Construção (song)

"Construção" (pronounced [kõstɾuˈsɐ̃w]; Portuguese for 'Construction') is a song by the Brazilian singer and composer Chico Buarque, recorded and released in 1971 for his album of the same name through Philips Records. Written shortly after Buarque's return from self-imposed exile in Italy, the song emerged during the height of Brazil's military dictatorship and has been widely interpreted as a critical portrayal of urban labor and social alienation.

Musically, "Construção" is notable for its strict poetic structure, consisting of dodecasyllabic verses that end exclusively in proparoxytones and are rearranged across three successive sections. Narrated in an impersonal third person, the lyrics recount the final day of a construction worker whose death is depicted as a disruption to public order rather than a human tragedy. The arrangement by Rogério Duprat progressively layers orchestral elements over a minimalist harmonic base.

Despite its implicit social critique, the song passed through censorship without cuts and achieved significant commercial circulation following its release. Retrospectively, "Construção" has been regarded as a landmark in Brazilian popular music and a turning point in Buarque's career. It has appeared prominently in critical rankings of Brazilian songs, including being ranked second in a 2001 poll conducted by Folha de S.Paulo and first by Rolling Stone Brasil in its 2009 list of the greatest Brazilian songs of all time.