,
but under water the fish know where to go,
wherever they want, not where you want them to.

And the sky is watching and the sky is always blue,
there's an airplane up high and the airplane is descending,
someone on the ground is waving at it with their hand,
it's slowly leaving a bar, who knows where it's going.

On a piece of paper you see three friends traveling by train,
they're eating and speaking softly,
from one America to the other, it's a joke, it takes a second,
just make a nice circle and there you have the whole world.
A boy is walking, walking and reaches a wall,
he closes his eyes for a moment and already sees the future.

And the future is a spaceship that has no time or mercy,
it goes to Mars, it goes wherever it wants, nothing will ever stop it.
If it comes towards us, it makes no noise,
it doesn't ask for love and it doesn't give any.

We keep playing, working in the city,
we who are a little afraid, but the fear will pass.
We're all dancing, we're at the best part,
in a watercolor that will fade away, that will fade away.

On a piece of paper you see the sun is yellow,
but if it rains, two pen strokes give you an umbrella,
just make a nice circle and there you have the whole world.

[Mike_S]

That was lovely Alfredo, really touching music and a great vocal. Some really great lines - through the eyes of children we can see the picture so clearly sometimes. Lovely.

Mike

[Blooby]

I really enjoyed this. I read the English lyrics after the fact, allowing me to focus on the melodies. Absolutely beautiful singing. Perfect solo/interlude and outro.

Blooby

[Farrell Jackson]

I don't know this one Alfredo but it's a very cool song. You sing this so well and the jazzy lead guitar solo is the icing on the cake for me. Very nice!

[Rene Asologuitar]

Great to hear this lovely song, Alfredo!!!
Vocals and instrumentation are recorded very well.
Your set-up works great, and always enjoy your productions!
Thanks for this beauty!

[Jean Pierre]

superbe reprise Alfredo

[hooper]

Great song! Very nicely done and the performance seems to be in perfect agreement with the gist feel of the story line.

[maxit]

Commovente, bellissima alf. L assolo mi squaglia dentro. E finalmente sento la tua voce!!!

[cuthbert]

Beautifully done, Alfredo. Not a song I knew previously, but your version sounds so smooth.

[Jean Pierre]

new listening, new pleasure with this Toquino song that you interpret very nicely with Italian lyrics.

I found a beautiful version with French lyrics on YT, so I'd like to do it, just for fun, and for friends