Only a Dream in Rio

Album: That's Why I'm Here (1985)
Play Video
  • More than a distant land over a shining sea
    More than the steaming green
    More than the shining eyes
    Well they tell me it's only a dream in Rio
    Nothing could be as sweet as it seems
    On this very first day down
    They remind me, "Son, have you so soon forgotten?"
    Often as not it's rotten inside
    And the mask soon slips away
    Strange taste of a tropical fruit
    Romantic language of the Portuguese
    Melody on a wooden flute
    Samba floating in the summer breeze, take it easy

    It's all right, you can stay asleep
    You can close your eyes
    You can trust the people of paradise
    To call your keeper and tender your good-byes

    Oh, what a night, wonderful one in a million frozen fire Brazilian stars
    Oh, holy southern cross, later on
    Take me way downtown in a tin can
    Can't come down from the bandstand
    And I'm never thrown for such a loss when they say:
    Quando a nossa mae acordar, andareimoz au sol
    Quando a nossa mae acordar, cantara' pelos sertao
    Quando a nossa mea acordar, todos os filios saberao
    Todos os filios saberao, e regozilarao

    Caught in the rays of the rising sun
    On the run from the soldier's gun
    Shouting out loud from the angry crowd
    The mild the wild and the hungry child
    I'll tell you there's more than a dream in Rio
    I was there on the very day
    And my heart came back alive
    There was more, more than the singing voices
    More than the upturned faces
    And more than the shining eyes

    But it's more than the shining eyes
    More than the steaming green
    More than the hidden hills
    More than the concrete Christ
    More than a distant land over a shining sea
    More than a hungry child
    More like another time
    Born of a million years
    More than a million years Writer/s: JAMES TAYLOR
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 3

  • Larry Holder from CaliforniaJames Taylor is my brother of another mother
  • Dave from So CalDoug is correct. The Portuguese lyrics are a lovely Brazilian celebration of the sun as "mother."
  • Doug from Maine In the middle of the song, Taylor does not repeat the lyrics in Portuguese. He adds altogether different lyrics.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Mike Love of The Beach Boys

Mike Love of The Beach BoysSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist of The Beach Boys talks about coming up with the words for "Good Vibrations," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Kokomo" and other classic songs.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.