Raquel Tavares paints an early-morning portrait of Lisbon buzzing with life and expectation. From the first chirp she “steals” off a passing bird in Largo da Graça to the sight of boats and gulls gliding over the Tagus, every image brims with anticipation: her amor de longe has phoned, mailed a letter and is finally on his way. Iconic city snapshots — the Miradouro lookout, Tram 28 rattling up from Prazeres, kisses promised at the castle — turn the capital into a living love letter, while the singer’s heart beats in Fado’s timeless rhythm.
Yet this is no sorrowful lament. Raquel flips the usual Fado melancholy on its head, pushing aside “tragédias e desgraças” because love, like the Lisbon sun she spots on the horizon, is about to break through. The song celebrates that sparkling, can’t-sit-still joy of welcoming someone who feels custom-made for you, and invites listeners to join the party in Bairro Alto and dance till dawn at Cais do Sodré. In short, “Meu Amor de Longe” is a bright, breezy ode to hope, destiny and the city that turns every reunion into a festival.