The Waters of March (Portuguese: “Águas de Março”) is a Brazilian song composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim in 1972. Jobim wrote both the English and Portuguese lyrics. This song is a wonderful idea for spring that could be used in a variety of ways.
This song is all about the transition of seasons- perfect for March. Seasons show the Earth’s own transitional journey and they have a tendency to help us reflect on our own transitions in life no matter what those might look like. “The Waters of March” was inspired by the changing of seasons. In Brazil, where the song originated, the end of summer in March is marked by lots & lots of rain.
The change of seasons is a great opportunity to take a step back and use “The Waters of March” to engage your clients in song analysis, song writing or maybe even music listening and discussion! Adapt this song to fit your clients needs and goals– after all, you’re the pro!
- The Waters of March is a great song to be used in a variety of ways including song/lyric analysis, a song writing experience, or even music listening followed by discussion.
- The song was inspired by the rainiest month in Rio de Janeiro. March is typically marked by sudden storms with heavy rains and strong winds that cause flooding in many places around the city and marks the beginning of the summer. This lends the song to a feeling of transition into a new season.
- Utilize this song for song analysis:
- Have clients listen to the song, or sing live with the downloadable lead sheet.
- Engage the client(s) in discussion about the lyrics
- What do you think this song is about?
- How do you feel when you listen to this song?
- Did you relate to or notice any specific lyrics in the song?
- Discuss the origins and history of the song.
- Discuss how it relates to changing seasons and what does the new season mean to the client(s)
- Utilize this song as a song writing experience:
- Discuss the history of the song and the context about how it is inspired by the month of March in Brazil which marks the end of summer and the beginning of Fall.
- This can help transition into discussion about Spring in general (what about it do client(s) like/not like, what things do client(s) notice in the springtime, what do they look forward to about spring)
- Have clients help rewrite the lyrics with their own ideas of what springtime is.
- The song is almost a list of images that represent the time of year that inspired the original artist. You can have your clients change some of the lyrics to match their own ideas of springtime.
- Discuss the history of the song and the context about how it is inspired by the month of March in Brazil which marks the end of summer and the beginning of Fall.
- Utilize this song for music listening and discussion:
- Listen to the original version of this song included below & engage in discussion about the song
- Choose other covers to listen to & compare the differences in styles, lyrics, symbolism, etc. What resonates with you more? Have client(s) compare and contrast the different versions.
Discussion might include comparing musical styles, language differences, the history of the variations, the symbolism and how that might vary depending on the part of the world that the artist is from, etc.