A religious plea echoing the Passion of Christ: "Pai, afasta de mim esse cálice" ("Father, take this cup from me").
A direct scream against censorship: "Pai, afasta de mim esse 'cale-se'" ("Father, take this 'shut up' from me"). Lyric Analysis & Symbolism CГЎlice (Cale-se). Chico Buarque & Milton Nascimento.
The power of the song lies in its phonetic wordplay. The title word ([ˈkalisi], meaning "chalice") is phonetically identical in Portuguese to "Cale-se" (meaning "shut up" or "be silent"). A religious plea echoing the Passion of Christ:
In a famous 1973 event, the Phono 73 festival, Chico and Gil attempted to perform it. The military cut their microphones mid-performance when they tried to sing the lyrics, forcing them to hum the melody as a form of silent protest. The Central Double Meaning afasta de mim esse cálice" ("Father