Song Meaning
Rita Lee's "wetin dey" (likely a phonetic rendering of "what's going on" in Nigerian Pidgin English, though the lyrics are in Portuguese) is a raw, almost desperate plea for connection amidst a world saturated with violence and emptiness. The opening lines, "Beija-me a boca / Com tua boca vermelha" (Kiss my mouth / With your red mouth), immediately establish a yearning for physical intimacy as a form of escape. This isn't romantic love in a saccharine sense; it's a primal need to feel something real, something tangible, in the face of an encroaching void. The request isn't just for a kiss, but for a merging of tastes, a "gosto mesclado com gosto de amor / Mastigado entre os dentes meus" (taste mixed with the taste of love / Chewed between my teeth). This visceral imagery suggests a desire to consume and be consumed by the other, a blurring of boundaries as a defense mechanism.
The following verse abruptly shifts tone, painting a bleak self-portrait: "Sou cesta de natal / Cheia de latas vazias" (I'm a Christmas basket / Full of empty cans). This stark metaphor reveals a sense of worthlessness and disillusionment. The speaker feels like a discarded gift, stripped of meaning and purpose. The subsequent lines, "Não deixe que eu me comova / Me dê um cigarro sem filtro / Vagabundo como nós" (Don't let me be moved / Give me a filterless cigarette / Bum like us), further underscore this desire for numbness. The filterless cigarette, a symbol of rebellion and disregard for consequences, becomes a shared ritual with a fellow "vagabundo" (bum), solidifying a bond forged in shared alienation. This is not a call for pity, but a defiant embrace of their outsider status.
The bridge, "Não podemos sofrer / Não leremos jornais / Que noticiem crimes / Não participaremos dessas mortes vis" (We cannot suffer / We will not read newspapers / That report crimes / We will not participate in these vile deaths), exposes the root of this despair. The speaker is overwhelmed by the constant barrage of negativity and violence in the world. The decision to ignore the news, to actively disengage from the suffering of others, is not an act of callousness, but a desperate attempt at self-preservation. By refusing to participate, even as passive observers, they hope to shield themselves from the corrosive effects of despair. The repetition of "Beija-me a boca" (Kiss my mouth) throughout the song serves as a constant reminder of the only antidote they know: physical connection, a fleeting moment of shared humanity in an otherwise bleak existence. The song’s meaning, therefore, lies in its exploration of the human need for intimacy as a shield against the overwhelming darkness of the world.
