Portugal is set to bring indie music to the Eurovision 2025 stage this May in Basel. Representing the country are the band NAPA with the song “Deslocado.”
NAPA won Portugal’s national selection, Festival da Canção, in a highly competitive year. Predicting the winner was nearly impossible, given the high quality of songs in the competition. The band placed fourth in the jury’s ranking and second in the televote, but their combined score ultimately secured them the victory.
Their song is a heartfelt tribute to their homeland, Madeira—let’s dive into the meaning of the lyrics.
Scroll down to read the “Deslocado” lyrics
Portugal at Eurovision 2025: NAPA with “Deslocado”
NAPA hail from the beautiful Portuguese island of Madeira, the largest island in the Madeira Archipelago. Known for its stunning landscapes and rich culture, Madeira serves as the perfect backdrop for the indie band’s unique sound.
Originally debuting under the name Men On The Couch in 2013, NAPA spent ten years making music before undergoing a rebranding and changing their name to NAPA in 2023.
Who would have ever thought that a group of friends jamming in a basement would end up becoming so successful and competing in Eurovision? NAPA began as a casual music project, with the members coming together simply to create music for fun. However, as they shared their sound with others, people quickly fell in love with their music, and their journey evolved into something much bigger than they ever imagined.
What do the “Deslocado” lyrics mean?
The song speaks deeply about Madeira Island, capturing the feelings of living “displaced” on the mainland of Portugal. It also touches on the longing of Madeiran students who leave the island to study abroad, as well as the broader experience of Portuguese emigrants who had to leave the country in search of a better life.
The cover art for the song features one of the earliest known photographic records of Madeira Island, taken between 1863 and 1885. This historic image is currently housed at the Madeira Photography Museum. The band shared that, in today’s world, they have the opportunity to see beyond the island. However, this broader perspective has only deepened their understanding of where home truly is.
Do you remember MARO’s Eurovision song “Saudade Saudade” that represented Portugal two years ago? We have a mention of “saudade” once again in this song, which speaks about longing and feeling displaced in a big city. “Saudade” is a Portuguese term referring to the deep feeling of longing and nostalgia for something or someone far away:
I’m counting down the days to myself
With my suitcase packed
Almost didn’t fit
The accumulated ‘saudade’
The song also portrays the joy of coming back home, reconnecting with loved ones and your roots, feeling as joyous as if you can almost see your hometown from the airplane:
I can see the garden from the blue
Just behind the wing
Mom, look out the window
I’m coming home
There is also the realisation of not belonging in a city filled with concrete and a sea of people, where even the sun feels different:
No matter how it may seem
I’ll never belong
To that city
The sea of people
The different sun
The pile of concrete
Doesn’t provoke me
It doesn’t feel like home
Madeira, the homeland, remains the place to return to—the first and ultimate love, the definition of true home. The song speaks about the pain and loneliness that come with departure, also referring to the struggles of those who are forced to leave the island:
I came from far away
I came from the middle of the sea
In the heart of the ocean I have my whole life
(…)
If I explain it to you word by word
You’ll never understand the pain that silences me
The loneliness that haunts the moment of departure
The only reassurance, though, is that no matter how far you go, you always have Madeira Island to come back to. It’s okay to try something, realise it didn’t work out, and return home—and this should actually be normalised:
I carry the peace of being able to return
Mom, look out the window, I’m coming
“Deslocado” lyrics — NAPA (Portugal Eurovision 2025)
Songwriter (music and lyrics): André Santos, Diogo Góis, Francisco Sousa, João Guilherme Gomes, João Lourenço Gomes, João Rodrigues
Portuguese textConto os dias para mim Que eu tou a chegar a casa Por mais que possa parecer Porque eu Carrego o sossego de poder voltar Por mais que possa parecer O mar de gente |
English translationI’m counting down the days to myself I’m coming home No matter how it may seem Because I I carry the peace of being able to return No matter how it may seem The seа of people |
Do you suddenly want to book a trip to Madeira? What do you think of NAPA’s “Deslocado” lyrics? Let us know in the comments.
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