O Astronauta de Mármore

The song 'O Astronauta de Mármore' by the Brazilian rock band Nenhum de Nós is a poignant reflection on isolation, change, and the passage of time. The title, which translates to 'The Marble Astronaut,' sets a tone of solitary grandeur, suggesting a figure both heroic and isolated. The lyrics paint a picture of a world transformed, where the familiar has become alien, and the protagonist longs for a return to a time when things were simpler and less painful.

The imagery of the moon as a 'black cloak' and the silence of the radio signals a profound sense of loss and disconnection. The desire to 'break the ice' and 'wake up from the dream' indicates a yearning to escape from the current state of numbness and to confront reality, however harsh it may be. The repeated lines 'Sempre estar lá / E ver ele voltar' ('Always be there / And see him return') suggest a hope for renewal or the return of something lost, perhaps the protagonist's former self or a way of life that has been irrevocably altered.

The song also touches on the theme of fear and courage—the 'fool' who fears the night and the night that will fear the fire. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for facing one's fears and the transformative power of confronting the darkness within oneself. The nostalgic refrain 'Vou lembrar do tempo / De onde eu via o mundo azul' ('I will remember the time / From where I saw the world blue') evokes a sense of wistfulness for a past that was perceived as more hopeful and less complicated. 'O Astronauta de Mármore' is a song that resonates with anyone who has experienced change and longs for the comfort of the past, while also recognizing the inevitability of moving forward.