LINGUISTIC HETEROGENEITY AND EXPRESSIVENESS IN THE SONG LET ME SING, LET ME SING, BY RAUL SEIXAS

Abstract

This study analyzes traits of linguistic heterogeneity and expressiveness in the song Let me sing, let me sing (1972), performed by Raul Seixas. The objective is to discuss how variable phenomena act as expressive resources. Theoretically, this study is grounded in the postulates of Sociolinguistics and Descriptive Stylistics. The methodological approach employed is qualitative, through which two main categories are considered: dialectal contrast/cultural hybridity and grammatical flexibility as a rhythmic and prosodic resource. The results demonstrate that shifting between rock English and colloquial Portuguese fuses identities and demystifies the erudition of MPB at the time. Furthermore, we verified that morphosyntactic and phonetic flexibility—such as reducing “não” to “num” and omitting formal agreement marks in “48 quilo” – meets requirements of meter, fluidity, and musical timing. We conclude that, in Let me sing, let me sing, linguistic heterogeneity constitutes not only a conscious aesthetic resource to represent colloquial language traits, but also to legitimize rock on Brazilian soil in the 1970s.