This summer Brazil will host the 2014 World Cup, but all its citizens are not happy with the way the country is preparing for this massive, global event. They're sharing a gorgeous song to express their discontent.
Lets not forget that last summer protesters took to the streets of Brazil for days, demonstrating against crime, corruption, inflation and inequality (to name a few things). The World Cup has sparked its own protests as well.
This protest song 'Desculpa Neymar' ('I'm Sorry, Neymar') is an apology to Brazilian soccer player, Neymar. He plays for FC Barcelona, but will be representing Brazil at the World Cup. The singer is apologizing because he says he cannot cheer for Brazil this year.
Here are the lyrics (via BuzzFeed's Conz Preti):
I’m sorry Neymar,
But during this world cup I won’t be cheering for you,
I’m tired of watching our people fading slowly on TV shows,
In the meantime FIFA worries about standards,
We’re guided by thieves that play dirty to win,
I’m sorry Neymar, I’m not cheering this time.
Parreira I saw,
That Tetra [championship] make people so happy,
But we won’t be real champions spending over 10 billion to have the world cup in the country,
We have beautiful and monumental stadiums,
In the meantime schools and hospitals are about to fail,
Parreira I saw, an abyss between the two Brazils.
Sorry Felipao,
When Cafu lifted the World Cup and showed it,
Your roots in such a solemn moment which turned Jardim Irene in a portrait of Brazil,
The promised spring never came,
Life is worth more than a goal,
And the improvements where are they?
Sorry Felipao, our country didn’t flourish.
I know supporter,
That my simple and honest opinion,
Won’t make you that makes little money and lives poorly,
Stop going to the end together with our team,
Even without money to pay an expensive ticket,
You’ll never stop loving our team wherever they go,
I know supporter, it’s you that is right.
The song is being tweeted everywhere. A lot of commenters on the video posted on Brazilian TV channel Terra (video below) say that the song speaks to how they feel about the World Cup. They say that the games were paid for with money siphoned away from government projects meant to fund education, public health, insurance and public transit.
On the other side, some say that World Cup detractors are hypocrites who were excited when Brazil got the opportunity to host the games, but are now complaining about it.
What is certain is that Brazilian security forces have intensified their presence in the poor favelas in Rio de Janeiro, where the games are taking place. Vice did a really interesting segment on this on its HBO show called 'The Pacification of Rio'. They argue that the government may be massaging statistics by calling murders "disappearances/missing people."
Needless to say, it isn't a pretty picture.