Terra Roxa

A high-class guy in a fancy car
Stopped in front of a restaurant
Could you please change a thousand cruzeiros?
In a hurry, he said to the dealer
Sorry, I don’t have change
But there’s an important customer here
The high-class guy went from table to table
And passed right by one of them
Seeing a Black man who was having lunch
In a weird outfit, like a drifter
I can tell you that a thousand cruzeiros
Was a lot of money for those travelers, oh, oh

The dealer told the high-class guy
I’ve seen that Black man exchange money
The high-class guy smiled with disdain
Can’t you see he’s just a poor guy?
With his clothes all wrinkled
And a very shy demeanor
If that guy is someone in life
Then I’ll be the state’s president
No rabbit comes out of that bush
And thank you very much, sir
Asking if that Black man has change
Is just making the guy really embarrassed, oh, oh

Meanwhile, the Black man who heard the conversation
Called the young man politely
Pulled out a package from his bag
With more than a hundred
Wrapped in squash blossoms
One by one, he threw them on the table
Sorry I didn’t have change
The high-class guy smiled awkwardly
You must be a congressman
With the red color of those bills
It looks like money that was buried
The Black man said, don’t widen your eyes
It’s just the leftovers of what I have
Tied up, oh, oh

These red bills from the earth
Are from pure massapé soil
That’s where I planted seven years ago
Two hundred eighty thousand coffee plants
This land that water can’t wash away
That keeps Brazil standing tall
You guys riding on the riches
Never lack friends and some women
It’s with them that we import
Those Cadillacs, Fords, and Chevrolets
So later the high-class boys
Can strut around like big shots, oh, oh

The high-class guy apologized profusely
Wrapped up a bit embarrassed
I’d like to take a chance
Where’s this immense hidden treasure?
That’s easy, the Black man replied
If you’re shaken by the hoe
Land there is worth its weight in gold
And your future will be secured
This land is blessed by God
It’s not just talk, I wasn’t born there
It’s in the state of Paraná
Where my beloved little ranch is, oh, oh