Alagados

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Alagados is a 1986 Brazilian rock song by Os Paralamas do Sucesso, from the album Selvagem?. It runs about five minutes and was released by EMI. The song was written by Bi Ribeiro, João Barone, and Herbert Vianna, with Liminha as producer.

Rolling Stone Brasil named it the 63rd greatest Brazilian song.

The song talks about life in Brazil’s slums, especially in Rio de Janeiro, during the 1980s economic crisis. It points to a city that looks welcoming on a postcard but hides hardship. In the chorus, it compares the slums of Trenchtown in Jamaica and Alagados in Salvador, showing poverty in different places. Rio is described as a city with “fists” that deny its poorest residents. A line says that hope does not come from the sea or from TV antennas, signaling a loss of faith in better times.

Images of poverty from around the world—Alagados in Salvador, Trenchtown in Kingston, and Maré in Rio—are used to contrast the joy of these places with the sadness of the slums. The first verse describes people waking to harsh conditions, where dreams fade with daylight. The second verse critiques the indifference of the authorities.

The music video follows the lyrics, showing slums, garbage collection, street vendors, and homelessness. The band walks through the scenes and is even stopped and searched by police.