Mimicat will sing “Ai coração” for Portugal at Eurovision 2023.

The 38-year-old songstress will fly the Portuguese flag in Liverpool as she hopes to secure her country a spot in the grand final on Saturday 13 May. 

Scroll down to read the “Ai coração” lyrics.

Portugal at Eurovision 2023: Mimicat with “Ai coração”

Mimicat — born Marisa Isabel Lopes Mena — represents Portugal at Eurovision 2023. She won the Portuguese Eurovision ticket by triumphing in Festival da Canção, winning the hearts of the juries and voting public. 

In 2001, she participated at the Portuguese Eurovision final under the name Izamena, but failed to qualify from the semi-finals. More than 20 years later, she’s back with her song anthem “Ai coração”.

Mimicat kept “Ai coração” in her music library for a decade before submitting it for Eurovision. She said: “I wrote the song ten years ago out of boredom,” she says. “I was at this house waiting for someone and starting singing ai coraçãoooo. And I thought, ‘This sounds kind of cool, let’s see where this goes.’ So I actually did this song in five minutes right there.”

What do the “Ai coração” lyrics mean? 

“Ai coração” is about heartache and desperation. Hopelessly in love, Mimicat descends into madness as she waits for her lover — “I feel dizzy, and worse every day” / “My pulse is racing”. 

In Portuguese, “Ai” an exclamation equivalent to “oh” or “ouch” in English. As the song progresses and the music becomes more frantic, Mimicat adds one more “Ai coração” to each subsequent chorus, illustrating her emotions spiralling as the heartache becomes stronger. 

 
 
 
 
 
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“Ai coração” lyrics — Mimicat (Portugal Eurovision 2023)

Original text (Portuguese)

English translation

Ai, coração
Que não me deixas em paz
Não me dás sossego
Não me deixas capaz
Tenho a cabeça e a garganta num nó
Que não se desfaz e nem assim tu tens dó

Sinto-me tonta, cada dia pior
Já não sei de coisas que sabia de cor
As pulsações subiram quase pra mil
Estou louca, completamente senil

O peito a arder, a boca seca, eu sei lá
O que te fazer
Amor pra mim assim não dá
Porque parece que nem sou mais eu

Ai, coração
Ai, coração
Diz-me lá se és meu

As horas passam e o sono não vem
Ouço as corujas e os vizinhos também
O meu juízo foi-se e por lá ficou
Alguém me tire deste estado em que estou

O doutor diz que não há nada a fazer
‘Caso perdido’ vi-o eu a escrever
Ando perdida numa outra dimensão
Toda eu sou uma grande confusão

O peito a arder, a boca seca, eu sei lá
O que te fazer
Amor pra mim assim não dá
Porque parece que nem sou mais eu

Ai, coração
Ai, coração
Ai, coração
Diz-me lá se és meu

O peito a arder, a boca seca, eu sei lá
O que te fazer
Amor pra mim assim não dá
Porque parece que nem sou mais eu

Ai, coração
Ai, coração
Ai, coração
Ai, coração
Diz-me lá se és meu

Oh, heart
That won’t let me be
You won’t give me peace
You leave me unfit
My head and throat are circling around
That won’t undo itself, but you feel no sympathy

I feel dizzy, and worse every day
I don’t know things that I used to know
My pulse is racing like mad
I feel crazy, totally senile

My chest is burning, my mouth is dry, I don’t know
What to do
Love I can’t do it like this
Because I don’t even feel like myself

Oh, heart
Oh, heart
Tell me if you are mine

Hours go by and I can’t sleep
I hear thе owls and my neighbours too
My mind is gone, and it got lost in therе
Somebody, please snap me out of this

The doctor says there’s nothing to be done
‘Lost cause’, I saw him writing
I’m lost in another dimension
I am now a huge mess

My chest is burning, my mouth is dry, I don’t know
What to do
Love I can’t do it like this
Because I don’t even feel like myself

Oh, heart
Oh, heart
Oh, heart
Tell me if you are mine

My chest is burning, my mouth is dry, I don’t know
What to do
Love I can’t do it like this
Because I don’t even feel like myself

Oh, heart
Oh, heart
Oh, heart
Oh, heart
Tell me if you are mine

What do you think of “Ai, coração”? Will Mimicat qualify for the final? Let us know in the comments below.

6 Comments
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Benito Camelo
Benito Camelo
11 months ago

I’m still shocked about her having taken part of FdC more than 20 years ago. I mean, jeez, it must’ve been a completely different competition back in the day!
But, anyways, I’m happy for her 🙂

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
11 months ago

Wow, she must’ve been a teenager when she last participated.

rgrocha
rgrocha
11 months ago
Reply to  BadWoolfGirl

15 years

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
11 months ago
Reply to  rgrocha

Actually, she would’ve been 16 at the time. I did the math.

Vivian
Vivian
11 months ago

Crazy how this is listed as an NQ to the bookmakers. I’m sorry? This is GOING to qualify, and I’ll eat a sock if it doesn’t

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
11 months ago
Reply to  Vivian

The odds thought lithuania wouldn’t qualify last year, but they did. I don’t give a crap about the odds and so I’m not paying attention to them.