The band is considered one of the main groups in Brazilian rock. Like most groups from the 1960s, Os Mutantes were heavily influenced by The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Sly & the Family Stone. However, Brazilian musicians were also immersed in their local culture, exercising their own creativity in the use of feedback, distortion and studio tricks of all kinds, just as was done by the Liverpool quartet and the group The Beach Boys. In this sense, Mutantes were pioneers in mixing rock and roll with Brazilian musical and thematic elements. Another characteristic of the group was irreverence. Like Os Mutantes, there began to be a kind of mixture of foreign and Brazilian music and the addition of new ideas, with doses of experimentalism, thus opening the way for musical hybridism.
Os Mutantes began their activities in 1966, as a trio, when they performed on the program O Pequeno Mundo de Ronnie Von on TV Record. On the eve of the program's premiere, the trio had the name "Os Bruxos", but neither Rita Lee nor the Dias Baptista brothers (Arnaldo and Sérgio) were satisfied with that name and wanted to change it. According to Carlos Calado,[2] the idea for the name "Os Mutantes" came from an ironic joke between Alberto Helena Júnior, the program's producer, and Ronnie Von, who, at the time, was reading O Império dos Mutantes, by Stefan Wul, and did not talk about any other subject. "Are you guys still looking for a name for the boys ensemble? Why not The Mutants?" Ronnie Von liked Alberto Helena's idea and took it to the group, who approved it immediately.
The group soon became one of the main exponents of the new MPB, influenced by Tropicália, until it dissolved in 1978. Over these twelve years, nine albums were recorded, two of which - O A e o Z and Tecnicolor - were only released on 1990s, when the group began to be recognized, on the national and international rock scene, as one of the most creative, dynamic, radical and talented of the psychedelic era and the history of world rock. In 2006, the band reunited, without Rita Lee or Liminha, but with the presence of Arnaldo Baptista and Zélia Duncan on vocals. The following year, Arnaldo and Zélia left the band, which was recomposed with other musicians and continues to perform under the leadership of Sérgio Dias, the only remaining member of the original lineup.
Don Quixote
Os Mutantes Lyrics
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É um sonho o caminho
É do Sancho, o Quixote
Chupando chiclete
O Sancho tem chance
E a chance é o chicote
É o vento e a morte
Mascando o Quixote
Chicote no Sancho
Moinho sem vinho
Não corra me puxe
Meu vinho meu crush
Que triste caminho
Sem Sancho ou Quixote
Sua chance em chicote
Sua vida na morte
Vem devagar
Dia há de chegar
E a vida há de parar
Para o Sancho descer
E os jornais todos a anunciar
Dulcinéia que vai se casar
Vê, vê que tudo mudou
Vê, o comércio fechou
Vê e o menino morreu
E os jornais todos a anunciar
Armadura e espada a rifar
Dom Quixote cantar na TV
Vai cantar pra subir
The lyrics to Os Mutantes' song Don Quixote are full of allusions to the famous novel by Miguel de Cervantes. The first part of the song describes life as a windmill, a path full of dreams that belongs to both Sancho and Quixote. The image of Sancho chewing gum could represent the triviality of life, in contrast with the epic adventures of Don Quixote. The second part of the song continues to explore the characters of the novel, with Sancho having a chance that comes in the form of a whip, and Quixote being consumed by both the wind and death. The contrast between the two characters is clear, with Sancho representing a more pragmatic and realistic approach, while Quixote is lost in his own delusions.
The chorus of the song is a plea for wine, a symbol of pleasure and escape. The sad path without Sancho or Quixote is depicted as a life dedicated to the whip and the inevitability of death. The lyrics also touch on the idea of change and the passing of time, with the image of Sancho descending from the windmill as his life comes to an end, and the newspapers announcing the marriage of Dulcinea and the sale of Don Quixote's armor and sword. The final line of the lyrics suggests that even in death, Quixote will continue to sing and rise up, immortalized by his dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
A vida é um moinho
Life is like a windmill, turning and spinning endlessly
É um sonho o caminho
The path we take in life is nothing but a dream, an illusion
É do Sancho, o Quixote
The story belongs to both Sancho and Quixote, they are both important characters
Chupando chiclete
Chewing gum, enjoying the simple things in life
O Sancho tem chance
Sancho has a chance, an opportunity
E a chance é o chicote
But that chance comes at a price, like a whip
É o vento e a morte
Life is like the wind, constantly moving, eventually leading to death
Mascando o Quixote
As we move through life, we may face challenges and difficulties
Chicote no Sancho
Sancho may face punishment or consequences for taking a chance
Moinho sem vinho
Life can sometimes feel empty, lacking joy or pleasure
Não corra me puxe
Don't rush, take your time and enjoy life's moments
Meu vinho meu crush
My wine, my love
Que triste caminho
It can be a sad journey, with hardships and struggles
Sem Sancho ou Quixote
Without those important figures in our story, life can be even more difficult
Sua chance em chicote
Taking a chance can also come with risks
Sua vida na morte
Ultimately, everything leads to death
Vem devagar
Take it slowly, don't rush through life
Dia há de chegar
The day will come when everything will end
E a vida há de parar
Life will come to an end for all of us eventually
Para o Sancho descer
For Sancho to finally rest and stop his journey
E os jornais todos a anunciar
The newspapers will announce
Dulcinéia que vai se casar
Dulcinea is getting married
Vê, vê que tudo mudou
Look, see how everything has changed
Vê, o comércio fechou
Look, the commerce has closed down
Vê e o menino morreu
Look, the boy has died
Armadura e espada a rifar
Auctioning armor and sword
Dom Quixote cantar na TV
Dom Quixote singing on TV
Vai cantar pra subir
He will sing to rise up
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARNALDO BAPTISTA, ARNALDO DIAS BAPTISTA, RITA CARVALHO, RITA LEE JONES CARVALHO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind