The song “Pais e Filhos” by Legião Urbana is one of those songs where the lyrics present much deeper layers than the first analysis can reveal. The hit deals with strong themes such as suicide and the relationship between parents and children – which can be problematic.
Just before the chorus, Renato Russo sings one of the song’s most enigmatic phrases: “my son will have the name of a saint / I want the most beautiful name”. But what does that mean?
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Analyzing the context of the song, Russo writes about points of connection between parents and children and common scenes like being afraid of the dark and putting the child to sleep. One of these scenes that is also recurrent is when parents choose the name of their future child.
“This is another phrase that we say a lot. That when the child is born, he will have the name of a saint; that is, the most beautiful name. It’s the parents choosing the name for their children. It’s another example of the relationship between parents and their children But this time it’s before the child is born. Renato talks about this relationship.
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Clinical Psychoanalysis understands that it is the character himself who narrates the song who now imagines what it would be like to have a child and not him remembering the child who grew up and unfortunately took his own life “After the childhood and adolescence phase explicit in the song, Adulthood comes. At this stage, the character in the song is already thinking about having children and thinking about their names.”
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Finally, the website Versos e Prosas makes a controversial analysis of this excerpt from “Pais e Filhos” saying that this phrase talks about Giuliano Manfredini, who is the adopted son of Renato Russo.
“Fathers and Sons also includes other passages talking about the relationship between parents and children with a very well produced melody. In relation to the verses ‘my son will have the name of a saint’, this is a direct mention of Renato’s own son, Giuliano Manfredini , who lived with his grandparents (Renato’s parents), in Brasília”.
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The problem with this interpretation is that there is no saint with the name Giuliano. At least not one known enough to earn the title of “saint’s name” in popular culture. There is Saint Julian, patron saint of travelers in the Catholic tradition.
“Here is the big message of the song. He is telling a plot that starts with the fact that the girl committed suicide at the beginning of the lyrics. Then, he talks about various moments in the relationship between parents and their children. In the chorus, the message: ‘You have to love people as if there were no tomorrow.’ But you don’t know if you will have tomorrow. That’s why you need to love those who are close to you today. that we don’t know tomorrow. The girl committed suicide. They should have loved each other more.
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