...and the String: a tail of sew

Tariza was a lovely woman
Carioca one hundred percent,  plus one
for her pride was bursting at the seams
seemed she had Carnaval in thoughts and dreams

and in her plans to capture her man
grab his heart from the very start
of this wondrous season, when Brazilians
have been known to find any reason,
or no reason at all to party until they fall.
But the costume was the thing
she had written a song, a prize winning
thrilling rousing verse and melody
but her costume was still not done
so close to the day, Carnival 'd begun

so she settled with the advice of the mother of another
a friend from so long ago, completely sympatico
and the choice to adorn her song and voice

a string... bikini it was called , when sold
but in reality ...a simple string...

oh so bold

for Tariza was an ample girl, one hundred percent
plus one... and off into the setting sun
to Carnival to brazos and blancos and Samba School
parades; Ipanema was a world of wondrous beauty
song and dance handsome men,beautiful women...
dressed to taunt and tease
and Tariza...even bringing Priests to their knees
to stare not in prayer, except that God might somehow
keep them from blinded eyes...oh the hips and the thighs!

and her man was so caught up, that he lost track of his Samba strut
and the entire drum section fell upon him in a heap
he didn't mind t'was all he could do was keep
his eyes on Tariza's amazing Samba
[oh...the  thoughts of mangos in his coconut]

watching Tariza bounce and strut, Samba divine
and he stood up from the wreckage of feathers, lame and drums
to stand next to his prize, bleary eyed and somewhat dizzy
still not recovered from the band crash tizzy

but his foot came down upon a string that dragged ground
and then as Tariza danced around, the strings of her meager string
began to shrivel...come unwound... surely now even the Bishop would go blind
waist swivel, legs so round and the Samba movement...so refined
and by the end of the chorus...Tariza was uncovered for us

And the Sun rose over Corcovado in the middle of the night
a great roar rose over the sea, as Tariza made fire close to ground
for so many and for an endless time in Brazilian Carnival...
a burning memory!