
"The Mechanic"đ§| "A MecĂąnica"đ§
Fast, dark, two racers in motorcycle race, speed and fire, pulsing rhythm, vary subtle drum patterns, speed of running, Brazilian rock, iĂȘ-iĂȘ-iĂȘ, lines flow very quickly, call and response, clapping and beating rhythm, fiery and quietly emotional, tomboy mechanic, racer who lives for speed, subtly dramatic, pulse-pounding, pandeiro, agogĂŽ, cuica, cavaquinho, bateria, berimbau, MĂșsica Popular Brasileira

"The Mechanic"đ§| "A MecĂąnica"đ§
Fast, dark, two racers in motorcycle race, speed and fire, pulsing rhythm, vary subtle drum patterns, speed of running, Brazilian rock, iĂȘ-iĂȘ-iĂȘ, lines flow very quickly, call and response, clapping and beating rhythm, fiery and quietly emotional, tomboy mechanic, racer who lives for speed, subtly dramatic, pulse-pounding, pandeiro, agogĂŽ, cuica, cavaquinho, bateria, berimbau, MĂșsica Popular Brasileira
Lyrics
Verse 1 / Verso 1
(00:13) Ela desmontava qualquer coisa
She could take anything apart
(00:19) E montava de novo / ainda melhor
And put it back together / even better
(00:27) Coração não interessava / Ela manjava de motor
Hearts didnât interest her / She knew engines
(00:35) đ©Mas um dia, intrigada: âPor que nĂŁo manja de ferramentas. Te vi na moto. Um raio. VocĂȘ voa."
(00:35) đ©But one day, curious: "How do you not know your tools. Iâve seen you ride. Lightning. You fly."
(00:45) Eu falei...
I said...
Chorus / RefrĂŁo
(00:47) âVocĂȘ entende ferramentas / eu velocidade
âYou know tools / I know speed
(00:51) Como funciona / NĂŁo ligo / SĂł sei como isso bate
I donât care how it works / Just how it feels
(00:58) SĂł sei como isso bate (Whoa!)â
I only know how it feels (Whoa!)â
Verso 2
(01:02)đ§âSou meio de fora / Moto me mantĂ©m longe da solidĂŁo
(01:02)đ§"I'm a bit of an outsider / I ride to keep myself company
(01:10) Como funciona / Não ligo / Velocidade - adoro a sensação."
I donât care how it works / Speed - I just love the feeling."
(01:17) O pingente dela: uma mini chave / Eu ri
The charm on her bracelet: a tiny wrench / I laughed
(01:20) đ©âO quĂȘ.â / đšâA chave.â
(01:20) đ©"What." / đš"The wrench."
(01:24) đ©âNostalgiaâ, ela falou, meio grossa /đšâTem a sua cara.â
(01:24) đ©"Nostalgia," she said gruffly /đš"It suits you."
(01:26) Ela arrancou / e jogou pra mim / đ©âPra dar sorte.â
She snapped it off / and tossed it to me / đ©"For good luck."
Chorus / RefrĂŁo
(01:30) VocĂȘ entende ferramentas / eu velocidade
You know tools / I know speed
(01:35) Como funciona / NĂŁo ligo / SĂł sei como isso bate
I donât care how it works / Just how it feels
(01:42) SĂł sei como isso bate (Whoa!)
I only know how it feels (Whoa!)
Bridge / Ponte
(01:45) Aquele verĂŁoâŠ
That summer...
(01:48) O prĂȘmio da grande corrida / Uma mĂĄquina linda
The prize for the big race / A beautiful machine
(01:52) A Tiger 110 brilhava / Velocidade e cromođïž
The Tiger 110 gleamed / All chrome and speedđïž
(01:58) Ah... Eu queria aquilo...
Ah... I wanted it...
(02:00) Ela encarou a Tiger / Do outro lado do vidro
She stared at the Tiger / From the other side of the glass
(02:04) Eu saquei na hora / Que tinha alguém
I realized right away / That there was someone
(02:08) Quem queria mais do que eu...
Who wanted it even more than meâŠ
Verse 4 / Verso 4
(02:11) Piloto contra piloto / Calor absurdo / o dia da corrida
Rider vs. rider / The heat was intense / on race day
(02:15) NinguĂ©m ali queria perder / Tudo era pura velocidade e fĂșria
No one there was there to lose / It was all pure speed and fury
(02:18) NĂłs dois juntos / derrubamos todo mundo / um por um
Between us / we knocked them out like pins
(02:21) No fim / Os dois Ășltimos na pista:
Finally / The last two left on the track:
(02:24) A mecĂąnica / E euâŠ
The mechanic / And me...
(02:26) Ela viu a chavezinha / presa na minha jaqueta
She spotted the tiny wrench / pinned on my jacket
(02:31) O rosto dela mudou / mas ela nĂŁo disse nada
Her expression changed / but she said nothing
Bridge / Ponte
(02:34) O tiro largou / Voamos
The shot fired / We flew
(02:38) Em um piscar de olhos, eu soube: a Tiger era minha
In the blink of an eye, I knew: the Tiger was mine
(02:44) A linha de chegada / a trĂȘs segundos
The finish line / was three seconds away
(02:46) Mas eu lembrei / do olhar dela / do outro lado do vidro
But I remembered / her look / from the other side of the glass
(02:49) E sem pensar / eu bati no freio
And without a second thought / I slammed the brake
Chorus / RefrĂŁo
(02:54) VocĂȘ entende ferramentas / eu velocidade
You know tools / I know speed
(02:59) Como funciona / NĂŁo ligo / SĂł sei como isso bate
I donât care how this works / Just how it feels
(03:05) SĂł sei como isso bate (Whoa!)
I only know how it feels (Whoa!)
Verse 5 / Verso 5
(03:09) A multidĂŁo - um borrĂŁo / SilĂȘncio total
The crowd was a blur / Stunned silence
(03:12) A um palmo da chegada / ela largou a moto
A foot from the finish line / she dropped her bike
(03:15) Ela voltou andando / até mim / no asfalto
She strolled back / to me / on the asphalt
(03:20) Ela estendeu a mĂŁo: "Ă primeira vista / eu sabia que vocĂȘ era encrenca."
She held out her hand: "At first sight / I knew you were trouble."
(03:27) E, me puxando para ficar de pé / ela me beijou
And, pulling me up to my feet / she kissed me
Verse 6 / Verso 6
(03:31) De volta Ă garagem / Sabia que ela ia falar
Back at the garage / I knew sheâd tell me
(03:34)đ©Enfim: âEu sei o que vocĂȘ fez.â
(03:34)đ©Finally: "I know what you did."
(03:38)đ§"Por que nĂŁo levou atĂ© o fim."
(03:38)đ§"Why didnât you take it all the way."
(03:41) Ela me ignorou / limpando um paralama
She ignored me / cleaning a fender
(03:45) EntĂŁo, baixinho: âPorque eu te quis mais.â
Then mumbled roughly: "Because I wanted you more."
Chorus / RefrĂŁo
(03:50) VocĂȘ entende ferramentas / eu velocidade
You know tools / I know speed
(03:55) Como funciona / NĂŁo ligo / SĂł sei como isso bate
I donât care how this works / Just how it feels
(04:01) SĂł sei como isso bate (Wow!)
I only know how it feels (Wow!)
Verse 7 / Verso 7
(04:05) Perdemos / mas ganhamos
We both lost / but we both won
(04:09) Foi o que pareceu
That's the way it felt
(04:12) Quando ela, do nada / sorriu pra mim
As she unexpectedly / smiled at me
Outro
(04:17) Mas ele adorava uma boa histĂłria / o patrocinador
But the sponsor of the race / who loved a good story
(04:20) Ele nos deu dois Tigers / e nos desejou boa sorte
Presented Tigers to both of us / and wished us good luck
(04:23) Em cima da maior loja de autopeças
On top of the biggest auto parts store
(04:26) Posamos, sorrindo / pro anĂșncio outdoor
We posed, smiling / for the billboard ad
(04:31) Bem⊠eu estava sorrindo
Well... I was smiling
(04:34) Ela fazia sua pequena careta
She did her little grimace
(04:36) A carinha dura / que protege sua alma suave
The tough little face / that protects her soft soul
(04:42) E isso ainda me deixa / com os joelhos fracosâŠ
And it still makes me / weak in the knees...
Chorus / RefrĂŁo
(04:46) VocĂȘ entende ferramentas / eu velocidade
You know tools / I know speed
(05:00) Como funciona / NĂŁo ligo / SĂł sei como isso bate
I donât care how this works / Just how it feels
(04:58) SĂł sei como isso bate (Whoa!)
I only know how this feels (Whoa!)
Chorus / RefrĂŁo
(05:01) VocĂȘ entende ferramentas / eu velocidade
You know tools / I know speed
(05:05) Como funciona / NĂŁo ligo / SĂł sei como isso bate
I donât care how this works / Just how it feels
(05:12) SĂł sei como isso bate / SĂł sei como isso bate...
I only know how this feels / I only know how this feels...
Notes: A daredevil loner and the gruff mechanic who patches up his motorcycle face off against each other in biggest race of the summer.
Add'l
*đA Triumph Tiger 110 (T110) in mid-1950s cost approx. USD 900.
In 2026 dollars: USD 11K -13K.
* The song is also about the fact that everyone has a back story:
đ§The daredevil: Self-assured, unbeatable, loves speed.
Moved so many times it was hard to establish friendships. His love for racing makes him feel at ease - and less alone.
đ©The mechanic: Brilliant. Her stoic toughness makes it daunting to approach her.
The streets she was raised in were not kind. She couldnât afford uni. Working as a mechanic is her only marketable skill.
đ§The wrench: People see a dingy bracelet.
Each charm is a memento for someone she has lost.
