He was a primary force behind the creation of the bossa nova style, and his songs have been performed by many singers and instrumentalists within Brazil and internationally.
In 1965 his album Getz/Gilberto was the first jazz album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It also won for Best Jazz Instrumental Album – Individual or Group and for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. The album's single "Garota de Ipanema" ("The Girl from Ipanema"), one of the most recorded songs of all time, won the Record of the Year. Jobim has left many songs that are now included in jazz and pop standard repertoires. The song "Garota de Ipanema" has been recorded over 240 times by other artists. His 1967 album with Frank Sinatra, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim, was nominated for Album of the Year in 1968.
Antônio Carlos Jobim was born in the middle-class district of Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro. His father, Jorge de Oliveira Jobim (São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, April 23, 1889 – July 19, 1935), was a writer, diplomat, professor and journalist. He came from a prominent family, being the great nephew of José Martins da Cruz Jobim, senator, privy councillor and physician of Emperor Dom Pedro II. While studying medicine in Europe, José Martins added Jobim to his last name, paying homage to the village where his family came from in Portugal, the parish of Santa Cruz de Jovim, Porto. His mother, Nilza Brasileiro de Almeida (c. 1910 – November 17, 1989), was of Indigenous Brazilian descent from Northeastern Brazil.
When Antônio was still an infant, his parents separated and his mother moved with her children (Antônio Carlos and his sister Helena Isaura, born February 23, 1931) to Ipanema, the beachside neighborhood the composer would later celebrate in his songs. In 1935, when the elder Jobim died, Nilza married Celso da Frota Pessoa (died February 2, 1979), who would encourage his stepson's career. He was the one who gave Jobim his first piano. As a young man of limited means, Jobim earned his living by playing in nightclubs and bars and later as an arranger for a recording label, before starting to achieve success as a composer.
Jobim's musical roots were planted firmly in the work of Pixinguinha, the legendary musician and composer who began modern Brazilian music in the 1930s. Among his teachers were Lúcia Branco and, from 1941 on, Hans-Joachim Koellreutter, a German composer who lived in Brazil and introduced atonal and twelve-tone composition in the country. Jobim was also influenced by the French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, and by the Brazilian composers Heitor Villa-Lobos and Ary Barroso. The bossa nova guitar style in Jobim's music has become firmly entrenched in jazz culture. Among many themes, his lyrics talked about love, self-discovery, betrayal, joy and especially about the birds and natural wonders of Brazil, like the "Mata Atlântica" forest, characters of Brazilian folklore and his home city of Rio de Janeiro.
In early 1994, after finishing his album Antonio Brasileiro, Jobim complained to his doctor, Roberto Hugo Costa Lima, of urinary problems. He underwent an operation at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City on December 2, 1994. On December 8, while recovering from surgery, he had a cardiac arrest caused by a pulmonary embolism, and two hours later another cardiac arrest, from which he died. He was survived by his children and grandchildren. His last album, Antonio Brasileiro, was released posthumously three days after his death.
His body lay in state until given a proper burial on December 20, 1994. He is buried in the Cemitério São João Batista in Rio de Janeiro.
Chansong
Antônio Carlos Jobim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The immigration officer asked me
Where have you been Mr. Bim
Where have you been, Joe
You've been abroad for too long Mr. Bim
Haven't you been?
I got to the Hotel exhausted to my room
Having to attend a cocktail
And there my boss Nesuhi
An old friend of Jobim's said:
May introduce you to Gloria?
By all means
Buy all jeans
I've never been in Paris for the summer
I've never drank a Scotch with this bouquet
My life is such a mess let's have a Brahma
I'm happy that you called,
I really feel touché
Oh, it's been a long, a very long time
Since a Brazilian has been in Paris com você
You look so cute there wearing my pajamas
You look so sexy with my pince-nez
Let's hijack this Concord to the Bahamas
Come on dress up my love
Let's go to the ballet
Oh, it's been a long, a very long time
Since a Brazilian has danced with you
Le pas-de-deux
The lyrics of Antônio Carlos Jobim's "Chansong" tell the story of a Brazilian man who arrives in New York after being abroad for too long. Upon arrival, he attends a cocktail party hosted by his boss and reconnects with an old friend of Jobim's named Gloria. The two spend the evening discussing their past experiences and how long it has been since a Brazilian has been in Paris with Gloria. The lyrics describe a feeling of nostalgia for the past and a desire to experience new things in life.
The song captures the bittersweet feeling of returning home after traveling abroad for an extended period. The singer seems to be experiencing a level of culture shock as he navigates the social scene in New York. The chorus of the song repeats that it has been a long time since a Brazilian has experienced certain moments, such as being in Paris or dancing with someone in a pas-de-deux. The lyrics suggest that the singer is looking to reconnect with his cultural roots and experience new things in life.
Overall, "Chansong" captures the essence of exploring new places and reconnecting with old acquaintances. It is a reminder to take the time to appreciate life and all the experiences it has to offer, even if one's life seems like it is in a state of disarray.
* The song is a mix of French and English lyrics, reflecting the characters' multicultural background.
* It was featured on Jobim's 1987 album "Passarim."
* The song was co-written by Jobim and Sting.
* The title of the song is a combination of the words "chanson" (French for "song") and "saudade" (a Portuguese word that describes a feeling of melancholic longing).
* The song features a bossa nova rhythm, a popular style of Brazilian music.
* "Brahma" is a Brazilian brand of beer, referenced in the lyrics.
* The song's lyrics were inspired by Jobim and Sting's experiences traveling and performing around the world.
* In 2003, Jobim was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and "Chansong" was performed at the induction ceremony.
* Several artists have covered the song, including Eliane Elias and Stan Getz.
* The chords for "Chansong" are Am7, D9, Gmaj7, F#m7(b5), B7(b9), Em7, A7(b13), and Dmaj7.
Line by Line Meaning
When I arrived in New York
Upon my arrival in New York
The immigration officer asked me
The officer at the immigration asked me
Where have you been Mr. Bim
Questioning my whereabouts, the officer inquired 'Mr. Bim, where have you been?'
Haven't you been?
The officer emphasized the duration of my stay outside the country
I got to the Hotel exhausted to my room
After my tiring journey, I went straight to my hotel room to rest
Having to attend a cocktail
However, I had to attend a cocktail event later that day
May introduce you to Gloria?
During the event, my boss's old friend suggested, 'May I introduce you to Gloria?'
By all means, buy all jeans
I accepted enthusiastically, indicating that I was interested, with a nod to Jobim's song 'Desafinado'
I've never been in Paris for the summer
I have never visited Paris during the summer season
I've never drank a Scotch with this bouquet
I have never tasted a Scotch with this specific aroma before
My life is such a mess let's have a Brahma
Given the state of my life, I suggested that we have a Brahma beer
I'm happy that you called, I really feel touché
I was pleased with the phone call and felt touched by your gesture
Oh, it's been a long, a very long time
It has been an extended period since
Since a Brazilian has been in Paris com você
A Brazilian has visited Paris with you
You look so cute there wearing my pajamas
Commenting on your adorableness while wearing my pajamas
You look so sexy with my pince-nez
I find you sexy wearing my pince-nez glasses
Let's hijack this Concord to the Bahamas
Humouring a playful idea of hijacking a Concorde aeroplane to the Bahamas
Come on dress up my love, let's go to the ballet
Let's dress up together and spend an evening at the ballet
Since a Brazilian has danced with you
The last time a Brazilian danced with you
Le pas-de-deux
A ballet term referring to a two-person dance
Contributed by Harper N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Richard Norris
on Samba Do Soho
It's "Diadem" which is a fancy headband. Also, I believe this song was written by Jobim's son, Paolo.